Dog poisoning puts La Cañada Flintridge residents on edge

A La Cañada Flintridge neighborhood is on edge after the latest in a series of dog poisonings, this time reportedly from a meatball laced with a toxic pesticide.

Dan Horwath told KCBS-TV on Tuesday that his 7-year-old dog June nearly died a few weeks ago after ingesting a meatball laced with what a veterinarian later determined to be strychnine, a pesticide that can be lethal.

“She was just lethargic, confused, tripping,” he said.

Horwath said he found two other poisoned meatballs on his property that he said, if consumed, likely would have killed June. The incident was reported at about 7:30 a.m., Aug. 25, in the 4100 block of Hampstead Road, and was listed in a Los Angeles County sheriff’s log as “willful poisoning of an animal,” the La Cañada Valley Sun reported.

It’s not the first time a dog has been poisoned on Horwath’s property.

He said that four years ago his dog Benny was poisoned, but also managed to survive. In 2009, another dog of his died after experiencing the same symptoms. A next-door neighbor who didn’t want to be identified also told KCBS that her dog died eight years ago after being poisoned.

Horwath speculated that the meatballs were thrown into his backyard from a community trail that lines his fence.

Authorities told KCBS they believe it was an isolated incident. But it had dog owners in the area nervous, nonetheless.

“It makes me feel very apprehensive about taking them out,” Sharon Beddawi said of her dogs, “and it makes me wonder who’s doing it.”

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jason.wells@latimes.com

Twitter: @jasonbretwells / Facebook / Google+