And now a cautionary tale for all of us, with dogs.
Think twice before you let them swim in a lake or pond.
The family you're about to meet,
took their Husky swimming in a pond.
And now that dog is dead because of toxic algae.
(boy coughing) (boy shouting)
A 10 year old boy and his dog
take a dip on a hot holiday weekend.
The picture of pure summer joy.
(water splashing)
But 20 minutes after this video was taken
at Zion National Park in Utah, July 4th weekend,
the boy and his mom were in shock.
Their beloved Husky puppy named Kiana was dead.
She started seizing,
her whole head and body was shaking.
She had no control over anything in her body.
Something came over Kiana
after she got out of the water.
Within about a minute,
she got a little frantic, front paws bent underneath her
and she couldn't... she was trying to walk with them,
but they wouldn't work.
That was very alarming for me.
They ran to get help, but it was too late.
The puppy that young Francis got as a birthday present,
just months before...
We have a new member of the family.
Was now lying lifeless on a table,
in a veterinarian's office.
She passed away in my arms,
Dr. Jeff Werber says,
the dog swallowed toxic algae,
which blooms this time of year.
There's a bacterium called a cyanobacteria,
which is a severe neurotoxin.
And it's amazing how fast it can work.
It does. It kills a dog within an hour or two.
It's not an isolated incident.
(women crying)
Last summer, these three women lost their dogs
to toxic algae at a Lake in Texas.
And when a dog is in a body of water and swimming
and having fun, doing the dog paddle per se,
chasing the ball,
they are ingesting a lot of water in the process.
Whereas when we swim, we know not to.
(water splashing)
Experts also say,
"If you think your pet has been swimming in algae,
make sure to rinse them off,
just in case they start licking their fur."
(dramatic music)