By Shannon Lukens.
Dogs are not being deliberately poisoned at Rita Valentine Dog Park. The Steamboat Digs Dogs group has been posting about dogs possibly getting poisoned around the park, on social media. And they put signs up at the park this weekend. But Steamboat Springs interim Police Chief Mark Beckett says it isn’t an intentional dog poisoning. It’s an accidental poisoning from a house in the neighborhood.
“Our current belief is that there was a homeowner in the adjacent neighborhood who had put some rat poison or rat bait out and we know that that person went out the next day and the rat bait was all gone. And we know that it was consistent with some of the poison blocks that someone found in one of the dog’s mouth.”
Chief Beckett says to be safe, the city’s Parks and Rec department employees went out and searched the dog park, and didn’t see any signs of anyone deliberately poisoning animals. And they didn’t see any rat bait in the park at all.
Steamboat Digs Dogs has taken down all of the warning signs this morning. Kathy Connell says it’s best to find other options if you want to get rid of rats or voles in your yard.
“You don’t need this for voles. Whatever you do with voles, you can put in their holes.”
Connell says between four and eight dogs were poisoned. If you think your dog has been poisoned, get the dog to the vet right away.
“It’s just very important if your dog picks up anything green in their mouth, or black, you should go immediately to the vet because that means they’ve gotten ahold of that poison. Or if they start vomiting or have diarrhea, you should check with your vet, too.”
Connell also says to walk with your dog when you’re in Rita Valentine Park instead of standing at the entrance, so you can always see where your dog is going.
“Rita Valentine Park is a great dog-walking park. We just want to urge people, rather than stand up there and talk on your cell phone, to walk with your dog on all of those great paths. That way they can not only see if there dog is pooping and pick up. But they can also check to see if their dog has ingested something or put something in their mouth that might be poisonous to them.”
The City of Steamboat Springs posted a press release late Monday afternoon on the incident.
Animal Control Investigates Dog Related Poisoning
No Individual Identified Actively Targeting Animals
STEAMBOAT SPRINGS, COLORADO-May 22, 2023-After information began circulating on possible dog poisonings, Steamboat Springs Police Department’s Animal Control investigated the situation and found no individual is actively targeting animals.
“No individual is actively targeting dogs and no poison has been found within the Rita Valentine Dog Park,” said Police Commander Rich Brown. “Once we were aware of the situation, we wasted no time in working through the investigation to determine if something nefarious was in the works.”
At this time, no information has been identified that any of the poison was found in Rita Valentine Park. However, bait was used in an adjacent neighborhood
to battle a vole infestation, which the area is experiencing due to a long and snowy winter.
With no intention of harming pets, some residents used this method as a way to rid their property of voles. A dog found a block which appeared to have been transported due to other animals such as magpies, racoons or foxes picking up the block and moving them to other locations within the immediate area.
After speaking with a number of witnesses, Animal Control determined one dog in a nearby neighborhood was sick from ingesting this poison and another dog was seen chewing a similar green brick. Both dogs have been treated and are responding well. Four other dogs underwent preventive measures because they were in the same area or associated with the two sick animals.
“This incident is a strong reminder there can be unintended consequences with our actions.” commented Animal Control Officer Jennifer Good. “While an isolated instance, this is a good reminder to any resident considering using this method to deal with rodents to follow all safety requirements and utilize a bait station. Better yet, contact a pest control professional.”
Rita Valentine Dog Park remains open to the public and their pets. ACO reminds pet owners to keep their animals within sight while out. If your pet shows any signs of poising or was seen getting ahold of one of these blocks, contact or visit your veterinarian immediately.
To report an animal issue, contact Routt County Dispatch non-emergency, 970.879.1144. The earlier a call or issue is reported, the faster SSPD and ACO can respond and begin working on the matter.
-WeServeTheCity