Attack on dog meadow
Poison bait: At least 11 dogs affected – 7 have already died
A memorial to the deceased dogs on the dog park in Frankfurt.
© Boris Roessler / Picture Alliance
It is probably one of the worst scenarios for dog owners: the dog picks up something from the ground and dies a short time later – poison bait. In Frankfurt’s Bonifatiuspark, dog haters have laid out poisoned baits – more than half a dozen dogs have died.
There is now a warning sign on the dog meadow in Bonifatiuspark in the Riedberg district of Frankfurt: “Warning, poisonous baits. Watch out for your animals!” At the edge of the meadow are photos of the dogs that died in the attack. Death lights flicker around them.
© Boris Roessler / Picture Alliance
So far, seven dogs have died as a result of poisoning
According to the “Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung”, several dogs ate poisoned baits distributed in the park between five and seven o’clock last Friday morning. At least eleven dogs are said to be affected, according to the police. Seven of them died as a result of the poisoning. The perpetrators laid out the bait throughout the district.
Other reports speak of drugs such as amphetamines and heroin and significantly more affected dogs, but this could not be confirmed. According to the police, it is not yet known what exactly the bait was mixed with. They resembled chunks of dry food and were hidden under park benches, for example.
Animal rights group Peta offers rewards for information
The perpetrator(s) have not yet been caught, and the search is very difficult without witnesses. So far, no one has responded to the call. Police patrols in and around the park have been increased. Such a large number of poisoned dogs is very unusual, said the police spokesman: “Usually there are always isolated cases.”
The animal protection organization Peta has now offered a reward of 1,000 euros for information that should convict the perpetrator or perpetrators. “The person who set the prepared bait and is responsible for the horrific deaths of so many four-legged friends must be found and stopped before more four-legged friends are killed or endangered,” said Monic Moll, specialist officer for animal companions at PETA in the ” Hessenschau”.
This attack is said not to have been the first in Bonifatiuspark. According to reports from the dog owners, several poisoned baits were laid out last winter. There are repeated reports of poisoned baits throughout Germany – especially in large cities and their green spaces.
Sources used: Hessenschau.de, faz.net, sueddeutsche.de