Someone Is Mixing Insecticide into Meat and Poisoning Pet Dogs and Wildlife in Wisconsin Counties

A dog, Ava died after consuming poisonous food while walking on public land in Athelstane, Wis., on March 31, 2019. (GoFundMe)

Family pets, coyotes and many types of wildlife have died in three Wisconsin counties since December after eating meat mixed with insecticide.

Authorities have issued a warning informing people that someone is intentionally poisoning meat and leaving it for animals to feed on near the Upper Peninsula’s border with Wisconsin, reported Michigan Live (MLive). 

“Dog deaths have occurred in Bayfield, Marinette and Florence County; however, it is unknown if other counties could be involved,” said a recent statement from the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and the U.S. Forest Service.

Actual poisoned food sample recovered by WDNR law enforcement at one of the locations of a canine fatality. (Marinette County Sheriff's Office)

“In addition to the unfortunate poisoning of these family pets, investigators also found dead coyotes, weasels, raccoons, and one wolf that they suspect also were poisoned. Lab tests are underway to confirm the cause of death in these wildlife cases,” the statement said.

The deaths occurred on public lands that include lands managed by the U.S. Forest Service and Goodman Timber Company, according to the statement released by the Marinette County Sheriff’s office on Facebook.

Clark Cate, a resident of McAllister in northeastern Wisconsin lost his 3-year-old German short-haired pointer Ava to poisonous meat this spring.

Cate was walking Ava with a hunting partner when he saw her eating something. “About 10 minutes later she staggered out into the road and started convulsing and hyper-salivating and died in my arms about 20 minutes later,” Cate told Wisconsin Public Radio.

Cate took Ava and a sample of the poisonous food to a veterinarian and it is suspected that the dog died due to some fly bait.

“It was mixed in with hamburger and thrown in the woods,” said Cate. “Everybody’s surmising that it was put out to kill wolves.”

Capt. Dave Zebro, northern region conservation warden for the Department of Natural Resources(DNR) said they can’t yet validate the cause, however, they suspect it to be pesticide carbofuran.

“It’s used a lot in farming for insects, and we’ve seen it used in potato farmers and stuff like that,” he said.

A reward of $1,600 is being offered for any information that leads to the person responsible for Ava’s death, according to MLive.

Lt.  Andrew Lundin, conservation warden in northeastern Wisconsin said as of now three cases of dead dogs, several coyotes, a raccoon, a wolf, and a weasel have been reported.

“We’re in the process of working with U.S. Fish and Wildlife on having the species that we’ve been able to recover, including the most recent domestic dog tested through the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Laboratory,” said Lundin. “That’s where we’re going to be able to, hopefully, determine that there is a connection or there’s not.”

Authorities have sought public help in resolving the situation. “The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and the U.S. Forst Service are seeking the public help in solving several cases involving the poisoning deaths of domestic dogs and wildlife since December,” said the statement.

The sheriff’s office has advised people to keep their dogs on a leash and call the DNR tip line at 1-800-TIP-WDNR or report online if they see any suspicious activity.