Police warn residents on potential dog poisonings

Lyttelton police say they have noticed an increase in dog poisonings on social media, but said people do not report the cases to them.

If you’re worried about potential dog poisonings and house break-ins during the festive season, you might want to take note of a few very important safety tips.

Police spokesperson Captain Dave Miller said dog poisonings are treated as cases of malicious damage to property, and usually increases in an area where prospective robbers aim to conduct criminal activity.

“What we have noticed is an increase in people reporting or talking about dog poisonings on social media. This shows us there are mainly two reasons why people don’t report these incidents to police.”

Miller said people don’t report these crimes because they either don’t want to go to the effort of driving to the police station to report it, or they are told there is no case would be opened for a dog poisoning, which is inaccurate.

“It is very important for people to report dog poisonings to police, because it makes it easier for us to establish links or to identify if perpetrators are targeting a certain area. For instance, if we notice an increase in dog poisonings, car thefts or house break-ins, we know the area is obviously being targeted and we can implement the necessary precautions or have our teams focus on those areas,” he said.

The most popular substance perpetrators use in these poisonings is Temik poison.

“They put the grey or black substance in a piece of meat or sausage and throw it over the fence. This is the most common way in which dogs are poisoned in order for burglars to gain entry to your property.”

Miller warned that people must, under no circumstances, pick up the poison with their bare hands.

“If you spot the poison in your yard, put on some gloves or use a bag to pick it up. It remains poisonous to humans and can be easily absorbed by the skin.”

Miller said that if you suspect your suburb of having such incidents to keep a dog poisoning kit at home.

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“Most vets in the area have dog poisoning kits that you can keep at home in case your dog is poisoned. I know some people recommend charcoal, but you need to do some research on what charcoal can be used for dogs and which absorbs poisonous substances the best.”

Miller also said that although residents in Centurion have complained about poisonings in the area, this remains a problem and a common modus operandi nationwide.

“We have noticed a decrease of reported crime in the area of 20-30% compared to this time in 2019, which is a bit good news.

“The poisoning of dogs in any area is a clear sign of a potential hike in thefts and burglaries still to come. Please don’t hesitate to report any crime to your nearest police station, CPF or security company,” Miller concludes.

Centurion residents have expressed their concerns of a sharp increase in dog poisonings over the past few weeks on the popular Facebook community group Centurion Concerned Citizens.

If you need police assistance with regards to dog poisonings or any criminal activity, contact the Lyttelton police station directly on 012-644-8632.

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