An animal lover has been left heartbroken by the sudden death of his pets after a routine walk on a popular beach.

Jack Harris came home from work to find two of his dogs dead on the floor just hours after they visited Minster Leas.

The beach is popular with dog walkers, residents, and visitors to Sheppey - especially in the warmer months.

Jack, of Southsea Avenue, Minster, used to take Akita-Staffy cross Esme and Staffy Romeo there twice a day.

When quiet he’d let them off their leads - as he did on the morning of April 23 when the eight-year-old and 12-year-old had their first walk of the day.

But when he returned home in the evening he saw vomit and the dogs on the floor.

On closer inspection, the 33-year-old - who teaches at Meadowfield School in Sittingbourne - found they had died.

He immediately took them to Kingsferry Veterinary Surgery in Queenborough where they told him the pooches had been poisoned.

He said: “Although it is two weeks on from when it happened, I am still in shock as it was so sudden.

“I am heartbroken by it as they were lovely animals and were such a big part of my life.”

Jack, who also owns 14-year-old Roxy, a Pointer-cross-Beagle added: “They used to like cuddling up with each other on the sofa and were always together.

“From the way they died, the vet reckoned it was rat poisoning although they can’t be sure.

“I have no idea where they could have ingested the poison, it could have been anywhere along the Leas.”

His mum Sarah Baker told KentOnline the loss of the dogs was “huge”.

The 52-year-old said: “It’s really hard as it was both of the dogs who were really close as they were similar ages.

“The whole family is devastated as it was so sudden and we weren’t expecting it.”

Kingsferry Veterinary Surgery has urged pet owners to show “extreme caution” following the deaths.

Meanwhile, in a separate incident another dog became sick after a visit to Leysdown Beach on the east side of the Island.

Warden village resident Suzane Knowles says her poodle suffered sickness and diarrhoea after going in the sea at around 8pm on Saturday, May 4.

The 71-year-old takes three-year-old Leo to the beach every day for a walk as he loves swimming but said she will not let him go back in the water as she fears it is being “pumped with raw sewage”.

The former veterinary nurse added: “Leo never really gets ill but was sick on Sunday after he went in the sea which is worrying.

“I thought I was going to have to take him to the vet but he was OK by Monday, although I won’t be letting him in the sea now for a while.

“It’s a popular beach where people take their kids and go on dog walks and it made me think how many people and animals are getting unwell from the sea without them knowing.

“It is awful. The sea needs testing as it smells of sewage and that is probably what caused my dog’s illness.”

Sue’s son Jack Knowles also could “smell the pollution” from the water.

He said: “The sea itself smelt like the back of some public toilets.

“There are absolutely no signs at all warning people not to go in.

“The beach was very busy on Saturday. How many people, especially children, are going to go into the sea in warmer weather and get equally sick because of it?”

Southern Water said the last release at Leysdown was on Saturday, April 27 - a week before the May bank holiday weekend.

There can be many contributory factors impacting water quality, including agricultural and highway runoff, water users and wildlife.

Algal blooms could also be a reason for the smell as when breaks down it often smells of sewage.

Swale council says it works hard to “make sure” water quality remains high across its beaches.

A council spokesman said: “Swale’s beaches are fantastic assets.

“We work hard, alongside partners like Southern Water, to make sure the water quality remains consistently high so people can safely enjoy our beautiful beaches.

“The Environment Agency also undertake regular sampling of water around the coast, with Leysdown Beach maintaining a good water quality level.”