What's Your Take: Did Heather Mills Kill a Dog?

November 2, 2007

An East Sussex woman is claiming Heather Mills' fireworks killed her Weimaraner, Glow, seen above. The incident occurred last weekend during the 20-minute firework conclusion of the birthday celebration for Mills' daughter with Paul McCartney, Beatrice.

Sandra Rowbury (who lives yards away) says her five-year-old dog was terrified by the loud explosions and suffered a "fatally bloated gut," dying only a few hours after the birthday party ended.

I have a feeling it's going to be hard to prove this one, but what's your opinion – do you think she's guilty or not?

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44 Comments

backfat 5 years 27 weeks

We lost a basset hound to bloat when I was a child. Very sad, but has little to do with why this animal died. Not guilty. Sounds like Heather isn't the only money-grubbing hag in that neighborhood.

kiddylnd 5 years 28 weeks

I just found out that many owners of dogs susceptible to bloat are now turning to a surgery called Gastropexy. All I saw is that there are two kinds, a lap band type and a laparoscopic. Interesting.

ginafly 5 years 28 weeks

I feel badly for this dog owner. Heather Mills would have been considerate to warn her neighbors, but one can hardly claim she is a villain. To me the real tragedy is that people insist on owning purebred dogs when it is well known that they are much more susceptible to health problems than your average shelter mutt. Generations of inbreeding has made so many purebreds into very fragile creatures. Many dogs freak out about fireworks, but most of them don't DIE.

wingweaver 5 years 28 weeks

You've got to be kidding me!!!! I can't believe people are actually having an issue with what anyone does with their money!!! Look in the mirror people - I bet I could find something that every one of you spent money on that could be considered wasteful. Who cares if YOU don't like fireworks....This is AMERICA people. Who cares if she didn't notify the neighbors - the owner of the dog must have heard/seen them - why didn't she take resposibility and remove her dog from the situation??? Blame, blame, blame.........sheeezzz! keri

indreams8318 5 years 28 weeks

having lost a dog to bloat i have to say that there is no way to say she is guilty. my dear charlie went from perfectly healthy and happy when he crawled into bed, just to loose him a few hours later. The vet says it is more likely to happen in large breed dogs with deep chests and i think a Weimaraner's chest is deeper than my standard poodle's was. now in terms of just being polite to her neighbors, she should have given fair warning to her neighbors. some dogs go nuts with the sound of fireworks and i would like to know i need to be home with my furry baby to make sure she does not go nuts. and its not just the dogs in the area too, i would not be happy if i had just got my kid to go to sleep just to have them wake up screaming from the fireworks.

indreams8318 5 years 28 weeks

DejaVecu 5 years 28 weeks

I need more information. That being said, it is a slam Heather Mills free for all right now and she is making it very easy on everyone, isn't she? How useless to have that amount of fireworks for a little girl that won't remember anyway. (Hey, if I'm not going to mind my own business, I'm making it count!)

jmt 5 years 28 weeks

KiddyInd: Thanks for all the great info.

Daisie 5 years 28 weeks

I grew up with a Weimaraner and they are terribly afraid of fireworks and thunderstorms and loud noises like that! My dog used to crawl into the lower cupboards with the pots and pans! That said, I have no clue if what happened to this woman's pet (the bloat) could be caused by severe fright. Nor do I know if Mills alerted neighbors of the upcoming display and accompanying noise. I do think she should have if it was a residential area though.

tiabia 5 years 28 weeks

Heather Mills isn't necessary guilty, although I did put that she was, LOL...but who can know if a dog is caused unduly stress from fireworks, unless they have had a previous encounter. So, unless Glow's mommy had seen signs of stress in the past, and Heather Mills actually forewarned her neighbors about the firework display or had known about Glow's condition, then in reality she isn't guilty...of dog killing...of being terrible, well that's a different story all together, LOL. PS: This is a truly sad incident, and the picture of Glow is truly heartbreaking :-(

HappyKate 5 years 28 weeks

Just because someone set off fireworks does not mean that they killed the dog. The dog died yes, but it was not intentional. Crazy things happen all the time, they are accidents. Some people are just too quick to declare "guilty". Bad things do happen without reason.

lilbumbleybees 5 years 28 weeks

weimers are actually known for having a VERY common problem of bloat due to problems such as eating too fast. Anyone could set off fireworks. And more than likely, her dog has a bloat problem to begin with that she has just now seen an issue from it. One of my petsitting client's weimer didn't show any problem until he was 8. Sounds to me like she is JUST looking for an excuse to get some publicity and money out of someone. Shame on people such as that.

theboyslover 5 years 28 weeks

looks like someone else wants a piece of that mckartney settlement!

cougar41 5 years 28 weeks

This situation of the dog is so sad. It is a very good looking dog.I am not a fan of fireworks or firecrackers. The last 3 days leading up to,and on Halloween my 5 year old dog(she is 55lbs and a medium size dog) jumped up on me while I was in bed. She got as high up on me as she could and I could feel her heart just pounding so hard and fast--from the firecrackers going off.On halloween night I had to hold her for 3 hrs.People don't always think about the animals --that have more sensitive hearing than us.I have never heard of a dog getting bloat from anything other than from eating.I hope this dog was not outside while the fireworks were going off?

