Los Angeles County officials are asking the Pasadena community for help in identifying a person who left food toxic to dogs near a dog boarding and daycare facility.
On Wednesday, Los Angeles County Supervisor Kathryn Barger urged Pasadena residents who live or work near Foothill Boulevard to be on the lookout for a person leaving grapes and chocolate along with rice or noodles to attract dogs at Dogtopia of East Pasadena.
Grapes and chocolate are poisonous food for dogs, according to Humane Society of the United States.
In a press release, Barger said the unidentified person must be stopped because “animal cruelty should never be tolerated.”
“I am outraged that someone would go out of their way to harm dogs and their unsuspecting owners who are just enjoying a trot down Foothill Boulevard,” Barger said.
In a video shared by the boarding facility, a person can be seen crouching by a patch of dirt on the street corner in front of Dogtopia and placing something on the ground — the corner is shadowed and it’s unclear what the person is doing.
Jacks Vasquez said the act captured by her company’s surveillance camera is just an incident. Someone has been leaving grapes and chocolate M&Ms at various locations along a 1.5-mile stretch of Foothill Boulevard for several months now, according to a news release.
“It makes me sick to my stomach to know that someone would do this in broad daylight,” Vasquez said.
Person leaves food in sidewalks on Foothill Boulevard between Sierra Madre and Rosemead Boulevards.
Vasquez, who has been in the animal care and veterinary field for over a decade, said that “consuming even the smallest amount of grapes can be fatal” for dogs. Chocolate, she added, can make dogs very sick “and result in thousands of dollars in vet bills.”
“I have warned customers but am concerned word is not getting out to the wider community,” she said.
Pasadena police officials said reports of suspicious activity related to the incident can be sent to police.
“All actual and reported cases of animal cruelty will be taken very seriously and with confident enforcement,” said Gene Harris, Pasadena Police Chief.
Anyone with information should contact the Pasadena Police Department at (626) 744-4501 or go to cityofpasadena.net/police and click on the “Report a crime” link.