07/03/2026
🚨 Public Service Announcement for Sitka Dog Owners 🚨
Our veterinary clinic has recently treated several dogs that became seriously ill after enjoying time on Sitka beaches. So far, specifically Back Beach and the Tom Young Cabin.
The dogs developed signs including:
🐾 Acting "drunk," stumbling and having difficulty walking
🐾 Extreme sleepiness or being difficult to wake
🐾 Being unusually jumpy or overreacting to sounds and touch, especially around the face
🐾 Muscle twitching
🐾 Slow heart rate
While we expect all of these dogs to recover with veterinary care, they do require close monitoring.
We suspect the illnesses may be related to medications or other substances that can be present in human waste. Unfortunately, dogs don't know to avoid these hazards and are naturally curious scavengers.
Please help keep your dog safe:
• Keep your dog on a leash or under very close control while on local beaches.
• Prevent them from eating human or wildlife f***s or any unknown material.
• If your dog suddenly becomes wobbly, excessively sleepy, twitchy, or starts acting strangely after a beach outing, seek veterinary care via VetTriage if you are concerned.
We also ask everyone enjoying Sitka's beautiful beaches to properly dispose of or pack out human waste. It helps protect our community, our children, our wildlife, and our pets.
Thank you for helping to keep Sitka's dogs safe and have a safe 4th of July holiday! ❤️🐕
