On Monday, June 25, 2007 I took my two Border Collies, Teller and Vita, and another Border Collie belonging to friends of mine, swimming in Lake Tyrone here in Livingston County around 6:30 p.m.  Of the three dogs, Vita was the only one to ingest a large amount of lake water and suddenly started throwing up.  Immediately after she threw up, she laid at my feet and closed her eyes.  At first I thought it was heat stroke, but her gums were still pink and her temperature was 101.9, normal.  I called my local vet who said it did not sound like heat stroke and to get Vita to an emergency clinic immediately.

The vet at the ER clinic said that Vita exhibited signs of toxic poisoning; suggesting "Blue Green Algae" poisoning as her eyes were fixed and dilated, and that she may already have brain damage.  She was unresponsive.  Upon our arrival, the vet immediately put her on oxygen and an IV and when I left at 10:30 p.m., she was on a respirator.  The vet said to call at any time during the night or that they would call me should Vita's condition change. 

When I got home, I did a Dogpile.com search on the internet for "Blue Green Algae Toxicity Poisoning in Dogs" and found some very frightening news.  What I couldn't understand is how, after all the years of living on this lake (my family has owned the lake property since 1955), I never even HEARD of Blue Green Algae and now I'm finding out that it's one of the most powerful toxins in the world and that there is no known antidote.  Why hadn't anyone on my lake ever warned me of this?

I called the emergency clinic at 7 a.m. on Tuesday, June 26, 2007 and was told that Vita had been taken off the ventilator a couple times during the night, but that she was not breathing on her own.  I told the vet to discontinue treatment and to let her go.  She died after being removed from the ventilator.

Could Vita's death simply have been an accident or did the toxins that are produced by the Blue Green Algae be responsible?  I had to know what killed this precious, healthy, energetic Border Collie so I took her body to Michigan State University for a necropsy and toxilogical panel.  As of today, July 5, 2007, I have not been told what killed her exactly as the toxicology results have not yet been done.

Red Top Vita, pictured here, died on Tuesday, June 26, 2007 as a result from ingesting the water in Lake Tyrone.  The lake tested positive for Blue Green Algae but state officials say the levels were within those set by the W.H.O. (World Health Organization); 20 micrograms per liter for recreational water and 1 microgram per liter for drinking water.  The water samples indicated readings of 8 and 12 micrograms.  Sadly, those water samples were taken more than 12 hours after Vita ingested them and statistics show that a lake can test positive one day and negative the next depending on the ambient temperatures. Chances are the levels were higher the night she took ill.

Tuesday, June 26, 2007. At approximately 8:30 a.m. I called the DNR and spoke with Ralph Bednarz and told him what had transpired last night with Vita. He said conditions weren’t right for Blue Green Algae as it generally appeared in late summer, early fall. I suggested to him that the last two days temperature was like that of late summer in Michigan. Sunday the temp was in the mid 80’s, Monday was 90 and I reminded him that Blue Green Algae blooms can appear at any time, but most often occur in late summer and early fall.

Mr. Bednarz said that he was sorry about Vita’s death and that he would contact his colleagues who were involved in microcystins from Michigan, Michigan State and someplace in New York and that he would be in contact with me.

At approximately 9 a.m. I walked down to the lake and was not surprised to see patches of green paint-like substances floating on the surface of the water, as well as thousands of clear tiny bubbles also on the surface giving the appearance of stagnant water. The lake was still and I also noticed blooms on the water as well. I again spoke with Mr. Bednarz who told me that, quite ironically, an independent water testing lab was making a random visit to Lake Tyrone today to test the water.

After several conversations with Mr. Bednarz I conveyed to him that I would like the water in front of my house tested for obvious reasons. He suggested I take some water samples of my own and store them in double plastic bags. In a later conversation with Mr. Bednarz, he told me not to start a panic. I told him that had someone started a panic already, we wouldn’t even be having this conversation. In a media interview later, Mr. Bednarz denied telling me not to panic.

In the meantime, I spoke with the people at AEC who wanted to know when I was going to pick up Vita’s body as I wanted a necropsy and toxicological panel done on her at Michigan State. I told them that I was waiting for the water testing lab people to arrive and that Mr. Bednarz suggested I keep a look out for them.

