Village Near Tolyatti Hunts Pet Poisoner on Holidays
The silence and coziness of the village «Rassvet», part of the rural settlement Vasilyevka near the turn to Dimitrovgrad, have been shattered over the past year by children«s tears and adults» despair. Here, they no longer celebrate birthdays and New Year, but mourn faithful friends. Behind each date in the sad chronicle kept by the residents lies the death of a beloved pet, writhing in agony in the owners« arms. To find the unknown poisoner, the villagers announced a cash reward, hoping the money will help find the one without a heart.
People sent an appeal to the TOLYATTI.ru editorial office. In it, they described several cases of pet deaths that followed one after another in a short period and, in their view, were orchestrated by one person. We publish the appeal and the details of this shocking story.
« — Dear fellow villagers, neighbors, all who have a heart! We appeal to you not as abstract «residents», but as people who have endured real grief. We are mothers, fathers, children who have witnessed the cruel killing of our most loyal and defenseless friends. And we can no longer remain silent, » — so write the villagers.
People say that over the past year, all holidays in the settlement have turned into days of mourning. They provided a sad chronicle with the dates on which their beloved pets died. Behind each date — pain and tears of families. Many animals died in their owners« arms, writhing in agony before the children»s eyes.
From the villagers« letter:
March 8. A »gift« for Women»s Day for Tatyana, mother of a special needs child — her dog Naida, who did not come out of her kennel. She was found dead. Someone «congratulated» her with poison. Naida and her brother Belyash were once abandoned on the street, but kind hands gave them a chance. They became favorites of the children, a symbol of kindness. But someone found this kindness displeasing.
April 1. April Fools« Day. For Nadezhda and her little son Artyom, it became a day of endless pain. Someone»s evil, cowardly hand threw poison over the fence. Their dogs, Spitz Eva and Corgi Fenya, never left the yard. They died over several days in terrible agony. Veterinarians threw up their hands: poisoning with heavy metals.
June 12. Russia Day. While the country celebrated, someone amused themselves by killing. This time, the victim was the trusting Belyashik, who never harmed anyone. He trusted a stranger«s hand that offered him poisoned meat.
November 4. On National Unity Day, another loss. German shepherd Eva, who lived in a loving family for 10 years, was poisoned with the same toxin. The poison was thrown over a high, 2.4-meter fence, behind which grandchildren play. Have you ever seen a grown, gray-haired man cry helplessly while watching his pet suffer? It is a sight that chills the blood.
Residents provided TOLYATTI.ru with footage of the Spitz»s final moments and a video tribute to the German shepherd. Coincidentally, two animals shared the same name — both were called Eva.
Villagers reported that one of the dogs, named Belyash, was found dead on a children«s playground, under a camera. But, as people claim, law enforcement did not review the camera footage and did not start searching for the culprits.
« — Then our local police officer »did not find« either the perpetrator or even the dog itself on the recording! Wonders, indeed? The officer viewed the cameras a week later, but Belyash was not on them. So, the event simply »did not happen«, even though the lethal poison was apparently just steps from the sandbox, and a white dog lay on the green grass. The owner of the poisoned Corgi and Spitz received no response from the officer, although she filed reports. And then, imagine — the day after the report about Belyash»s poisoning, an activist«s own dog was poisoned. Everyone took it as a message and a warning for each of us! » — the residents are horrified.
According to residents, there have been more than a dozen such cases. The series of deaths led them to believe that one of their neighbors is a cruel maniac who fiercely and for unknown reasons hates animals.
« — An Alabai, loved like a child, was killed. A librarian«s dog, writhing in agony, pulled out the post it was chained to along with the chain. The facts are horrifying: we are convinced that a maniac lives among us. Possibly mentally ill, possibly under the influence of drugs. He deliberately, cold-bloodedly kills our pets on our own property. And this raises questions that are truly frightening! » — so the people said.
