64 pet dogs slain in Mexican city by mystery killer
Print Edition
SOMEBODY is systematically poisoning the dogs of Hermosillo, an industrial city in northern Mexico, authorities have said.
At least 64 dogs, all with owners, have died of a similar poison since mid-March. More stray animals have probably been killed, but had no one to file a complaint, they said.
An organic phosphate compound, possible an insecticide or rat poison, apparently was used in most of the cases, and local media have dubbed the person responsible the “Mataperros,” or “Dog Killer.”
Not even dogs kept behind the walls of their owners’ homes are safe: Officials said the killer has tossed poison into the gated patios of some homes.
No one knows who the dog killer is, whether the killings involve more than one person or what caused them to turn against dogs.
A male caller to a local radio station in Hermosillo claimed to be, along with accomplices, the killer. But he complained about loose dogs, dog bites and dogs spreading disease and uncleanliness — complaints that don’t jibe with attacks on pets inside their owners’ homes.
Animal rights activist Carolina de la Torre said she doubts that one person could have poisoned so many dogs. But she said there appears to be a modus operandi: poison wrapped in a hot dog or meat as bait.
“This is systematic. This can’t be the work of one person alone,” said De la Torre, who said at least 71 dogs have been killed in the city of about 800,000 people.
The killings appear to be concentrated in three neighborhoods, she said.
“It could range from a neighbor who is bothered by noise (from pets), or even thieves who want to get rid of the dog in order to be able to break into the house,” De la Torre said.
“Those are the two theories we are looking at.”
Hermosillo resident Julieta Robles, 23, lost her five-year-old female German Shepherd, “Box,” to the poisoner two weeks ago. The dog had got out of her home, but was wearing a collar and tag.
“When she came home that night, she was disoriented,” Robles said.
“We tried to help her, we took her to the vet, but we couldn’t save her.”
Animal defenders are starting to fight back.
Los Angeles-based actor Raul Julia Levy has offered a US$10,000 reward for information leading to the arrest of the culprit or culprits.
“When have you heard of anything like this? We know there are serial killers of humans, but we’ve never heard of a serial killer of dogs,” Julia Levy said.
While killing a dog is considered a non-serious crime in Hermosillo, punishable by a fine of about US$225, the dog killer has introduced poison into people’s homes, a much more serious crime involving trespass and risk for the human inhabitants that could carry a four-year sentence.
The killings started to come to light last month. While an average of about 10 dogs, mainly strays, are found dead in Hermosillo each month, authorities were stunned when 10 dead dogs were found or reported in a single day.
Jose Luis Icedo, director of the city’s animal health center, said veterinarians were able to identify the poison as a probable pesticide.
“It’s very easy for anyone to go to a hardware store and buy rat poison,” he said.
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