People in Middletown, Dauphin County are concerned someone is trying to poison their pets. Now, the mayor is urging pet owners to be alert.
“I couldn’t live without them. I’d be lost,” said Theresa Kovach who lives in Middletown. Kovach has a fenced in yard, but after hearing about possible pet poisoning attempts she’s been keeping her dogs inside her home. “It’s awful for someone to do that to a dog or anyone really. it scares me,” said Kovach.
Middletown Police received a report Tuesday from a woman concerned someone is trying to poison her pets. The woman says she found glass in a doughnut left in her yard on Ann Street in Middletown Borough. A couple of days before, she says someone left a note on her porch threatening her pets. Several pet owners have taken to the Facebook page Middletown Residents United.
"There had been some complaints of random items being thrown into people's yards that included loaves of bread soaked in anti-freeze, donuts with shards of glass in them," said Mayor James Curry who issued a warning for the entire town. "Certainly being a pet owner and a pet lover and I know how many people in Middletown have pets. I thought it was important not only to warn the people in that specific area of town but also the entire town in general," said Mayor Curry.
Here is the ALERT: "Mayor Curry requests residents to carefully check their yards for suspicious items/foods before allowing pets out: In Light of recent reports of residents finding suspicious food items in their yards, Mayor Curry is requesting that all residents carefully scan the area before letting their pets out. If you find any type of food items to include bread or donuts in your yard that don't belong there, Please call the police immediately at 717-558-6900. Also look for any pools of green liquid which might be antifreeze."
Several residents have taken to the Facebook page Middletown Residents Unite to share their stories.
One resident posted: "Unfortunately, I have another Middletown issue to share with pet owners. Some one in my area is trying to POISON or harm animals. We found in our yard a doughnut with glass pieces inside of it. A note was found a couple of days before this attached to our front porch with odd hand writing threatening our pets. Which are only left briefly outside to do their business and back in and always supervised. Another neighbor said his dog was poisoned not long ago and made the dog very s...ick. A different neighbor I talked to found food soaked in antifreeze and yet another neighbor complained bread was used with bleach. PLEASE Share with other Pet owners. Ask them to walk their yard before letting their dog out into it and make sure their dogs are not eating anything outside. Pay attention to people near the yard and report any suspicious activity. Thank you from a pet owner who LOVES her pets."
Another resident posted: "People with dogs, beware. I am now afraid to let mine out without being directly by their side even though we have a fenced in yard. This morning, for the 10th time!!, we discovered our dog eating what appeared to be a hunk of bread. I once found bread soaked in antifreeze as well.. I don't know who is sick enough to do this, but if I find out!"