Later that morning I saw a woman and her three young children swimming in the middle of the lake. I kayaked out to her and told her to make sure the kids didn’t ingest any of the water and conveyed to her what had happened with Vita. She mentioned a neighbor’s dog in Macomb County that had taken in a lot of water recently and also died.

At around noon I ran into a young girl on the lake who told me that the water testing people had just launched their boat. I spoke with her father and he told me to be on the lookout for three people, one of which was Pam Tyning, a colleague of Ralph Bednarz. I flagged them down and told them I had water samples taken from in front of my house and in front of a neighbor’s house where the water was extremely stagnant.

Pam took a full report of what had happened and said that she was indeed sorry. I told her that I have lived on this lake for the better part of my life and that I’d never heard of the potential threat of Blue Green Algae and asked why no one has warned us about it. She simply said that it had never been a problem until recently. My argument, based on what I read on the internet, was that it didn’t matter that there had been no problems with it, but that the bottom line was there was indeed a reason for alarm.

I arrived at MSU at 4:00 and filled out the paperwork and was told that I might know something as early as Wednesday afternoon, June 27th.

Wednesday, June 27, 2007. I’ve received a multitude of email responses and phone calls from California, Florida, New York, Indiana, New Jersey, Ohio, and Canada from people sending their love and support and thanking me for getting the word out on the Sheepdog List. Many have asked if they can leave my name and phone number on the warning and I said yes, as it lends to the credibility of my report.

Thursday, June 28, 2007. I went to CVS, bought poster board and markers, and posted this sign at the road on Mabley Hill: “THE WATER IN THIS LAKE KILLED MY DOG. Thank you Lake Tyrone Improvement Association (L.T.I.A.) for warning me about BLUE GREEN ALGAE.” I put my name and address and Vita’s name and date of birth/death on it. Hopefully people will see this and start talking about it.

Friday, June 29, 2007. Someone tore my sign down, so I erected another one. A reporter from the Detroit Free Press called to say that she received the results of the water test from the DEQ and that the Blue Green Algae was indeed present on Tuesday morning, but that the dose was within the legal limit. She contacted the Livingston County Health Department (L.C.H.D.) who said the water tested negative. She mentioned the discrepancy and the man from L.C.H.D. changed his story. Her story appeared in the Sunday edition of the Free Press on July 1, 2007.

Monday, July 2, 2007. I called MSU again and was informed there were irregularities in Vita’s heart and lungs, so I asked if she died from a heart attack. The vet said that she did not, and that they were unable to determine the exact cause of her death until the toxicology tests came back. He also told me OSU’s toxicologist was no longer available and that the tissue samples would have to be sent somewhere in New York.

Bill Gallagher from Fox 2 News called to say he would like to run a story about Vita. He was scheduled to arrive around noon, and the photographer from the Flint Journal showed up only minutes before Bill and his crew did.

Cathy Mazur, secretary of the L.T.I.A. board showed up and interrupted Bill’s report claiming he was reporting an untruth and that the lake did NOT test positive for Blue Green Algae. He had his production assistant read the report from the DEQ, but that didn’t shut Mazur up. She could best be described as a raving lunatic and said she did not believe Vita’s death was caused by the “glue breen, uhm grue bleen, blue green algae.”  

She was visibly upset with me (ranting and raving actually) and said I owed every person selling a house on this lake an apology for bringing the property values down.

A quote taken from the Flint Journal: [Cathy Mazur, who also lives on the lake, disputes Tatus' claims and notes they still are waiting for autopsy results on the dog. "We have never had a problem with blue-green algae. He started all this publicity before he even had any facts," said Mazur, who serves on the lake association board. Mazur said her grandchildren and dogs have played in the lake all summer without a problem and that wildlife including fish, swans and geese also appear healthy. "Truly this man owes an apology to every person who has a house for sale on the lake," Mazur said.]

I might comment here that no one from the L.T.I.A. has ever called to say they were sorry that Vita had died and yet I’ve received over a thousand e-mails, phone calls, cards, and letters from complete strangers expressing their sympathy.

