PPB

The Portland Police Bureau looked into reports of a dog slaying along the Springwater Corridor earlier this month,

(The Oregonian/File)

Police investigated a Southeast Portland woman's claim this week that her dog was stolen from her backyard and killed by homeless people living along the Springwater Corridor.

Cops issued a news release Friday detailing the woman's grisly account of the theft and killing of her 10-month-old puppy, Laika.

The dog owner didn't report the killing until nearly two weeks after the dog's disappearance from her Lents neighborhood home, telling police she was "too upset" and that it didn't occur to her to call the authorities.

Though police said they weren't able to examine the dog's body, they issued a news release as a public service announcement to residents. "We can't really verify a lot of the stuff she said," Sgt. Pete Simpson said, "but we have no reason not to believe her."

The woman contends there is a homeless man who is known to target other homeless people's companion animals and kill them. Stealing a companion animal is a felony, as is killing an animal.

"When someone hurts animals, it's a big thing," the police spokesman said. "It's important to people."

Simpson said the police bureau is "acutely aware" of community complaints along the Springwater Corridor. "It's concerning enough that we feel it's important to share the information for folks living out there," he said.

According to the woman's account, Laika was stolen from her backyard on the evening of April 1. The woman's two other dogs were still in the backyard, and the back gate was open the next morning.

She told police that she talked to neighbors, strangers and homeless people in her neighborhood for five days following Laika's disappearance.

She eventually met two homeless people near Beggars Tick Wildlife Refuge along Southeast 111th Avenue and the Springwater Corridor, and said they took her to the dog's grave.

Laika's body was cut and bloated, and her tongue, she told police, "had been cut out and was nailed to a tree nearby."

After talking to more homeless people in the area, the woman said, she was told of a homeless woman named "Kim" who reportedly bragged about taking Laika. She also had been spotted in the neighborhood, the woman said.

She also told police she'd heard that a homeless man was targeting other homeless people's companion animals.

On Wednesday, a Portland police officer went to the park, where it appeared a homeless camp had recently cleared out, but he found no evidence of the dog.

Simpson said the woman's story is concerning. "If what she says is true, this person who exists out there may be killing animals."

Simpson said the police will investigate any tips they receive about the incident at CrimeTips@PortlandOregon.gov.



-- Andrew Theen

atheen@oregonian.com

503-294-4026

@andrewtheen