Breaking News
Who could be so heartless?
John Morcombe
7 May 2008
PET owners in Allambie Heights are being warned about sausages laced with splinters of glass that have been baited around local streets.
The alarm was raised by a resident after his cat Sapphire came home with a half-grilled sausage ``as a trophy'' on Saturday evening but didn't eat it.
``Soon after we found glass splinters all over the living room floor,'' the resident, who asked not to be named, told The Manly Daily.
``We cleaned them and then she came back with another half-sausage. Then we found more glass splinters in living room.
``We threw away the sausages and didn't put two and two together until Sunday evening, when she came back with a small piece of sausage.
``We found it was spiked with glass splinters.''
He also found a pile of splinters in his house and thinks his cat may have been smart enough to eat around them.
If one of the sausages was eaten by a pet the splinters could easily pierce the animal's stomach, with dogs the most likely to eat the sausages and suffer severe pain or death.
The largest splinters were 12cm long and 6cm wide,
``Someone is trying to kill our pets,'' the resident said.
``But a dog would just gobble it down and its stomach would be cut open by the splinters and it'd die an awful death,'' he said.
``It's horrendous to think we might have neighbours that have such dreadful intentions.
``It's a criminal act and pet owners need to be aware of the danger.''
He said it was the first time he had heard of foods laced with glass being used to target pets.
The man contacted Warringah Council, but was told to contact the police.
He has informed Dee Why police of the incident and wants all pet owners in Allambie to watch out for their animals' safety.
Northern Beaches police said this was the first instance they had heard of sausages being spiked with glass splinters, but have warned pet owners to be on the lookout.
They said baiting usually consisted of poisons being placed in food items likely to be consumed by pets.
People convicted of baiting animals face up to six months in jail.
Anyone with information about the incidents is urged to call Dee Why police on 99713399.
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