The Crested Butte News Serving the Gunnison Valley since 1999
One dead, five recover
Six dogs in the Tomichi Heights subdivision east of Gunnison have been poisoned, with one dog dead and the other five requiring medical treatment.
The Gunnison County Sheriff’s Office is investigating the crime in partnership with the criminal investigation units of the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the United States Department of Agriculture.
“Officers are still looking into the slight possibility that this may be an accidental poisoning situation, and should that be the case, the responsible person’s intent would be taken into account,” according to a press release from the Sheriff’s Office.
Investigator Robert Summer says the Sheriff’s Office is partnering with the EPA and the Department of Agriculture because of the type of chemicals involved. Progress is being made in the case, and if a perpetrator is taken into custody, he or she could be charged in a federal court by either the EPA or the Department of Agriculture.
Officers investigating the case have been advised by local veterinarians that all six animals would have died without medical treatment. Town and Country Animal Hospital veterinary technician Lyndsey Foster warned that none of the owners saw their pets eating anything unusual.
The owners “came home and found vomit, [and the dogs had] full-on seizures where they were laying down and shaking severely,” Foster said.
Citing grave concerns that Tomichi Heights Subdivision is a family community where accidental poisoning of a child is possible, the Sheriff’s Office is asking residents and citizens to share any information they might have concerning this crime.
If you have any information or tips concerning this crime, please contact investigator Robert Summer at the Gunnison County Sheriff’s Office at (970) 641-1113.
