Ellison takes action to keep dogs safe from poisoning attempt

Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison’s office has taken legal action to protect dogs in Mankato from an apparent attempt to poison them.

In a lawsuit and motion for a temporary restraining order that the Attorney General’s Office filed in Blue Earth County District Court on behalf of Minnesota Agriculture Commissioner Thom Peterson on July 1, two Mankato residents are alleged to have placed multiple rodent bait blocks, or rat poison, near the front sidewalk of their home at 125 W. Lewis St. in Mankato to deter dog owners from letting their pets urinate on the defendants’ lawn. The defendants placed signs to this effect on their property, and it appears their intent was to harm dogs.

At least one dog ate the bait, which required the dog’s owner to induce vomiting to prevent serious illness or death. When approached by an investigator from the Department of Agriculture, the defendants refused to cooperate.