Reward offered in poisonings

SANDPOINT — The Humane Society of the United States is offering a $2,500 reward for information that leads to the arrest and conviction of those responsible for poisoned meat left on a U.S. Forest Service trail.

Authorities believe the laced sausage was meant to kill carnivorous wildlife such as wolves, but was consumed by a Clark Fork woman’s dogs. All three dogs were sickened and one died.

“Leaving out poison with the intention of illegally killing wildlife is a serious crime. It’s tragic that a family dog lost his life due to the callous actions of the perpetrator,” Lisa Kauffman, Idaho director for the HSUS, said in a statement announcing the reward.

A U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service lab determined the homemade sausage was spiked with carbaryl, a chemical in the carbamate family that’s mainly used as an insecticide. The poisoned meat was placed on trail No. 1184 in the Lightning Creek drainage, where it was consumed by the three dogs on April 23.

“The Humane Society of the United States applauds the Idaho Department of Fish & Game and U.S. Fish & Wildlife for their tireless work to solve this case,” Kauffman said.

Those with information about the poisoning are asked to call Fish & Game’s Citizens Against Poaching hotline at 1 (800) 632-5999.