Park View/Pleasant Plains/Columbia Heights Dog Owners Watch Out for Rat Poison Bait

via Columbia Heights Listserv

Important warning for dog owners on the Columbia Heights listserv:

“Please be advised, the rat problem on the 700 block of Irving St. is completely out of control. It has gotten to the point where residents are taking matters into their own hands to place poison baits, and are doing so without placing the baits in a way that is safe for pets and other, non-target animals.

Our dog ate one of the baits the other day and had to take a trip to the emergency room. Fortunately, she is fine. Our neighbors on one side said that they found bait blocks on their porch, and that their dog had one in its mouth. We also found two on our porch. Now I am seeing reports that residents are finding chewed up remnants of poison blocks on the sidewalks and in Bruce Monroe Park. These are extremely dangerous, as dogs will eat them very quickly. Our dog almost ate one yesterday, it did not occur to me what it was.

I have attached a photo of one of the offending items. These are also dangerous to children who may come into contact with the poison. I also found a dead squirrel this morning that appeared to have been poisoned.

Quote below from one of our neighbors:

“Alert for pet-owners. I kept seeing these solid but slightly chewed up slider-sized things (photo attached) along the east side sidewalk on Irving and in Bruce Monroe Park, this morning on the walk with my dog. He kept trying to eat them but I kicked them away before he had the chance. Guessing they’re rat poison bait blocks, which come in different shapes, colors, and sizes (these were round and grey/tan). Be careful!

If you are a dog owner, please give this a look and make sure your pet is ok- this stuff can take a few days for the effects to materialize.”