Man believes neighbor poisoned his dog

Friday, Aug. 26, 2005 | 11:05 a.m.

A Henderson man whose dog died after eating meat laced with needles and rat poison said he believes a neighbor angry about the animal's frequent barking is responsible, according to a KLAS Channel 8 news report.

Shane Forrest told Channel 8 he found his elderly white Labrador retriever "Lucky" Wednesday in the yard of his home near Boulder Highway and Equestrian Drive, unable to move.

He rushed Lucky to a veterinarian who determined the dog had more than a dozen sewing pins in its stomach and had also consumed poison. Lucky was euthanized, Forrest said.

Forrest's second dog, a pug, also showed symptoms of poisoning, Forrest told Channel 8.

Forrest could not be immediately reached for comment this morning.

Henderson Police spokesman Todd Rasmussen said the department and Animal Control officers are investigating. While calls complaining about noisy pets come in on a daily basis, incidents like Lucky's death are "very rare," Rasmussen said.

"I've been a police officer for seven years and I've never heard of anything like this," Rasmussen said.

When officers respond to calls about noisy dogs the first step is to attempt mediation, Rasmussen said.

"We recommend people develop a good relationship with their neighbors so you can just go next door and talk through the issue," Rasmussen said. "It can be difficult because some people get defensive about their pets, they're a member of their family."

Intentionally poisoning an animal is a felony, punishable by one to four years in prison and a $10,000 fine.