belladog.jpeg

Bella, a 1-year-old Rottweiler in Mantua, died of apparent anti-freeze poisoning earlier this month. Her owner says it was no accident.

(photo provided by Amanda Von Ahnen)

MANTUA — Police are investigating the alleged poisoning of a dog in the Villages of Berkley condominium complex.

Amanda Von Ahnen came home from work on April 7 and found that her dog Bella, a 1-year-old Rottweiler, had lost the use of her back legs. Von Ahnen had seen Bella standing over an empty Rubbermaid bowl in the back yard that morning. However, litter sometimes blows into her backyard between the posts of her fence, so she thought nothing of the bowl until the dog got sick.

Von Ahnen rushed her pet to a Swedesboro veterinarian who eventually concluded that Bella had ingested antifreeze. By the next afternoon, Bella’s kidneys were only 25 percent functional, and Von Ahnen had to euthanize her pet.

“It wasn’t really a choice,” she said. “It’s been a nightmare.”

When she went to retrieve the strange bowl from her yard, it had vanished.

Both Von Ahnen and the officers investigating the incident have their suspicions about what happened, although so far, they have no proof. Von Ahnen said one neighbor had repeatedly voiced concerns that Bella would get out of the yard, and that the same neighbor claimed other residents felt the same. She also suspected her dog was targeted because of the breed’s fierce reputation.

But, Von Ahnen said, “all my neighbors love Bella. Everybody was really upset about what happened, and of course they’re scared for their animals, too.”

Von Ahnen said she was also concerned for the safety of her 5-year-old son.

“God forbid my son would’ve gotten into it,” she said. “There’s a lot of kids in the neighborhood.”

She hopes that any neighbors who might have seen something will come forward with information.

“Someone has to know something. They’re townhouses. Someone saw something," she said. "And so many people have dogs in my neighborhood, it’s dangerous. I know the person who did this to my Bella is thinking they got away with it. I am not letting this go until they are prosecuted to the fullest extent.”

Mantua Police Chief Rodney Sawyer confirmed his office was looking into Bella’s death.

“The police department is actively investigating this,” he said. “It’s a very sad incident for the pet owner, and it’s not something we’re taking lightly. We’re going to do everything we can to find out what happened, and if it was in fact a poisoning, we’re going to do whatever we can to bring the violator to justice.”

Anyone with information is asked to call the Mantua police at (856) 468-1920.

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Contact staff writer Andy Polhamus at 856-686-3729 or apolhamus@southjerseymedia.com