Cat poisoned with antifreeze, tail stripped of fur
Manteca, CA (US)Incident Date: Thursday, Oct 14, 2010
County: San Joaquin
Charges: Felony CTA
Disposition: Open
Suspect(s) Unknown - We need your help!
Case Updates: 1 update(s) available
A young family living in the 1300 block of Trailwood Avenue has apparently had their third pet poisoned with anti-freeze-- exhibiting the same toxic symptoms other animals have experienced recently in their northwest Manteca neighborhood.
Katrina Sotomayor called police Thursday night when she noticed her three-month-old tabby vomiting blood, experiencing diarrhea and refusing to eat or drink. Its tail had been partially stripped of its hair, she added. The family lost a dog and a cat in early March to poisoning and other residents near their home have lost dogs and a cat in recent weeks that were also believed to have been poisoned.
Police noted that the incidents have been occurring on Fridays during the last four weeks that claimed an AKC Boston Terrier and a two-year-old Mastiff weighing about 130 pounds. The terrier and a St. Bernard were living across Trailwood Avenue from each other. The St. Bernard survived, the terrier did not. The Mastiff died last Monday morning, believed to have been poisoned last Friday.
Sotomayor said they didn't have the money to seek help from a veterinary hospital since her husband just returned to work after a six month layoff from his job. She said she had been trying to force water into the cat's mouth to help flush its kidneys.
"I was trying to do anything I could," she said, "it was not being itself."
She said her children got the cat when it was only six weeks old. She said it was usually out being playful and climbing trees. Her children are devastated.
The victims of the dog poisonings have reportedly found meat wrappers in their back yards they believed were thrown over their low-lying fences from a community green belt that runs between their houses.
Two of the victims chased a man they believed was a prime suspect Tuesday night, but police dismissed him as only being a wandering transient. He did however admit throwing grapes into two back yards. Grapes can be toxic to dogs, a veterinarian confirmed, but only in large quantities.
The couple that nearly lost their St. Bernard walked the neighborhoods last Sunday and handed out 100 fliers notifying residents on several blocks in the Park West subdivision of the pet poisoning they were witnessing.
The Park West Home Owners Association has now promised increased security and the Manteca Police Department have increased patrols in the area. Manteca's animal control officer interviewed residents last week finding another plastic baggie in the green belt next to a walkway.
A reward of up to $1,000 for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the person responsible for the felony poisoning of the pets in the area is being offered by the Manteca Crime Stoppers. The reporting party will remain anonymous in collecting their reward. Call 823-8346. If you have information on this case, please contact:
823-8346
Case UpdatesSomeone has been using antifreeze to poison family pets.
At least seven dogs and cats have died in recent weeks, according to Manteca authorities. The animals have died after ingesting food laced with the chemical that is used to protect automobile engines.
The poisoned pets are in the Park West subdivision, according to pet-abuse.com.
Two poisoning methods have been reported to Animal Control officials:
* Someone has thrown poisoned meat wrapped in foil into backyards.
* Someone added antifreeze to sandwich meat and fed it to a dog.
At least one dog has survived.
Police officers have stepped up neighborhood patrols. They have no suspects, and at least one homeowners group has hired a private security firm.
Manteca Crime Stoppers, (209) 823-8346, has offered a $1,000 reward for information leading to an arrest. | Source: RecordNet - Oct 19, 2010
Update posted on Oct 20, 2010 - 2:36AM |
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