Residents are desperate and say they have nothing left to lose but faith in justice.
« — We, the residents, are announcing a reward of 100,000 rubles (approximately $1,100) for any information that will help expose the monster. If you know something, saw or heard — do not stay silent. Please call: +7 (927) 783-65-24 », — appealed the residents of Vasilyevka.
What the village head says
Village authorities, whom a TOLYATTI.ru correspondent contacted for comment, voiced their version of events and suggested people seek help from officials.
« — Residents complain that pets are being poisoned right in their yards. One such case occurred in the »Rassvet« settlement (not Vasilyevka, but near the village), where a dog named Belyash died on a children»s playground. The owners are sure it was poisoning and say everything should be visible on surveillance cameras. However, in practice, verifying such claims can be difficult. For example, in the Belyash case, officers went to the scene but did not find the dog«s body — it had already been buried, according to residents. Most likely, the dog could have accidentally eaten poisoned seeds scattered in collective farm fields to protect against rodents, » — said village head Yuri Pisartsev.
As for talks of mass poisonings lasting several years, the authorities believe people may be exaggerating the situation.
« — Isolated cases are possible — if an animal finds poisonous bait for rodents, — but there is no systemic problem. If something like this happens — we ask residents to contact the administration immediately. Each such appeal will be checked to determine what really happened, » — said the village head.
What is the poisoner»s goal?
A well-known Tolyatti dog trainer from the City Sports School of Dog Training is sure that the wave of crimes may indicate an attack on villagers by a group of malefactors.
« — The topic of mass pet poisonings has been actively raised again on the Internet. This is not about isolated cases, but systematic and targeted cruelty. Unknown individuals throw poisoned bait into yards, leading to agonizing deaths of pets. Dogs suffer mostly, but cats also die. Similar waves have occurred before. For example, 7–8 years ago in Menzhinsky, Samara Oblast, dogs were poisoned to, as it turned out, steal livestock. In September, a similar case occurred in Samara, and alarming signals are coming from other regions of Russia, » — said Tatyana Kovrigina.
«Who is behind this?» — there is no definitive answer to this question, according to the expert. The specialist did not rule out a ritual version, suggesting it could be some kind of barbaric sacrifice. Also, as Tatyana Kovrigina said, it could be dog hunters — people who hate dogs and act indiscriminately.
« — The most pragmatic and dangerous version — targeted elimination of dogs as guards. After poisoning an animal, it is easier for criminals to enter the yard to steal property or livestock. This scheme has been used repeatedly, such as when cows were stolen in the same Menzhinsky, » — emphasized the dog trainer.
The expert is sure that people need to urgently unite efforts to find the culprit and bring them to justice.
« — Although law enforcement often refuses to open criminal cases on such facts, inaction can and must be countered. Russian legislation has at least two articles for this. First — cruel treatment of animals. Second — damage to property. A pet, from a legal standpoint, is the owner«s property. Its intentional destruction is an offense. Punishment ranges from a serious fine to imprisonment, » — said Tatyana Kovrigina.
The expert believes it is important for residents to prepare a collective statement from all affected owners and send a letter to several agencies at once.
« — I advise sending this appeal simultaneously to the Stavropol District Police Department, the district administration, the head of Stavropol District, and a deputy, so one body monitors another. Wide public resonance through the press will also help exert pressure and bring the issue under control — we must sound the alarm on all fronts, » — said the dog trainer.
While the investigation is ongoing, she suggests focusing on dog training so that animals do not respond to bait and do not eat poison.
— An effective protective measure is prevention through training. If a dog lives in a private house, it is critically important to teach the pet not to take treats that might be thrown over the fence. You need to practice the »do not pick up from the ground« skill with the dog. This uses special methods, sometimes with the involvement of a dog trainer. Simple poisons like rat poison may not work instantly, but criminals often use specific and potent toxins against which the animal has no chance of survival, » — said Tatyana Kovrigina.
