It follows an incident in which a border collie called Cassie, owned by Lodsworth couple Annie Fabbri and Colin Fletcher, nearly died after taking a dip at Petworth Park pond on June 29.

The five-year-old dog was poisoned by the toxic blue green algae which can kill a dog in four hours.

Cassie was saved because Charles Williams, of the Springfield Veterinary Surgery, suspected the poisoning, although he had never treated a dog for it before.

"He was an absolute hero. Cassie would not be here if it had not been for him – we will never be able to thank him enough," said Ms Fabbri.

"And now I want to warn other dog owners of the dangers of letting their pets swim on very hot days in ponds where there is no fresh water flowing through."

Ms Fabbri's nightmare began on Monday afternoon when she took water-loving Cassie for a swim at Petworth Park, which had become almost a daily routine.

"She came out of the water and by 3.30pm she was obviously ill. I immediately took her back to the car and by the time we got there she could hardly walk," said Ms Fabbri.

"I rushed home and called our vet at Petersfield. Then Colin and I set off to see him, but I was so worried about her we stopped in Midhurst because we didn't think Cassie was going to make it any further."

Mr Williams said: "I suspected blue green algae poisoning because of Cassie's symptoms and the fact she became unwell immediately after swimming.

"This the first case I have ever knowingly treated, but blue green algae is an extremely poisonous substance and from the first sign of symptoms, dogs can die very quickly."

Initially Mr Williams treated Cassie for anaphylactic shock as she was deteriorating rapidly.

Then he called on toxologists at the Veterinary Poison Information Centre for algae symptoms.

"They described Cassie's case exactly and we were able to build up a picture of her problem. At one point I thought we were going to lose her but within half-an-hour we began to make inroads. She is a very lucky dog."

He warned dog owners to steer clear of stagnant ponds, particularly those which looked turbid and green.

If pets showed symptoms of malaise shortly after leaving water, had acute salivation and pale gums, they should see their vet immediately, he said.

A spokeswoman for the National Trust at Petworth Park said signs were now being placed around the pond.

"We are aware of the algae and we have put up warning notices telling people not to let their dogs or their children play in the water."

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