Salt Lake County probes dog poisonings

Salt Lake County Animal Services officials are investigating several reports of attempted dog poisonings spread between Salt Lake City and Herriman.

Tuesday morning, a woman who lives on Downington Avenue and owns two black Labs reported finding three pieces of meat with green pellets on them in her yard. Early Wednesday, Animal Services received a call from a Hollywood Avenue resident who reported her Brussels griffon and border collie mix had apparently eaten canned dog food containing green pellets. The dog owner rushed her pets to an emergency clinic where the veterinarian induced vomiting to remove the poisoned meat. Investigators later picked up evidence from the house.

The two cases appear to be related as the green pellets in the meat seem to be the same, according to a Salt Lake County Animal Services news release.

In two apparently unrelated cases, a dog owner in a Cottonwood Heights neighborhood found a saucepan in her yard containing a suspicious fluid Thursday, and a Herriman resident reported his dogs were sickened by wet dog food left in his yard over the weekend.

Although there are no formal histories of barking complaints in any of these four cases, one of the dog owners reported a neighbor had previously complained to her about her dogs barking.

Since the cases occurred in diverse areas of the county, Animal Services is recommending all pet owners keep their animals indoors, check their yards thoroughly for any suspicious food items and seek immediate emergency veterinary care if pets show signs of illness.

Symptoms of poisoning include convulsions, seizures and stiffening of the back or hind end. Residents are encouraged to watch for suspicious activity and report possible leads in these cases to Salt Lake County Animal Services, 269-7499.