Dog owners in Baltimore’s Hampden neighborhood raised serious concerns after discovering bits of poisoned sausage in a neighbor’s backyard. 

In an apparently failed attempt to poison her pitbull, Terri Galvan of Hampden, Maryland, found numerous pieces of Tylenol caplets in her backyard.

Terri Galvan, a resident of Hampden, Saturday night let Maddie, her 4-year-old pit bull, out into the backyard as usual. In 30 minutes’ time, Galvan heard her Pit-bull dog Maddie barking at something in a terrifying way and then suddenly stopped. Because the dog’s barking was unusual, she was frightened. She then stepped outside to check on her dog and noticed a man slowly making his way up the alley. Galvan became so suspicious about the man, and that’s when she noticed many sausage pieces that had been filled with Tylenol while the ground was in her backyard.

The primary component in Tylenol is Acetaminophen which is used to relieve mild to moderate pain from headaches, muscle aches, menstrual periods, colds and sore throats, toothaches, backaches, and reactions to vaccinations (shots), and to reduce fever. Medical studies have found that acetaminophen is highly toxic to cats and dogs. Studies have also proven that when a dog ingests a small amount of Tylenol, it may cause permanent damage to the liver, vomiting, coma, jaundice, or even sudden death. This means that it was an attempt to harm pets, and Maddie, the dog’s life, was at risk of coming to an end. The slices that were found in Baltimore’s Hampden neighborhood were tested, and the results stated that they contained 8 to 10 caplets of Tylenol each.

The poisoned sausages were fortunately discovered by Galvan that night in the backyard before Maddie’s attempt to eat any of them. The man who was seen in an alley that night was described to be balding, heavy-set in his late 50s to 60s. Galvan’s home is found in the 3400 block of Elm Avenue in Baltimore’s Hampden neighborhood. This incident happened in Galvan’s backyard around 11 pm on Saturday night. 

Galvan said that she contacted 911 as soon as she discovered the poisoned sausage pieces, but no cop showed up, according to The Baltimore Sun. She then contacted 911 once more on Sunday daytime, but they still did not arrive at her residence.

After conducting research, Tina Regester, a spokeswoman for the Maryland SPCA, found no evidence to support any reports of animal poisoning connected to the Hampden incident. After that, Tina Regester sent a press release advising all pet owners to be aware of such incidents and to think about supervising their animals, even if they are in their own backyards.

Numerous comparable events involving the intentional poisoning of pets have occurred across the nation, which has led to the alertness of all pet owners. These incidents generally involve treats and foods that are left on walking trails, dog parks, and backyards. Before allowing their four-legged loved ones to go outside, pet owners have been advised to be accountable for caring for their animals and keeping their surroundings clean.