Police probing possible dog poisonings near Pape & Dundas

Pet owners near Dundas and Pape are being urged to use extra caution after three dogs died suddenly following suspected poisonings.

Staff members at the Greenwood Park Animal Hospital, where the sickened dogs were taken for treatment, believe the pets may have eaten anti-freeze-soaked food.

Lorne Hawryluk’s dog Amadeus was one of the victims. He told CityNews Amadeus comforted him following the death of his wife from colon cancer.

“It was nice having him come to the door all happy because he would be the one that would greet me with all that joy, so when he died, the joy was ripped out of me.”

“It was worse than going through my wife’s death because when my wife was diagnosed we had two months to prepare ourselves, but with Amadeus it just happened in a split second.”

Hawryluk was walking his two dogs, and bent over to clean up after his other dog when Amadeus, who was off-leash, walked away momentarily. Moments later, he was convulsing.

“I see him having these seizures, and it literally looked like he was being tossed around,” he recalled.

“It’s like watching a child die in a very painful way.”

Police believe the three dogs came in contact with or ingested some type of poison between Saturday and Tuesday. They are trying to determine if the poisonings were an intentional act.

“The dogs may have come in contact with something, we don’t know exactly what it is,” said Det. Phil Handsor. “There is nothing to say that it was intentional. However, we are investigating everything.”

Authorities are advising dog owners to keep a close watch on their pets while out for walks in the Leslieville area and to keep their pooches on a short leash.

“The dogs walked in the same general area,” Det. Handsor added. “There’s an alleyway behind Galt Avenue and that’s where we’re investigating right now. We have officers canvassing and searching the area.”

The dogs’ owners think their pets were sickened while walking in north-south laneways east of Pape Avenue, between Queen Street East and Dundas last weekend. An alley near Gerrard Street, reportedly behind the Matty Eckler Community Centre, has also been flagged.

After walking in those areas, the dogs suffered uncontrollable diarrhea, vomiting and seizures. The laneways lead to a popular local dog park and are heavily used by pet owners.

Police are asking people who live in the Galt and Dagmar avenues area to check their properties for any suspicious items.

Local resident and dog owner Philippa Howell said food had been thrown against her fence.

Another local dog owner, Tamara Lang, said she’s disturbed by the incidents.

“It’s just awful. These are our kids … and it’s just devastating that anyone would do that to a dog,” she said.

Anyone with information can call police at (416) 808-5500 or Crime Stoppers at (416) 222-TIPS.

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