Coeur d’Alene police looking for suspected dog poisoner

The Coeur d’Alene Police Department is again looking for a serial animal abuser, suspected most recently of deliberately poisoning pieces of cooked meat and leaving them for dogs to find.

Over the past few weeks, residents of the Whistler Loop area of Riverstone Park and the neighborhood near 15th Street and Sherman Avenue have reported finding pieces of meat – suspected to be poisoned – on the ground, leading to at least two dogs becoming sick, police said in a news release.

Residents told police they believe the poisoning is intentional, because even after the pieces of cooked pork, cooked steak or raw meat had been picked up, more would appear later at the same location. Police said a veterinarian reported the symptoms the dogs experienced were consistent with poisoning.

According to Idaho state law, deliberately poisoning an animal can be charged as a felony, even if it’s a first offense.

In June, police investigated the shooting of a cat with a metal blow dart in the 1200 block of North 10th Street near Bryan Elementary School.

In May 2016, police responded to a similar incident near North Eighth Street and East Birch Avenue, also near the elementary school. An 11-year-old tabby mix was found with a dart stuck in his skull, narrowly missing his eye and brain. Neighbors reported seeing blow darts lying around and stuck in trees at the time.

Police are asking for the public’s help in sharing leads by calling (208) 769-2320. They also ask anyone with pets to be vigilant and not let them consume anything on the ground while out on walks.