JessNess 5 years 28 weeks

Tons and tons of dogs are afraid of fireworks and do not die of bloat. Kiddylnd is completely correct. The fireworks did not cause bloat. If the stress was that great then why was this the only dog that died of bloat in that neighborhood on that day. Wouldnt other neighbors' dogs suffer also? The dog could have gotten bloat from the way it ate and what it ate(a common cause). They are going to have a hard time proving this

LVC 5 years 28 weeks

This is seriously a One Sided Story! Do we know that she did not alert the city that there were to be fireworkts? I am sure she would have to have gotten a permit. She is an animal and human rights activist. Obviously NOT intentional. Just a reason to slander and sue.

kiddylnd 5 years 28 weeks

To clarify, bloat in dogs is not caused by the inability or backup of bowel movements but rather gas and air expanding and contorting the stomach which in turn cuts off the blood supply. This then causes the stomach to die.

kiddylnd 5 years 28 weeks

Weimaraners have the 3rd highest risk of bloat in dogs, with Danes and St Bernard's at 1 & 2. It is commonly thought amongst the veterinary community that large amounts of air in conjunction with body size (more susceptible are large dogs with narrow, barrel chests) and an inability to expel excess air are the major contributing factors to bloat. "Bloat is a life threatening condition that most commonly affects large-breed, deep-chested dogs over two years of age. Owners of susceptible breeds should be knowledgeable about the signs of the disease, since early and prompt treatment can greatly improve the outcome. By following the preventive measures recommended, pet owners can further reduce the likelihood of their pet developing this devastating problem."

bitesize 5 years 28 weeks

Stress causes bloat in humans, so whose to say it doesn't cause it in animals? Fear causes decreased motility of bowels, which could easily cause bloat. What about people with irritable bowel syndrome? Think of simple phrases we use like "gut reaction" or "scared the crap out of..." and tell me that your bowels are not directly affected by fear and panic. Unless anyone here is an expert on the physiological responses of the body during a high period of stress, I feel that none of us are really qualified to say that bloat is not caused by fear. Now, whether or not Heather Mills is responsible for the dogs death due to her negligence in warning her neighbors is another story. People always want to blame someone for something, but I understand this lady's heartbreak. Having an animal that is terrified of loud noises, I too get frustrated at the people who start fireworks early or continue them after the 4th of july without warning, and if my dog died within a short period of being terrified, I would imagine I would direct my sadness into anger at those people who caused the fear without regard to the people around them.

NadiaPotter 5 years 28 weeks

PetSugar - you should talk about the dog's hearing... how sensitive it is. And their sight... how they see. :wave:

NadiaPotter 5 years 28 weeks

I think the stress could help to the bloat. And I think they can fire their fireworks in some areas only. Well at least that is what I hear. My vet didn't recommend anything for my dog. He said "call the cops, be with her" I am going again to the vet this month. I don't think she's all guilty. But I think they should burn their money not in a neighborhood, if that is the case. I am talking about days and days when I can't be in my home because of the bums. And Christmas is coming... so the bums... That's what I think. Obviosly is not that "pay me a fortume you dog killer" more a "please, fire that in some other open area".

CaterpillarGirl 5 years 28 weeks

My dog Sugar loved fireworks. we had to keep hold of her or she would try to run off with a lit one.

kiddylnd 5 years 28 weeks

Nadia - while I do appreciate that MANY dogs (and cats, ferrets, any critter) have a great fear of fireworks, the issue here is that the dog died of bloat and not the fireworks themselves. Again, bloat is not caused by fear or loud noise or anything related to the fireworks. You may consider in the future a natural sedative for your dog (as your vet or a naturopath) during those traumatizing times.

NadiaPotter 5 years 28 weeks

I can tell you all, without exaggerating, that every time fireworks are fired in my neighborhood I think my dog is gonna die. She suffers and I suffer with her. Every single time I think she is gonna just die. She start to tremble very badly and I shut all windows and doors and carry her in my arms, and yet, it mortified me a lot because she keeps trembling. Me and all my family. We even call the cops several times, it is supposed to be not that legal, but they do nothing. Why we have to suffer because they like to burn their money. Bum...bum...bum...

cherrygirl143 5 years 28 weeks

Fear would not have caused the dog's tummy to bloat. The dog died from something else and the owner should have noticed the dog's "fatally bloated" stomach before it was so bad it killed the animal.

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