Here are a few e-mail responses to the Fox 2 News report and ABC Channel 12’s broadcast:

I saw you on the news (Channel 2). You made a good point and your neighbor helped a lot. Somehow screaming at you doesn’t give the sympathy vote to her and her friends. I would say she made the property values fall. Who wants to live near someone like that? I am sorry you lost your puppy, and hopefully no one else gets hurt but that the tests show how right you are. Bless you and take care. (Dorothy)

I saw you on TV last night. While you looked well, I could tell that you were still dealing with the loss of Vita. I'm very sorry for your loss. The tragedy is that it was unnecessary. I was glad to see that you were informing others about the toxic algae problem. Too bad some do not think it is a problem. Who was the ditz that was worried about her property value?! Give me a break! Which is more important, her tax dollars or the life of an innocent?! You keep doing what you are doing. The truth will come out! (Laura)

Dear Mr. Tatus, Thank you for getting the word out about the Blue Green Algae. It’s quite obvious you’re the kind of caring and responsible dog owner who, had you known about the danger of this toxic bloom, would not have allowed your dogs in that lake. The woman representing the lake association came off as both ignorant and heartless, as well as misinformed, and if anyone’s to blame for property values dropping, it would be her. Who in their right mind would want to live next door to someone like her? She obviously never heard of Blue Green Algae since she had such a tough time pronouncing it. (Moe)

Hi Bob, Thank you for your permission to help spread the word. Thank you also for your efforts to help make sure more pets are not lost to the Blue Green Algae. I am so sorry about your loss of Vita. We rescue dogs and help find homes for them after fixing them and getting shots. We have kept six large breeds that we have kept as our own and they are like furry kids to us. It would be devastating to lose them. What an awful person the nutjob who interrupted your TV interview is!! As a Realtor, I am absolutely going to include this information to my clients especially near lake/pond property along with writing blogs that will be exposed to the real estate community all over the nation. You have done an amazing service to pet owners and also those with children. We live at Lake Tansi and my little boy goes swimming in the lake a few times a week, often with two of our dogs. Who knows how many pet’s lives and possibly children you will have helped by stepping up. Thank you for that! Kind Regards, (Traci F. - Affiliate Broker, First Realty)

And then this one from a man in Arkansas who saw the ABC Channel 12 story: Too bad about those property values in "Paradise," huh? Looks more like "Cover-Up City" than "Paradise" to me. It looks like there are at least a few people who would just as soon discredit as be forewarned. However, nobody seems to be interested in getting a statement from the vet who stated what he thought the cause was. At least one detractor wrote something to the effect of "how do we know that the dog didn't drink something other than lake water that was toxic," conveniently overlooking the fact that Vita was crated all day and didn't have the opportunity to consume something toxic other than in the lake. Of course, the health and natural resources officials would be backing away from any possible culpability as fast as they could. Can't cause a panic -- even if there ought to be one! (Ron)

Here are just a couple of e-mails I’ve received from those who DO support my cause…

Bob - My name is Mike S. and I own two Australian Shepherds in Maryland. That's important for you to know, as we will likely never cross paths, nor would we now had your email not arrived in my inbox last night. But I admit to feeling all the better for your non-acquaintance this morning. In what appears to be just three days your words have traveled widely, and appear to have arrived at points even beyond the US borders. I wanted to thank you for your selfless sharing in this very horrible time for you, and its my hope that how far your own sad story has traveled will hold some solace for you. I am sorry that nothing could be done for Vita, but I can say with certainty that dogs' lives will be saved as a result of your own thoughtful communication with the world. Wishing you peace. Thanking you for sharing Vita with us all. (Mike, Molly & Snickers)

Hello Bob, You don't know me but I wanted to thank you for writing about your recent tragedy with Vita. I am very sorry to hear that this has happened. I am sure from your efforts to save her that she was very close to you. Hopefully if enough people learn about your experience it will prevent other dogs from suffering the same fate. I'm not sure if we have the same toxin here but I am certainly going to check into it thanks to you. I am a former resident of White Lake MI so I am all too familiar with the area in which you live. Thanks again and my sympathy to you for your loss. Cathy R. Crockett, President - Pickett County Humane Society - Byrdstown, Tennessee

Here’s another article taken from the July 7, 2007 edition of the Tri-County Times: [Cathy Mazur, secretary of the Lake Tyrone Association Board, said the association tries hard to take care of the lake, and it does a good job. It meets monthly and always lets residents know if there is a problem with the water. Toxic algae wasn’t present, she said.

