Two dogs dead after possibly ingesting poison at a Racine park, DNR investigating

The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources is investigating two dog deaths in Racine, after the dogs' owners said they died from ingesting poison in a local park. It started as a widespread search for the dogs, Jax the German Shepherd and Lincoln the American Bulldog. The two dogs escaped the family's backyard Tuesday and made their way to Vidian-Cheska Park, according to the dogs' owners.Billy's Posse, a nonprofit dedicated to helping lost dogs, started searching the area.”I just wanted to look for the dogs, so I was looking for eyes and movement,” said Stacie Kraft, a volunteer with Billy's Posse. Before Billy's Posse could find the dogs, animal control did. Surveillance video from a nearby home shows animal control finding Jax and Lincoln at the park later that day. Both dogs were already showing signs of sickness, and Jax was carried away on a stretcher.Both dogs died that same day.The owners were still too upset to go on-camera with WISN 12 News Thursday, but they said the veterinarian told them the dogs showed signs of being poisoned. The owners are working with Billy's Posse and the DNR to figure out what happened.”It's scary,” said Billy's Posse executive director Kristin Wilson. “There are children that play here.”Billy's Posse went back to Vidian-Cheska Park to investigate. There, Wilson said they found grocery store produce bags filled with poisoned meat. “All in all, we found probably about 20 bags strewn from the street, out to the playground. Just kind of chucked into the brush,” Wilson said.”Why do you think someone would throw a bunch of laced meat around the park here?” 12 News reporter Emily Pofahl asked.”Coyotes. There are a lot of coyotes,” Wilson said. “And people don't think about the ramifications or what they're exactly doing.” Billy's Posse is storing the meat in a cooler for the DNR to collect and test Friday.The community is on high alert, and mourning the loss of the two dogs.”They're all extremely heartbroken. It's hard. I can't even imagine this happening to my pet,” Wilson said.Billy's Posse encourages anyone who notices any difference in their pet's behavior to take them to the vet immediately. Anyone with information about the incident at Vidian-Cheska Park is asked to contact Racine police or the DNR.

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