The Suffolk community is being urged to provide information on the state of the county's rivers after a dog owner revealed her beloved black labrador died weeks after swimming in the River Gipping.
Jimmy had visited the river with his owner Jo Hardy, from Coddenham, on the May Bank Holiday Monday in 2022 and had gone into the river for a paddle.
READ MORE: Amber rating as water levels in Suffolk river now 'notably low'
However, a few days later, Jimmy started to vomit and experience diarrhea, while his owner spotted blood in his faeces, which resulted in the pet being hospitalised on the Thursday after the Bank Holiday weekend.
He spent two weeks in intensive care, undergoing plasma infusions, while he was unable to stand properly and his body had stopped absorbing nutrients, forcing his owners to take the agonising decision to have Jimmy put to sleep.
READ MORE: Suffolk news
Although Jo could not prove Jimmy's death was pollution-related, she said: “He went from being a strong, healthy three-year-old dog to a dog who had lost 7kgs in ten days.
"It was heartbreaking. Utterly devastating. I can't prove it was the water but have since heard other dogs who swam there also became ill.
“As a child I always used to swim in the sea locally, so for this to happen has been a complete shock.
"I want other people to be aware for the sake of their pets and their children."
Dr John Warren, chair of conservation group The River Gipping Trust, said he had noticed a deterioration in water quality in the river over the last 25 years and that stones at the bottom of the river were now 'dirty' when they used to be clean.
He called for tighter regulation of water companies to stop them releasing sewage into rivers.
He added: "We know that the Environment Agency's budgets have been hugely cut. We know over the last 25 years there is a massive problem in England with sewage discharge."
He has backed environmental group Planet Patrol's Spring Water Watch from April 21-30, which is encouraging the public to monitor waterways and provide updates on wildlife and pollution via an app.
A spokesperson from the Environment Agency said: “No pollution was reported to us on the River Gipping in May 2022.
"It is important that members of the public report suspected pollution to us via our incident hotline, available 24/7, on 0800 807060”
To download the app, visit https://planetpatrol.co/download-our-app/
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here