Lake Tyrone is treated for weeds, algae and other conditions. The lake association board hires a company through Livingston County to perform the treatments. There were posting on every Lake Tyrone property owner’s land, saying people should not swim, or let there animals swim, if they didn’t feel safe, she said. The posting was through June 30. “That posting was up that day,” she (Cathy Mazur) said.

Mazur is upset with how Tatus has discussed the incident in newspapers, on television and on the Internet, before water tests and autopsy results from the dog were completed.

Also, Mazur said Tatus put up signs along the road, say the “Lake Tyrone Association Board killed his dog.” She believes he owes all Lake Tyrone residents an apology, especially the ones who have houses for sale.

Also, she said Tatus does not live on the lake. She has lived on the lake for 10 years. Her grandchildren had been swimming in the lake for the last two weeks without ill effects, Mazur said. “We have never had a dog die from our water, or a child sick from the water.”] 

My response to Cathy Mazur’s claims:

As for Cathy Mazur’s claim saying I’m not a resident of the lake is concerned, that’s a lie. I am a registered voter in the Hartland Township school district, have lived at this address since the summer of 2000, the address on my driver’s license, auto insurance, proof of registration with the State of Michigan is that of 5997 Mabley Hill Road, and my parents have owned this property since 1955. What difference would it possibly make where I lived since Vita swam in Lake Tyrone and subsequently died?

Furthermore, the sign that I put up on the road never stated that the “Lake Tyrone Association Board killed my dog.” There are pictures taken by Fox 2 news, ABC Channel 12, as well as local area newspapers that show the sign. It simply said “The water in this lake killed my dog.” She makes it sound like the Board Members came over to my house and killed my dog.

Cathy Mazur is simply lying and she’s missed the whole point of the issue here: my dog died after swimming in the lake. She obviously has no compassion for the dog and only seems to care about real estate and property values. As a representative of the Lake Tyrone Improvement Association she has never offered any kind of condolence of my loss and has only blasted me for trying to warn others about the potential danger of Blue-Green Algae. I have nothing whatsoever to gain from this and certainly no one has come forward offering to pay for the expense of losing this wonderful dog or the vet bills I’ve incurred from this tragedy.

As for this “apology” she thinks I owe to everyone who has a house for sale on this lake, I can only say this: those houses were for sale long before my dog died. Furthermore, I talked to a woman across the lake who bought her cottage last year and already has it on the market again. She was disgusted to learn that the water in front of her house was unfit for children to swim in simply because of all the muck there. It’s ironic that no one seems to care about future buyers of these properties, but only the sellers.

Monday, July 9, 2007. Today the following newsletter was hand-delivered without postage and placed in the mailboxes of Lake Tyrone residents. This is the second time the L.T.I.A. has placed notices in our mailboxes without postage in the last month. Isn’t that a federal offense?

[BLUE GREEN ALGAE - Recently, Bob Tatus’ dog Vita died after swimming in a bloom of blue-green algae on our lake. You have no doubt seen the numerous articles and TV coverage of Bob Tatus and his “mission to educate people about blue-green algae.” No residents of Lake Tyrone should need any education regarding blue-green algae and its perils, as they have been covered many times in newsletters and at the general membership meeting.

As soon as we learned of Vita’s death, we started investigating. Photos of the blooms have been sent to NOAA (blue-green algae is in part a weather related phenomenon), experts from as far away as Indiana have been called in, and many, many samples of water have been analyzed. A necropsy is even being done on Vita to determine the actual cause of death (this was initiated by Mr. Tatus).

We do not have all the test results back yet, and that is why you haven’t heard anything from us. The results we have gotten back to date don’t show any significant signs of toxins in our lake. We will not have all the test results back for a couple of weeks, as some tests take a very long time to run.

There will be no formal statement on this, in ANY media, until we have ALL the results. We simply feel it would be premature and irresponsible. This information is merely to let you know that we are on top of it. Please be patient, as we have no control over the length of time some of these tests take to run. Lake Tyrone Improvement Association]

My response to this newsletter: It would appear that the lake association only became interested after Vita died and that formal statements, not to mention unfounded accusations, have already been made by the Association’s secretary, Cathy Mazur, both on TV and in newspapers. While I’m not sure if Cathy Mazur is the official spokesperson for the lake association, she sure came off acting like she was.

