The owners of a five-month-old puppy who suspect their dog was poisoned in their own garden say they are "traumatised".

John Markey and Elizabeth Brooks-Markey, from Grange Park, rushed their dachshund puppy to the vets after they discovered she was eating cooked sausages which had been thrown over the wall.

John believes the sausages had been coated in rat poison because he managed to find two which Mishca hadn't eaten.

The 73-year-old, who had recently installed CCTV cameras on the property, said: "We were gobsmacked and I find it hard to believe that anyone would think of doing that.

"She's the prettiest thing you ever saw.

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"It's a really sick thing to do and we're absolutely shocked.

"She would've died if we hadn't taken her to the vets within a few hours.

"The vet told us the odds aren't very good once it goes into the small intestine."

Mishca's owners are now terrified to let her outside without supervision in case something similar happens again.

John added: "We're watching out for her all the time now with a torch.

"It shouldn't be like that. It's a private garden and it's walled off, The walls are six feet high."

Elizabeth first noticed something was wrong on Saturday night at around 12am when she went to bring the puppy in. Elizabeth realised Mishca was eating something and was acting strangely.

The pair spent more than two hours at the vets while Mishca was given medication and charcoal to get the toxins out of her system.

John added: "She's back to acting like a complete nutcase but it could've ended differently."

A police spokesman said: "We have responded to a report by a dog owner who lives in Sudeley Way in Swindon who was concerned that an attempt may have been made to poison their dog.

"We would ask that anyone who knows who may be responsible for this act, or who may have been the victim of a similar offence should call us on 101 quoting log number 54210110963."