A 3-year-old dog was put down when it got sick after swimming in Lake Mendota in Madison.
The owner told our sister station WISC that she and her dog Lucy were playing near the Memorial Union Terrace.
“I decided to take her to go swimming and we had one of her favorite balls that float. So, I usually just toss it in the water and she goes and returns it,” said Lindsey Holmes, owner of Lucy.
After the two returned home, Lucy started to vomit. Holmes took her to the vet, and when Lucy became so ill a ventilator was needed, they decided to put her to sleep.
“It was just so weird how quickly her health just went spiraling downhill within an hour of swimming,” Holmes said.
The cause of death is not certain, but the family thinks Lucy swallowed blue-green algae.
