It’s a pet owner’s worst nightmare.
A woman went to the Norfolk County OPP detachment at roughly 10 a.m. Wednesday to report an animal complaint.
According to police, sometime between 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. on Monday, the woman was walking her dog on her property on Church Road in Townsend when the dog picked up something from the grass. The woman went to remove it from the dog’s mouth and discovered a pepperoni stick that had been hollowed out and filled with what police believe to be rat or mice poison.
“After speaking to the resident it was further explained that they had been finding deceased squirrels and chipmunks along their property as well,” said Const. Ed Sanchuk.
The dog did not consume the item and appears to be in good health, but Sanchuk notes this could have been a lot worse.
“It kind of makes your stomach turn when you think that someone would take that opportunity to throw something like that on the property, especially if there’s young children in the area,” he explained.
“If that young child happens to pick that up, starts eating that pepperoni stick … we’re looking at a different ball game here especially if it’s any type of rat poison. You’re looking at a seriously injured child, dog, or even more than likely potentially death.”
Sanchuk added that in his four years as a media officer, he’s only seen one other similar case where a pet died in Simcoe after ingesting antifreeze mixed into rice and bacon. He says that investigation is ongoing.
“I have an animal myself. It’s not just an animal, it’s a family member. This type of reaction, when you’re having someone dropping off a pepperoni stick or throwing some type of pepperoni stick with what appears to be poison inside, it’s very concerning not only to the resident but also to police.”
Anyone with information is urged to contact police or Crime Stoppers.