St. Paul Police Warn Dog Owners Of Poisoned Treats
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- Someone is poisoning dogs near St. Paul, just north of Interstate 94 near Lexington Avenue.
Police are investigating, and are warning dog owners to take precautions.
In two confirmed cases, someone threw bread rolls that had rat poison baked into them into people's yards.
Both Jet the Italian Greyhound and Lola the Tat Terrier are alive today because their owners spotted their dogs eating the poisoned rolls and rushed them to the emergency vet.
They are banding together to help each other. Kelsey Jurek cannot believe how close Jet came to dying.
"I was pretty hysterical right off the bat, honestly," Jurek said. "I was praying that it was an isolated incident."
It was not. Lola, who belongs to her neighbor Dan Piepkorn, was also poisoned two days later.
"Sick how anybody's heartless to do something like that," Piepkorn said.
Jurek briefly put Jet on a tether in the middle of the day last Friday. She came out to find him eating something.
"It's pretty obvious that there's something baked into the biscuit," she said. 'The pellets are bright, bright, bright blue."
Fortunately for Jet, Jurek is a fourth-year veterinary student at the University of Minnesota. She knew immediately Jet was in grave danger.
She rushed him to the U of M, where he was given medication to make him vomit.
"I more just became livid, you know. Just mad that somebody feels the need to be going around and doing that," Jurek said.
She went door to door to warn neighbors, including Piepkorn. Two days later, he saw Lola in his fenced-in yard eating the same kind of roll.
"I knew what it was right away so I started yelling at her to drop it," he said.
Piepkorn rushed Lola to the vet. He still cannot believe it.
"She never hurt anybody," he said.
St. Paul Police are investigating, and urging dog owners to take precautions.
"I suggest for the time being, when you let your dog out in the yard, maybe you make a lap in the yard first," said Sgt. Mike Ernster. "Make sure there's nothing foreign out there."
Jurek cannot believe that even if the person who did this is caught, the most serious charge is a gross misdemeanor.
"The fact that it's really kind of just a slap on the wrist is sickening in itself," she said.
Both dog are expected to fully recover. Jurek also stressed that if you think your dog has been poisoned do not wait. Go immediately to your vet or to an emergency vet.
Ernster says anyone with concerns should also reach out to St. Paul Animal Control at 651-266-1100.
