MISSOULA — Missoula Parks and Recreation sent out a warning Thursday about dogs potentially being poisoned in the Rattlesnake area.
While those reports haven't been verified by Missoula Animal Services, they do want to make sure that dog owners know, as the weather gets nicer, the best practices for keeping dogs safe while they're outside.
“You definitely want to get them out there and enjoy all that Missoula has to offer. You just wanna be smart about it," Missoula Animal Services manager Holli Hargrove told MTN.
The area of concern is the Rattlesnake Greenway Trail between Mountain View and Duncan Drive. Greenway Trail is near Garden City Harvest's PEAS Farm. However, the farm does not spray chemicals on its property.
Watch the full story:
Executive Director Jean Zosel shared this statement in response to the potential poisoning:
"We are concerned and saddened about recent reports of dogs poisoned along the Rattlesnake Greenway and near the PEAS Farm. To be clear, Garden City Harvest does not use any types of poison, herbicides, or synthetic pesticides at any of its sites, including the PEAS Farm. As a farming and gardening organization, we promote sustainable and regenerative practices in growing food and in caring for our ecosystem."
The City of Missoula notes they do not spray any poison or pest control and have not applied any chemicals near the trail.
“Parks and Rec reached out to us and asked, we have not had any calls here at our facility regarding this, but they did want to put a notice up for people so they were aware if they were walking in that area," Hargrove said.
The Greenway Trail is signed “dogs on leash” and Hargrove says this poisoning warning serves as a reminder to leash dogs.
She adds that using a leash can help owners keep better track of what their dog puts in their mouth.
“This is why it's always important to always keep your dog on a leash, definitely supervise your dog at all times when they're out, keep an eye on him. Teach them the leave it command or the drop it command," Hargrove said.
According to the City, private land and homeowners can treat their properties with whatever they’d like, so Hargrove says a leash can keep dogs off of other's properties.
“Supervise, keep them on a leash, and not let them get into things that they shouldn't or that you're not aware of," Hargrove shared.
If there are concerns or your dog is showing signs of poisoning, the best course of action is a vet visit.
“Definitely [do] not wait, contact your veterinarian immediately have a plan in place where you have their number and if it's after hours, have a plan where you know the phone number of one of the emergency clinics in town," Hargrove explained.
As the City looks into the situation further, we’ll keep you updated.
