South Minneapolis Pet Owners On Edge Over Poisoned Bread
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- Pet owners are being asked to keep a close eye on their animals.
This, after a series of dog poisonings in southeast Minneapolis. Animal Care and Control received several calls from people who live between the 4000 and 4600 block of Columbus Avenue.
WCCO's Molly Rosenblatt shows us what happened, and what you can do to protect your pet.
Mallory Dillon normally takes care-free walks with her dog Fletcher, but says lately, she's on edge.
"I'm so mad that anyone would ever do that to anybody's dog and it's heartbreaking that anybody's pet would be harmed or killed by being poisoned," Dillon said.
It started with a call to police, when a neighbor's dog got sick after eating something suspicious.
"Their animal had ingested something and they found something that was suspicious looking, so with animal control we went out they got the items, those were sent to the U of M for testing. It took a couple weeks to get the results back and then we were able to start tying these cases together," Corey Schmidt with the Minneapolis Police Department said.
Officer Schmidt says that no dogs died, however two squirrels did.
That's why cat owner Kathryn Olsen is keeping a close eye on Betty, who normally roams free.
"I think it's pretty scary. We have two cats and we let them roam around outside as they see fit," Schmidt said.
"Police say whoever is behind this is lacing pieces of bread with some type of poison, and then throwing them over dog owner's fences.
"Just bread that's been tossed out and mushed up. It's not a large loaf of bread, small pieces, something that an animal would walk up to and eat," Schmidt said.
That's why Minneapolis police are advising everyone to keep a close watch, especially if your dog or cat is a muncher.
"Probably just not let my cats outside until I'm sure there's no poison bread in my yard," Olsen said.
"Just really keeping an eye out and checking my own yard and watching what he's getting into while we're walking," Dillon said.
If you live in the neighborhood and find anything like chunks of bread rolled up, call 311 and Animal Care and Control will come pick it up to have it tested.