Tuesday, July 10, 2007. I received a phone call from Ralph Bednarz (DEQ) who once again told me how sorry he was to hear of Vita’s passing and assured me his department would continue investigating the whole Blue Green Algae issue and asked me to keep him posted as to the results of the toxicology tests.

Wednesday, July 11, 2007. Of the many sympathy cards and letters I’ve received thus far, the following touched my heart so deeply that I sobbed for hours today. A long clear plastic tube with a return address of “The GreenWorld Project - 35 Third Street NE - P.O. Box 177 - Cohasset, MN 55721” containing a Colorado Blue Spruce sapling arrived in the mail. Inside the tube was this message: “In Loving Memory of Vita.” followed by these words: “Grieve not, nor speak of me with tears, but laugh and talk of me as if I were beside you. I loved you so - ‘twas Heaven here with you.” - Isla Paschal Richardson.  The sender was Dr. Michele Yasson and staff of Holistic Veterinary Services. I had no idea who this woman was so I did an Internet search of her name and found out that she was based in New York.

Thank you, Dr. Yasson. That was simply the most beautiful tribute to this wonderful dog and just what my heart needed to hear.

Monday, July 16, 2007. Today, Heather and Kelly, my sheep herding instructors presented me with this plaque. Thank you, Heather and Kelly. It has hung for over a year on a tree near the place where Vita was last alive. I will treasure this always. 

Wednesday, July 18, 2007. I finally planted the sapling near the spot by the lake where Vita was last alive. It was hard for me as I had surgery on Tuesday, July 3, 2007 to repair a torn meniscus on my right knee. In a way, the surgery was almost a blessing as it helped take my mind off of losing this wonderful dog. Every time I look at that little Colorado Blue Spruce I will be reminded of Vita. 

I might point out here how grateful I am for the many letters, sympathy cards, phone calls and emails I’ve received from all over the world. The outpouring of love stunned me. Every message was one of thanks for spreading the news about the toxic algae and words of encouragement and support. How blessed I am to have so many of you care enough to take the time and contact me personally.

Friday, July 20, 2007. I received a call from MSU telling me that there would be no toxicology results forthcoming. The call was followed up with the following letter: “Based on conversations with Dr. Gregory Boyer of the Great Lakes Research Consortium in New York testing of tissues from this case for algal toxins would be unrewarding. This is based on the absence of histologic lesions and the rapid deterioration of neurotoxins produced by Anabena species. As testing is not possible, no tissues were sent and no additional testing is in progress.”

“This concludes available testing. No further testing is pending. Histologically, there was no evidence of intoxication observed. There were, however, lesions observed within the heart and associated changes in the liver and lung to suggest chronic cardiac insufficiency. Whether or not this insufficiency was the cause of death is unclear. It is also possible given the lesions in the heart that this animal acutely decompensated or there was an electroconduction abnormality in the heart that led to its rapid onset of clinical signs and death. Given the results we have, an acute neurotoxin cannot be completely ruled out, but no supporting evidence is present and toxicity would have to be considered unlikely.”

Tuesday, July 24, 2007. I am so angry. When I took Vita’s body to MSU for the necropsy, I was adamant about having tissue samples sent for a complete toxicology panel. I agreed to pay for any additional testing, no matter the expense. I was first told that the tissue samples would be good for four weeks and now they’re telling me they were never sent. The cause of death is UNCLEAR??? An acute neurotoxin CANNOT be completely ruled out??? Why on earth would the emergency clinic vet say that Vita had all the signs of toxic poisoning and now MSU is telling me otherwise?

Saturday, July 28, 2007 - The Flint Journal HARTLAND TWP. - It appears no one will ever know if toxins from blue-green algae killed Red Top Vita, a border collie that died in June after playing in Lake Tyrone.

Necropsy findings and water tests for a suspected toxin were inconclusive, said Becky Simpson, water resources coordinator for the Livingston County Drain Commission. The tests indicated the presence of a toxin the algae can produce but found it at safe levels. The necropsy also found possible genetic problems with the dog, but nothing definitive, she said.

