A DOG owner who almost lost her five-month-old puppy is warning people to be vigilant after a innocent-looking tissue contained a slow-releasing poison.

Corinne Bowden was walking Nellie, a King Charles Cavalier and Bichon Frise cross, in Stourport War Memorial Park on Friday, May 29, when the she curiously picked up a tissue in her mouth.

Miss Bowden quickly took it off her but the damage had already been done.

Later, Nellie began experiencing severe vomiting symptoms and had to be taken in to emergency veterinary care.

"First they thought it was gastroenteritis but her kidneys were okay," Miss Bowden said.

"When she didn't get any better she had to be admitted to stay in the vets.

"To my horror, the vet thought that she may have ingested some toxic substance, and we were left with the awful thought that she might have picked something, left lying around deliberately, possibly in Stourport Memorial Park, where we had been walking earlier on last week."

Although the type of poison was unknown, and was just known to be slow-releasing, causing sickness, dehydration and increased heart rate, the vet said it was possible the tissue could have been sprayed with anti-freeze as there had been reports of similar incidences involving tissues and tennis balls in the area.

Nellie has made a good recovery from the poisoning, but Miss Bowden said she could not understand how anyone could leave something knowing it could lead to serious, or even fatal, consequences.

She said: "Thankfully Nellie appears to be making a good recovery, but the events of that night and the anguish it caused me and my family will stay with me for a very long time.

"How anyone could deliberately leave an article that has been 'laced' with some poisonous substance, only for some innocent little puppy to pick up while out scampering about on a bright sunny spring walk to my mind beggar's belief."

The incident was reported to West Mercia Police and anyone with information should contact them on the non-emergency number 101.