A Sidney wharfinger is growing increasingly concerned after a number of incidents in the last month have appeared to target his and other people’s dogs.
The latest of these incidents was discovered Monday (March 1) when a customer of the Blue Peter Marina found six cubes of peanut butter covered rat poison laying dispersed in a section of lawn next to the parking lot.
“His little puppy grabbed one and he had to pull it out of her mouth,” Stephen Latimer, wharfinger of the marina, said. He also has dogs and said there are probably 40 to 50 dogs walked through the area each day.
“An evil person placed it there,” he said, adding that there is no doubt in his mind whoever placed it there was trying to target pets, not rodents.
RELATED: Metchosin mom pleads for the end of rat poison use after cat dies
But, Cpl. Chris Manseau of the Sidney/North Saanich RCMP said they couldn’t determine if the poison had been left with malicious intent or not. Police investigated the area on Monday after a complaint was made.
Manseau pointed out that adding peanut butter to rat poison is a common suggestion on forums to get rid of rodents, but that if someone was just trying to get rid of rats there are far safer ways to do it. For one, Manseau said, the wharfinger should be contacted. And, if poison does have to be placed, there should be some kind of sign warning pet owners of its presence.
Latimer’s issue is the rat poison is not an isolated incident. At the start of February he said chicken bones were spread up and down the docks and, a couple of weeks ago, he found random rotting food on his boat.
“I figure it’s because I’ve had to have stern words with people to keep the marina clean,” Latimer said, adding that he’s also called the RCMP several times to report trespassers.
For now, Manseau is warning people to be extra cautious when walking their dogs.
“I would hope that someone isn’t intentionally trying to injure animals, but sadly people surprise me all the time,” he said.
RELATED: Sooke calls for ban on rat poison across B.C.
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