Express Your Outrage: Poisoning of Marin County Dogs

Three Mill Valley dogs (Nick, Stella, and Ajax) died on Tuesday, August 7, after a well-respected and longtime dog walker took them on the much-traveled Alta trail above Donahue Street in Marin City, CA. All three pets died after suffering acute seizures.

By signing this petition you will be honoring the memory of Nick, Stella, and Ajax, and urging the County Authorities to fully and completely investigate this act of animal terrorism.

Toxicology test results last week confirmed the causes of death as strychnine-laced gopher bait. Capt. Machado of the Marin Humane Society said a meat-like pet food different from food provided by the dogs owners has led to the terrible conclusion that the poison-laced seeds and grains were placed in pet food intentionally targeted for dogs or other meat-eating animals. Machado said the fast-acting strychnine has narrowed the investigation to the trail, rather than the Mill Valley neighborhood where the 3 dogs lived in close proximity.

The trail was at the center of a controversy two years ago, when signs were erected on either side of the entrance by private owners of the land. The large signs read "Keep Your Animals on Leash " and threatened to revoke trail use by walkers.

According to reporter Jim Staats, writing in an August 14 Marin Independent Journal article, the 50-acre stretch of ridgeline land, between county property and Golden Gate Recreation Area land, is owned by Los Altos developers. They had hopes of building a 27-home high-end subdivision and thus dotted the property with signs informing trail walkers that usage could be revoked at any time. County officials, however, countered that the trail is protected by a county easement.

Marin Independent Journal story

Animal lovers, profoundly distressed about such cruelty in their midst, have contributed heavily to a reward fund leading to information in the poisoning deaths of these three Mill Valley dogs to more than $41,000, a record sum amassed by the Marin Humane Society for such a case. The original amount offered by the Society was $5,000.

"We're still looking towards the public to feed us information," Machado said. "It's an interesting case to use money to get information. In this case (it's) almost a necessity."

Aside from dogs, neighborhood residents, and hikers from all over Marin, school children also often use the trail and water tower as a nature field trip and destination. 

We urge all dog lovers who care about keeping our Marin County trails safe for walkers, for our children, and for our dogs, to send a message to Marin County authorities by signing this petition. The Humane Society has limited resources. This investigation cannot be allowed to go cold. and recede into the background. Three beautiful dogs, beloved pets all, are gone, and whoever committed this barbarous act must be stopped.

REWARD: The Marin Humane Society is offering a $41,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of anyone responsible for the dog poisoning.

Your contribution to the Animal Cruelty Conviction Fund will be used directly to support this cause. Click here to donate online. Be sure to write "Animal Cruelty Conviction Fund" in the Comments section. Or you may call (415) 506-6257, or mail a check, made payable to "Marin Humane Society ACCF", to.

Marin Humane Society
Animal Cruelty Conviction Fund
171 Bel Marin Keys Blvd.
Novato, CA 94949

If you have any leads or would like additional information, please call Captain Cindy Machado at (415) 506-6209. Or click here to contact the MHS online.