Dangerous Dog Treats Planted in Twin Cities Backyards

Dog owners in the Twin Cities suburb of Lakeville, Minnesota are on high alert after several pieces of meat and hot dogs were found scattered throughout the neighborhood and in backyards, some stuffed with nails and screws, others with rubber bands, opened safety pins, or unknown pills, obviously planted in backyards with the intention of harming and/or killing area dogs.

When high schooler Seth Paulson was walking his Golden Retriever, Trucker, last Thursday, his dog found something on the ground and began to go for it. Luckily, Seth was paying close attention, stopped Trucker before the dog swallowed the object, and made him spit it out. When he got a closer look, he was shocked at what he’d found.

Trucker had nearly swallowed a piece of hot dog with a one and a half inch long screw inside of it.

Seth brought the dangerous treat home to his mother, Kathryn, who immediately began talking to neighbors.

The Paulsons went door-to-door, warning neighbors and looking for more dangerous treats. They not only found several more pieces of hot dogs stuffed with nails, screws, rubber bands, and safety pins, but also found balls of steel wool with unidentified pills inside that appeared to be smeared with peanut butter to make them attractive to dogs.

One street over from the Paulsons, Lindsay Durland is just thankful that her dogs are still alive. After her two small dogs ingested some of the tainted treats, both were hospitalized and endured emergency surgery to remove nearly a dozen screws and opened safety pins from their stomachs.

“One is still in the hospital with extremely high blood pressure which they think is from these unknown pills,” Durland told WCCO Minnesota.

There have been reports of another dog in the neighborhood who died suddenly during a walk last week. It is unknown whether his death is related to this case.

In the meantime, Lakeville Police are looking for any information, someone that may have seen something out of the ordinary, or for other pet parents whose dogs have been injured by the dangerous treats.