'Shut the mutt up': Sinister note in family's letter box hours before dog 'poisoned'
A Queensland woman believes her dog was poisoned by a disgruntled neighbour, who left a sinister note in her letter box hours before her pet died.
Less than a day before her dog Bella died, Maryborough mum Tracey Spoor received a threatening letter in her mail box, warning her to keep her barking dogs quiet.
The message, received on June 10, stated it was the “last warning”. The letter-writer ordered Ms Spoor to "think carefully" about her "children's well-being" and demanded she keep her pets quiet.
The next morning, Ms Spoor's beloved dog Bella was coughing blood. Vets believed the dog had been poisoned, but sadly they could not save her.
"They didn't even give me any time to do anything about it," Ms Spoor told the Courier Mail.
"She was bleeding internally, and it was all because of poison."
Ms Spoor told Yahoo News she hoped sharing her tragic story would help other pet owners to be more vigilant.
“I really just want the word to get out for pet owners to be careful and parents to keep and eye on their kids,” she said.
Second woman threatened, cat baited
Another Yaralla Street resident, Lauren Fletcher, claims she also received letters threatening to kill her own dog, possibly from the same person. She also claimed her cat had died after being been baited.
“Over the past 6 months there has been a spineless and disgusting resident terrorising our street,” Ms Fletcher wrote, sharing pictures of the notes and her vandalised car to a community Facebook group on Monday.
“We have received horrible letters, had property maliciously damaged and on top of that our cat was baited and very sadly died,” she added.
The women have now been forced to keep their pets indoors because they are too scared to let them outside.
Police investigating threats and pet deaths
Sergeant Stephen Wheeler, of the Maryborough police confirmed to Yahoo News he was investigating the incident.
He said the person responsible could face charges of animal cruelty, as well as stalking and vehicle damage, depending on how the investigation unfolds.
“I’ve got animals myself, and if my dog was poisoned, I’d be furious,” Sgt Wheeler added.
Animal noise, such as barking, is an offence under local law, and residents can be fined. More information about barking dogs and responsible pet ownership is available on the Fraser Coast council website.
The report comes weeks after a Kippa-ring woman feared someone might be trying to poison her dog after finding food thrown over her fence.
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