Possible dog poisoning investigated

CLARK FORK — Authorities are investigating the death of a dog that apparently consumed tainted sausage found on a U.S. Forest Service trail along East Fork Creek.

“I feel pretty confident it’s going to come back as a dog poisoning, but I’m going to let the lab confirm that,” said Idaho Department of Fish & Game Conservation Officer Matt Haag.

Haag said the suspect sausage is being analyzed by a toxicologist at the University of Idaho. The results are pending.

The Bonner County Sheriff’s Office is also investigating, according to Haag.

“It’s a public safety issue,” he said.

Bonner County resident Mary Franzel said she went for a stroll on Friday with her dogs on trail No. 1184, a newly-designated non-motorized forest route that peels east off of Lightning Creek Road No. 419.

Within a quarter mile of the trailhead, her four dogs encountered the sausage and consumed some of it.

“It looked like bratwurst. It was homemade sausage,” said Franzel.

When the hike was over several hours later, Franzel’s German shepherd, Chumani, was panting and foaming at the mouth. It lapsed into seizures and later died. Another one of her dogs, a mutt named Oege, began displaying similar symptoms, but it was spared an agonizing death with emetics to induce vomiting.

As a precaution, Franzel’s two golden retriever/spaniel mixes, were also given emetics and it became clear they too had eaten some of the sausage, but apparently escaped injury.

“My concern is for other dog owners and their families,” said Franzel.

Haag said he is not aware of any other reports of dogs being poisoned in Bonner or Boundary counties and is encouraging the public to contact him at 946-0671 if anybody encounters anything suspicious on the forest trails.