Chris Smalling ‘left devastated after his dog dies of suspected poisoning’ with on-loan Manchester United defender convinced somebody sprayed rat killer on his land
- Chris Smalling and wife Sam are devastated after their dog Miley passed away
- The cocker spaniel-Jack Russell fell ill while walking his Rome house
- The England defender believes Miley may have eaten rat poison by accident
- Smalling contends someone sprayed his property with rat killer poison
Chris Smalling has been left devastated after his pet dog died suddenly with the England defender suspecting his pet had eaten rat poison.
The Manchester United defender, who is currently on loan at Roma, is trying to work out what killed his dog Miley, who was taken ill last month.
The Sun report that the cocker spaniel-Jack Russell cross was one of three family dogs who became unwell after walking around the grounds of his home in Italy.
Chris Smalling has been left devastated after his dog Miley passed away last month
Smalling and wife Sam Cook believe that all three animals had eaten rat poisoning that had been secretly sprayed on the grounds.
The other two dogs, a Hungarian Vizsla named Ruben and labrador Summer, were unwell too but fortunately pulled through. Smalling posted on social media his devastation at the loss of his beloved pet.
‘Now a very, very big part of my heart is missing,’ he said. ‘Anyone who knew me and Miley knew we were inseparable. People often joked how I had two women in my life.
The cocker spaniel-Jack Russell cross had fallen ill while walking Smalling’s Rome property
Smalling believes the dog may have ingested rat poison sprayed by someone on his grounds
‘When I first met Miley I was afraid of her. I grew up with many different neighbours with aggressive dogs thinking that’s how all dogs are. Without her I wouldn’t of found the connection and compassion that I was missing towards all animals. I could never have imagined just how much of an impact she would have on my life.
‘You were a special soul and we were truly blessed that you came into our lives.’
Smalling’s wife Sam also provided information on what happened to Miley after the dog collapsed having suffered internal bleeding.
Hungarian Vizsla Ruben (left) and another dog had also fallen ill but manager to pull through
‘When Miley collapsed the vet found a tumour and put the internal bleeding which led to her death down to that, but it turns out that wasn’t the problem,’ she said.
‘A few days later Ruben and my mum’s dog got ill and, although dismissed by vets, we realised that they had all eaten rat poison that had carelessly been put in our garden uncovered without our knowledge.
‘Obviously Miley being older and smaller was affected the most. Ruben and Summer are on medication and doing much better and will make a full recovery. It’s an awful situation but we are all coping well and trying to implement the many lessons this sad situation has presented us with.
Smalling’s wife Sam (right) shared her heartbreak about Miley’s passing on social media
Sam had written the post in a bid to warn other pet owners of the potential dangers when their dogs roam on walks.
England defender Smalling had formed a close bond with his beloved pet, taking her with him when he went for meals at restaurants. The 30-year-old also flew the dog out to France in 2016 while he was playing in the Euros.
Smalling brought Miley with him to Italy after sealing his loan switch to Roma last summer, and had moved into a grand old house on the outskirts of the city with plenty of greenery for the dogs to run around.
Smalling is currently on loan at Italian club Roma from Manchester United this season
The Englishman has long been an advocate of animal rights, and in 2019 slammed pet owners who left their dogs in the car during the summer’s hot weather.
Posting a video on social media, Smalling said: ‘In the time it takes to pop into the supermarket for a loaf of bread, your best friend could bake to death.’
He also expressed his love for dogs last February. ‘I think that dogs are just so loving,’ he said. ‘The fact that no matter what kind of day you’ve had, you can come home and they’re always so happy to see you. They’re always there no matter what.’
