COLORADO SPRINGS – A dog owner wants her scare to serve as a warning for other dog owners about the possible dangers at local parks.
Maddison Railey goes to Village Green Park with her dog Bandit multiple times a day.
“I just assumed those types of places were safe,” she said.
“I’ve learned otherwise.”
A week ago, playtime turned to panic.
“Bandit had picked up a ball that was left behind, came and dropped it at my feet, really wanted to play with it,” she explained.
“I picked it up to dispose of it and I started kinda looking around at it, after I squeezed it with my two hands, this white liquid came out, like this creamy liquid and all these little popped out of that slit that was cut inside – into the tennis ball,” she described.
The first thing she did was take pictures of the ball and the substance, which she later posted on Facebook.
Months ago an animal control officer pleaded with me to keep an eye out & take extra precaution with Bandit as there is…
Posted by Maddison Rae Railey on Wednesday, January 9, 2019
“I freaked out, washed my hands, rinsed his mouth out,” she said.
Thankfully, Bandit hadn’t swallowed any of it.
Animal law enforcement doesn’t see this a lot.
“It’s very rare that we would come across someone intentionally trying to sabotage an animal’s toys,” said Lindsey Vigna, Lieutenant of Animal Law Enforcement at Humane Society of the Pikes Peak Region.
Since Railey tossed the ball before it could get tested, she’ll never know for sure what was in it.
Now, she makes sure to bring her own toys for bandit.
Because while they may have fun out here, Bandit’s safety is not a game.
“He’s definitely my best friend,” she said.
“I have no idea what I would do without my dog.”
Animal law enforcement says if you encounter any tainted dog toys, leave them where they are, don’t handle them and call law enforcement so they can investigate properly.