"There's nothing that stands out for sure," Simpson said Tuesday.

Dog owner Bob Tatus of Hartland Township, who paid for the necropsy, said he remains convinced the algae played some role in the death.

"At least we are aware of (blue-green algae now)," he said. "It was an expensive lesson for me, but it's something I will worry about with future dogs and any body of water. In an instant, your dog could be there one minute and gone the next."

Tatus, 52, a dog trainer who has lived on Lake Tyrone for years, had never heard about the potential danger from the algae until the vet who tried to save Vita theorized that could have been the cause of her death. His campaign to warn others about potential dangers irked some neighbors who complained he acted too quickly and endangered their property values.

A neighbor now says Tatus should apologize for his actions.

"I feel he could have done a lot of harm to people trying to sell their homes and just in general put our lake in a bad light without having proof," said John Gulya, treasurer for the Lake Tyrone Improvement Association.

But Tatus said the association is using him as a scapegoat for a poor real estate market. He doesn't regret his actions, saying he has received a positive and supportive response from across the country and Canada since he started sending postings about the incident on the Internet.

"Everything I've gotten from all over the world makes up for that," he said. "Away from the lake, there probably was a great public service done."

Toxins from the algae can be harmful to humans and animals, health officials have said. Exposure can cause a rash, and drinking contaminated water can cause vomiting and diarrhea, they said.

Simpson said the necropsy also showed the dog had a cyst on its heart valve and lung damage that could have been the cause of death.

"It's going to be a mystery, but hopefully, it's a good education for residents on the lake," she said. ~END OF FLINT JOURNAL STORY~

It’s time I address the Lake Tyrone Improvement Association and its residents. Since Vita’s death the only thing the Association has harped on is that I owe everyone who has a house for sale on this lake an apology. What they seem to overlook is that all these houses were for sale long before this incident even occurred. Could it be that the Association only has itself to blame for this? The lake has never looked worse.

Years ago, I used to be able to walk to the end of my thirty foot dock and see the bottom of the lake in four feet of water. Today, I can’t see the bottom of the lake in six inches of water. The water is almost brown in color.

The Lake Association prides itself in the dazzling display of Fourth of July fireworks and encourages people to put on even bigger displays, but have they ever thought about the amount of gun powder and fireworks residue and debris that ends up IN the lake? The Lake Association condones the illegal use of fireworks year after year, never taking into account the issues of water and noise pollution they’re responsible for. What about the bottle rockets that are launched into the water from June through the end of July? Does anyone from the Association go around cleaning up the debris that washes up on our shoreline after these events? I think not.

And what about the pop and beer bottles and cans that people repeatedly toss into the water here? And what about the countless safety infractions by boaters and jet-skiers that go on week after week? On any given day one can see people pulling skiers and tubers without observers and boat operators standing up while driving those same boats. What about the reckless driving of jet-skiers who don’t follow the counter-clockwise rule, and who follow too closely behind boats pulling skiers and tubers? And just how many boats and pontoons on this lake are equipped with life jackets for every member on board?

And what about the countless people I’ve talked to since Vita’s death who said they didn’t know blue green algae could even BE toxic, and those who’ve commented on the poor water quality in Lake Tyrone?

Or what about the homes on this lake of people who don’t mow their yards or trim their trees or clean up the crap in front of their homes?

Now the “Improvement” Association is saying I put “our lake in a bad light without having proof.” I’d say they’ve single-handedly done that themselves. What more proof do you need, Mr. Gulya? Improvement Association? What exactly has improved on this lake over the years? Certainly not the water quality!

And not once has anyone from the Lake Association ever conveyed to me any sympathy whatsoever about the death of my dog. Not one single “Hey, we’re sorry for your loss.” Not one. Instead I’ve been ridiculed for bringing to light the dangers of toxins that WERE found in this lake. Oh sure, they say the levels weren’t high enough to be concerned about, but they treated the lake anyway. Was that just a coincidence? If the water was so safe, why did it even get treated?

As for the Association’s claim that I’ve brought down the property values? Hogwash! Take a look at the real estate market, people! You’re not going to pin that on me! Are you going to blame me for Global Warming, too?

