Walking your dogs in parks and reserves just became much safer thanks to the efforts of a Papamoa woman.

Misha Gildenberger has been warning people on social media recently about the toxicity of karaka tree berries for dogs.

But she felt like this wasn't enough and has raised money to have warning signs printed and put up in areas where the trees are.

After getting permission from Tauranga City Council, Misha put signs along the Waikarei walkaway in Papamoa and also handed them to people in Welcome Bay and Omokoroa to raise awareness in those areas.

Through her social media posts, Misha met a woman whose dog died from karakin poisoning in December. Holistic Vets also reported a recent case where a dog died after eating the berries.

The pip of the karaka berry contains a powerful neurotoxin and alkaloid poison, karakin. When eaten by dogs it can cause weakness and vomiting and can progress to paralysis, convulsions and death.

Misha moved to Papamoa from Auckland six months ago and realised there is a lack of awareness about the berries in Tauranga. In Auckland there are warning signs in parks and reserves that house the trees.

'When I came here and I started walking around the area, I saw many, many trees and absolutely no communication,” says Misha.

She owns Roma Pet Minding and comes across a lot of trees during her dog walking.

'It's not as simple as training your dog not to eat the berries. Some dogs will eat them, so people need to be aware about the dangers.”

If Misha takes dogs to a new area, she scans for problematic or poisonous plants and recommends other people do the same.

Holistic Vets director Liza Schneider says sometimes there is a one-to-two day delay between a dog eating a berry and showing symptoms, which means it's often too late because it has been in their system for so long.

'Sadly, it progresses quite severely and dogs often don't bounce back from it.”

The veterinarian says people need to be vigilant and proactive by watching their dogs during walks and keeping them on the lead if they are near a tree to ensure berries aren't eaten.

The karaka tree has bright orange berries up to 4cm long. It can grow up to 15 metres and has thick, dark green leaves. The fruit ripens and falls from the trees from January to April.

Misha wants to put signs all over Tauranga and is raising money through a Givealittle page. For more information, search ‘karaka tree warning' at: www.givealittle.co.nz