Suspected Encino Dog Poisonings Make Headlines

It was 7:54 a.m. Monday when I received a concerned note from an Encino resident saying she suspected that her dog, Zoe, and two other dogs in her neighborhood had been poisoned. She asked if there was anything I could do to help get the word out, and preferred that I keep her name anonymous.

“We need to publicize the situation so that people in the area are aware,” she said. “I have a few email addresses of neighbors. I don’t even know many of them.”

I corresponded with the woman and posted her on Encino Patch to help spread the word. Within hours, the story was recommended on Facebook and re-Tweeted on Twitter.

“Lauren, I can’t thank you enough. I hope that tons of people see this and keep their animals and children safe,” the woman wrote me in an email. “It looks like the L.A. Times and Daily News are going to publish about this as well, but you certainly are the first—you blazed this trail—and I appreciate your efficiency and your concern.”

On Tuesday, KTLA, the LAist blog, the Daily News and ABC7 shared her story.

After voicing her concerns with the media that the Los Angeles Police Department, when contacted, refused to write a report, the Encino woman told Patch she received a call from a Los Angeles police officer who took a report over the phone Monday afternoon. An LAPD official told the Daily News that its Internal Affairs Division was investigating the complaint and could not comment.

This experience is the kind of thing that we at Patch see as part of our mission—to help our neighbors have their stories, big or small, be heard.

I invite you to send me your thoughts or concerns about anything that might be stirring up conversation around town, and I’ll post it. Try to keep it to 300 words. Email it to Lauren Rosenblum at laurenr@patch.com.

The more Encino Patch serves as on online space for community dialogue, the more useful our site will be. The next time you have something to share with your neighbors, consider taking a moment to send a letter to Patch. Chances are, you're not the only one who feels that way.