I don’t owe anyone an apology for what I did. The proof that I do have is that my seemingly healthy and physically fit dog went swimming in this lake, swallowed a large amount of water, and was dead in less that 24 hours. The proof that I do have is that the toxin levels could easily have been higher the night she went swimming. The proof that I do have is the several thousand dollars in vet bills I have that could have been avoided had anyone ever mentioned that blue green algae could be toxic.

The proof that I do have are the following scientific facts; that the occurrence of blue green algae toxins in the freshwater environment is unpredictable. Blooms may persist for up to seven days but the resulting toxins may last for as long as three weeks. Blue green algae move up and down within the water column and thus may not always float to the surface. Currents and surface winds can push them toward land, causing poison-filled cells to accumulate in a thick layer near the leeward shore. When algae cells die or are damaged, toxins may be released at levels harmful to pets and livestock if they drink the water or eat the algae.

The proof that I do have is that my dog spent the summer swimming in this lake and the damage to her heart and lungs could very well have been attributed to by her contact with the water in this lake as blue green algae neurotoxins can paralyze the respiratory (heart and lung) muscles. The symptoms that occurred the night she got ill included stumbling and falling, followed by an inability to rise (stand up), elevated heart rate, foaming at the mouth. 

My dog is dead. Whether or not an existing heart problem was the exact culprit is still in question. The tissue samples were never sent in for testing. The only apology I have is this: I’m sorry I let my dog swim in this filthy, toxic cesspool of a lake.

Here are some pictures taken today, August 3, 2007 from in front of my home on Lake Tyrone. The red circles indicate the blooms that form when the water temperature reaches a certain level.

Would you let your dogs or grandchildren swim in water that looked like THIS, Cathy Mazur? I don‘t think so. Of course, none of us should worry since the lake was treated shortly after Vita died, and, just like you said, “no dog has ever died from blue green algae in this lake before.” Can't say that anymore, can you?

Wednesday, August 8, 2007 The lake was once again treated with copper sulfate. The area in front of my home was the worst I’ve ever seen it. A thick paint-like layer of pea green algae enveloped the entire cove today, not just near the shoreline like the pictures above show, but some two hundred feet out. I took my boat out eight hours after the lake was treated and checked the rest of the lake and no where else did I see this type of concentration. This leads me to believe that the water in the shallow cove in front of my home is a breeding ground for blue green algae since I’m on the east end of the lake, and the wind typically blows eastward. It’s my theory that these conditions were indeed responsible for Vita’s death. The water today was far worse and way more concentrated with algae than that of the pictures above. At one point I had to step into the water near the shore to fix my dock. Hours later, after forgetting to rinse off my feet, I began to itch something fierce. That has never happened to me before. Oh right, that's just one of the side effects of the presence of blue green algae. Silly me!

To all of you who spread the word about the Blue Green Algae, THANK YOU. I had no idea when I posted my story on the Sheepdog List that it would reach so many people. My message, thanks to all of you wonderful dog people, now serves as a warning for all of us to be aware of this deadly toxin. And to all of you who wrote me e-mails, and sent condolence cards and letters, and called me, I can't begin to thank you enough.  Your support and prayers have meant the world to me and it is with heartfelt thanks and deep sadness that I close this chapter of my life. May Vita’s passing serve as a reminder of how quickly and easily a dog’s life can be snuffed out. Give all your dogs a hug from Vita and me…TODAY!

I can only hope that one day, through further research, an antidote can be found so that no other dog will have to needlessly die from this deadly toxin. May God bless all of you for supporting me and believing in me. With heartfelt thanks, Bob.

Bob Tatus
5997 Mabley Hill Road
Fenton, Michigan 48430
248-255-2111

rjtlitmus@aol.com

UPDATE:  February, 2009 I have since moved off this lake and left behind some of the saddest memories I'll ever have of owning dogs.  The sapling I planted in Vita's memory never made it.  The company sent a replacement, but that sapling died, too.  I guess that says a lot about Lake Tyrone. 

Not a day goes by that I don't think of Vita, but the good news is that I got a puppy from the same breeder.  I named her Zeta, which means "little girl" in Italian.  She turned a year old on January 30, 2009 and like Teller, she works sheep beautifully.  I'm happy once again.  Here's a shot of Zeta (bottom) with Teller.  She looks a great deal like Vita, doesn't she?