Tylenol-Stuffed Sausages Found in Baltimore Backyards

Dog owners in the Hampden neighborhood of Baltimore are on high alert since a resident discovered several pieces of poisoned sausage strewn about her backyard.

Hampden resident,Terri Galvan let her 4-year old pit bull, Maddie, out into the backyard Saturday night. After about 30 minutes, Galvan heard Maddie barking at something, then suddenly stop. When she went outside to check on her dog, she saw a man slowly walking up the alleyway behind her home. That’s when she discovered several slices of sausage stuffed with Tylenol in her backyard.

Tylenol’s active ingredient, acetaminophen, is highly toxic to both dogs and cats. Just a small amount of the medication ingested can cause irreparable liver damage, vomiting, jaundice, coma, or worse, death. The sausage slices found in Galvan’s yard contained upwards of 8 to 10 caplets of Tylenol each.

Thankfully, Galvan found and collected the sausages before Maddie ate any of them.

The man seen in the alley is described as a balding, heavy-set man in his late 50’s to 60’s. Galvan’s home is located on the 3400 block of Elm Avenue. The incident occurred around 11pm on Saturday.

Galvan told The Baltimore Sun she called 911 immediately, but that no officers arrived. She called again on Sunday, but again, no officers visited her home.

Tina Regester, a Maryland SPCA spokeswoman could not recall any confirmed animal poisoning cases in Hampden, but urges all pet parents to always supervise pets, even in their own backyards.

Recent accounts from around the country report similar incidents of poisoned treats and food being tossed in backyards, dog parks, or left along popular walking trails with the intention of harming pets.  Always keep an eye on your pet and carefully inspect your own yard before letting your dog outside.