Law bites alleged canine baiter

THE law has come back to bite a man from a small North Queensland town who has been charged with attempting to feed rat poison-laced pet food to two adored family dogs belonging to a respected young local family.

Senior Constable Andrew Cary of Halifax Police said an investigation had resulted in a man in his early 60s being charged and if convicted he faces a year in jail under the Animal Care and Protection Act on a charge of allegedly laying a harmful or poisonous bait with the intention of harming or killing an animal.

He said it would be alleged the man had laced dog food with Ratsak and placed it inside the family property on July 15 after what is understood to be a protracted dispute over barking.

It is not alleged the dogs consumed the poison, nor is there any substantiated evidence that the dogs cause any sort of disturbance in the tightknit community.

Senior Constable Cary said the incident was well known in the small town with locals not taking kindly to it, with the man copping a “fair bit of grief”.

“People here really care for animals,” he said.

He said the incident was filmed on two sets of CCTV footage, police had retrieved a medical glove with a meaty residue, and a search warrant executed on the man’s home allegedly recovered clothing similar to that worn by the person on CCTV as well as a box of Ratsak poison.

The man has been served a notice to appear in the Ingham Magistrates Court on August 20.