BC SPCA is sounding the alarm after tainted hot dogs have been found by the side of a rural road in Courtenay.
The hot dogs stuffed with unknown white pills were found near Edwin Place and Headquarters Road.
“We are really concerned about any dogs in the area that might be sick, or any dogs in the area that might come across these and eat them,” says BC SPCA manager Leon Davis.
The hot dogs appear to be homemade. Each has been cut in half and stuffed with 3 to 4 pills.
Davis says the mystery has deepened after they came across posters in the area, warning about a dog that is allegedly disturbing livestock.
“They have no phone number or name, but they do have a picture of a dog, and it says to the owner of this dog – keep your dog at your own property.”
Davis says they suspect there could be a link between the posters and tainted hot dogs.
He says they have a lead, and the RCMP are investigating.
There are other roads mentioned in the poster, up and down from Headquarters Road, so Davis says local residents with dogs and children should be on alert.
There have been no official reports of sick or dead animals, but the person who brought in the tainted hot dogs says they spoke to a man who said that his dog has been acting very lethargic for the last couple of days after walking through the area.
“We do have this person’s name, so we asked him to take his dog to a vet,” says Davis.
The SPCA does not know what the nature of the pills is, but if the drugs are tranquilizers, they say they could be deadly.
“Even in a large animal, lethargy can be one of the systems, maybe vomiting, things like that, so people should be aware of any symptoms their dogs might have.”
Davis says there is no question in his mind that the hot dogs have been intentionally left out on the road.
He says they do hear about poisonings, especially in cats.
“This is not a way for people to deal with it, there are other avenues. If you leave something to intentionally poison an animal, that could be a charge under the Criminal Act of Canada.”
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