Family pets and several types of wildlife have died after ingesting fast-acting poison in recent weeks near the Upper Peninsula’s border with Wisconsin. Authorities have issued a warning, saying it seems someone is intentionally mixing an insecticide with meat and leaving it for animals to find.

Government agencies and local authorities are asking for the public’s help in solving a string of fatal poisonings that have occurred since December in three Wisconsin counties along or near the U.P.'s western border.

Animal shelters and animal welfare groups in the U.P. have also shared the message and are asking pet owners to be vigilant when walking their dogs.

“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. “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.”

All the deaths have occurred either on public property managed by the U.S. Forest Service or land owned by the Goodman Timber Company. The poisoned meat is being left on the ground in rural areas, authorities say.

The Wisconsin DNR is circulating a photo that shows a sample of the poison recovered at a site where a family’s pet ate the substance and quickly died.

Each dog died less than a half hour after eating the poison.

One pet owner whose dog died described a particularly cruel death.

A man from McAllister, Wis., about an hour southwest of Escanaba, said he was out walking his German Shorthaired Pointer recently when he saw her eating something on the ground. Clark Cate told Wisconsin Public Radio that his dog, Ava, began showing signs of extreme distress within minutes.

“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 the radio news service.

His veterinarian believes Ava was poisoned with a type of fly bait.

A reward of $2,600 is now being offered for information that leads to the person responsible for Cate’s dog’s death.

Authorities are trying to determine exactly which type of poison is being used. They suspect it could be carbofuran, a pesticide used in some types of farming, according to the Wisconsin DNR.

They are warning people near that three-county area not to let their dogs run free.

“People walking their pets are recommended to keep them on leashes to restrict their movements off roadways and into possible contact with any possible poison."

There has been some speculation that the person putting out the poisoned meat is trying to kill wolves in the area.

Anyone with information about these poisonings is asked to call the WDNR Violation Hotline. You may confidentially report by calling or texting: 1-800-TIP-WDNR or 1-800-847-9367. You also may report online: https://dnrx.wisconsin.gov/rav/. The hotline is in operation 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Trained staff relay report information to conservation wardens.

Wolf Patrol is offering an additional $1000 reward on top of the $1600 from Ava’s owner. We are also urging all dog... Posted by Wolf Patrol on Friday, April 19, 2019