Police Seek Clues to Pet Poisonings in Silver Lake

Three weeks ago, Silver Lake resident Bill Caine-Gonzales heard his dog, Coco, bark and whine strangely. When he went outside to investigate, Caine-Gonzales discovered a sticky white substance all over his pet’s left eye.

The substance burned the fur off the dog’s forehead and caused the eye to swell and itch before Caine-Gonzales could hose it off. Coco survived the attack and did not lose her sight.

But the bizarre incident was just the beginning of a series of attacks directed at pets in the quiet hillside neighborhood west of the Silver Lake Reservoir.

Six dogs and four cats have been fatally poisoned. A golden retriever was blinded. Several other animals had to be hospitalized after they started vomiting and foaming at the mouth.

“It’s happening just about every night, or every other night,” Los Angeles police Officer Joe Writer said Wednesday. “I’ve been doing this for 21 years and I’ve never had a rash like this ever occur.”

The assaults have outraged residents, many of whom worry that their pet may be next. Streets are no longer crowded with people taking their animals out for exercise.

“The whole neighborhood is in an uproar,” Caine-Gonzales said.

In response, residents have banded together to protect their animals. Aided by police, they are keeping watch on their streets to catch the person responsible. They have papered the area with flyers offering a $1,000 reward.

“There’s a lot of fear for everyone’s animals,” said Patria Jacobs, who bought a new puppy just a week before three dogs across the street from her house were killed. “It’s sick.”

Police patrols have been increased, Writer said. If the attacks continue, he said, officers may begin a surveillance program.

“Someone has a tremendous pent-up hatred toward animals, and I just don’t want it to graduate toward human beings,” he said.

Caine-Gonzales believes he has seen the culprit. Several days after Coco was attacked, the dog “went crazy” and started barking fiercely while trying to jump over the fence. Caine-Gonzales looked outside and saw a man in his mid-20s peering over the six-foot-high fence into the back yard. When Caine-Gonzales rushed outside, the man ran away.

Since then, several other residents have reported seeing a man fitting a similar description lurking in the neighborhood. But so far no one has identified him.

Now people wait anxiously, not knowing when he may strike next. So far there has been no pattern to which animals are attacked or clues to a possible motive. Many parents said they are afraid to let their children play in their back yards for fear they might pick up a bit of poison left for an animal.

State Humane Officer Barbara Fabricant, who is also investigating the series of killings, said she fears that the crimes may escalate. She urged residents to keep their dogs and cats inside. “We’ve got to catch this guy,” she said.

Those who have already lost their pets say nothing will replace them.

“It’s like losing a member of the family,” said Arlene Rocobado, 21, whose dog, Rocky, died Oct. 23. “We are going through the grieving process.”