It appears someone in Oliver doesn’t like dogs and is trying to poison them.
Pet owners in the Rockcliffe/Morningstar neighbourhood are being warned about wiener treats laced with pills.
Two or three dog owners have reported finding small pieces of wieners with medication inside them.
One such owner is Stefan Cieslik, whose dog found a tainted wiener on Wednesday morning on Rockcliffe Road. Luckily, Cieslik saw his dog pick up the treat, so he jerked the leash, which prompted his pet to drop the wiener.
He explained that the wiener had an “X” cut into the bottom, and a pill was shoved inside the “X.”
“Whoever the perpetrator is, he knows how to do it, and he’s doing it quite deliberately,” Cieslik said. “I guess he’s trying very hard to cause harm.”
Fortunately, none of the dogs that found the tainted wieners have been sick yet, he pointed out.
“I would hate to see somebody’s family pet falling really ill.”
Cieslik said there are people in Oliver who don’t like animals and will often swear and shout at dogs in the neighbourhood.
“Some people feel strongly if a dog poops in their yard. I can understand that . . . but to try and kill the dogs . . . I find that bizarre and disturbing.”
Cieslik worries about small children who walk in the neighbourhood. What if a child happens to pick up one of these tainted wieners?
“It’s unlikely, but the idea is horrifying,” Cieslik said.
The dog owner concluded by warning others to be vigilant and observant.
The Oliver RCMP have taken samples of the medication and are continuing to investigate.
Sergeant Blaine Gervais said it’s a “critical” issue that deserves more of an in-depth look, including knocking on some doors.
