Tainted dog treats found in Toronto park

Nov 30, 2015 | News

Tainted dog treats found in Thorncliffe park, Toronto.

Tainted dog treats found in Thorncliffe park in Toronto. (Courtesy: TPS)

By Alex Drobin

Toronto Police are cautioning dog owners across the city after reports of tainted dog treats in Thorncliffe Park.

In a news release, police said a man was walking his dog in a park near the Thorncliffe Park Dr. and Overlea Blvd. area on November 27, when he noticed his dog had a green stick-like object in its mouth.

He removed the object from the dog’s mouth before it could consume the whole thing, police said.

The man said once they got home, the dog got really sick.

Police said the man suspected the cause of the illness was the dog treats consumed at the park and returned to search for more.

Officers said he located several more of these 13 centimeter-long, green, stick-like objects.

The treats reportedly had a strong chemical smell.

This isn’t the first time Toronto dog parks have been affected by poisonous chemicals.

Rat poison was discovered in High Park in 2013.

In 2014, a small quantity of gasoline-soaked dog treats were found in an Etobicoke park.

A report released from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in 2013 showed that 580 dogs died of poisoning and thousands of pets fell ill in 50 U.S. states and six Canadian provinces due to tainted Chinese jerky treats from 2007 to 2013.

Anyone with information is asked to contact Toronto Police at 416-808-5300 or Crime Stoppers at 416-222-8477.