OAK CREEK, Wis. — For Rick Marino, his daily routine almost always includes a drive to Bender Park to walk with his dogs. He's been doing it since he was 16—more than 40 years ago.
“Normally, it’s my release,” Marino told TMJ4.”I own a business, it’s kind of high stress, and coming out here for an hour, hour and fifteen minutes every day is what I need.”
Brendyn Jones/TMJ4
But since last week, he's had a problem.
“Unfortunately, now when I come out, my head is on a swivel,” Marino said.
On Thursday, Rick posted this picture to his Facebook page. It shows, what he said is “tainted meat.” He said his dog Jazzie dug it up and ate it.
Rick Marino
“When she doesn't come, that means she's doing something mischievous,” Marino said. “She was eating something, and we ran over and we found remnants of what she was eating, which was ground up meat.”
Watch: ‘Tainted meat' eaten by man's dog four times in the past year at Bender Park
‘Tainted Meat' eaten by man's dog four times in the past year at Bender Park
Marino said the same thing happened twice last year. And as TMJ4 reporter Brendyn Jones was interviewing Marino, it happened again. A total of four times since last year. Marino said every time it happens, he brings Jazzie to the vet to get treatment.
Brendyn Jones/TMJ4
Marino said he worries the meat could be poisonous and dangerous for the dogs.
“What's frustrating is this is the place I come to relax and I can't relax when you're worried or not your dog is going to die,” Marino said.
Marino said he's reached out to the Department of Natural Resources to get the meat tested. TMJ4 reached out to the DNR, which is working on a response, but did not provide one by the time the story was published.
TMJ4 also reached out to the Milwaukee County Parks, who said any report of possibly tainted meat gets sent to their park rangers, park operations, and natural areas departments, as well as the DNR and law enforcement.
They also said dog owners must have their pets on a leash when in Parks. Marino does not use leashes when in the park.
“Ninety five percent of the people are off-leash,” Marino said. “It really doesn't hold the person doing it responsible, and that's the problem that we have. ‘Oh, your dog should be on a leash, but it's okay for your dog to put tainted meat out, it's illogical.'”
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