By Jessica Anstice
There’s been another case of suspected dog baiting in Pakenham after a suspicious chunk of meat was found in a resident’s backyard on Saturday.
The attempted poisoning of Blue Heeler Scrubby is the latest of several incidents this year in the area.
Dog owner Tarni Bailey was left shocked that someone allegedly attempted to poison her beloved pet.
Ms Bailey says she found a piece of raw, discoloured chicken in her backyard on Thomas Street, along Henty Street on Saturday morning.
“Luckily my puppy was still asleep and didn’t notice it. I only live with my dad so I asked him if he had given it to our dog in which he said he hadn’t,” she explained.
“It hasn’t happened before, although we have had someone shining a torch at our dog over our fence late at night while we were home but they ran off once my dad caught them.
“I feel angry and annoyed that someone has attempted to poison my dog. He’s loved by me and my family so dearly.”
Overnight on Saturday, Ms Bailey’s dad woke to the sound of the property’s side gate being opened.
“At about 2am he got up and closed it and checked if Scrubby was still in the yard which he was so he thought it was odd,” Ms Bailey said.
“He went back to sleep and woke up for work and both sides of the gate were open again. No one in our family had opened them.
“Our gates are too heavy for the wind to blow open. Our dog jumps on them sometimes and even then they don’t open. I struggle to open them some days.”
Ms Bailey doesn’t understand why Scrubby was potentially targeted as he “doesn’t bark much, only when new people are over as he is protective”.
“I’m concerned that it may happen again and next time he won’t be so lucky,” she added.
“He may eat the bait before I find it or worse, be taken or run away.”
