The Higgins man whose two German shepherds were allegedly targeted with poisoned meat says it's the second time someone has tried to kill his dogs.
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Two weeks ago Alex* found dark chocolate scattered across his backyard. Chocolate is toxic to dogs, and Alex had to take 1-year-old Yogi to the vet to have his stomach pumped.
That day, he bought a motion-activated CCTV camera and installed it over the back gate. The camera was wi-fi enabled, and it sent Alex a notification when it had been activated.
At about 5am Wednesday morning, while he was still sleeping, the camera picked up the "spooky" image of a man at the gate and alerted Alex.
"I checked and there was this chilling man staring at the camera, and very clear that he was throwing handfuls of meat in the back yard," he said.
"It just looked like regular beef mince, but bright green poison rubbed into it."
Alex, who is new to the area, said Yogi and 5-year-old Otis sleep inside at night, but if he hadn't seen the footage it's possible that while they were in the backyard during the day they would have found and eaten the poisoned meat.
"This is the second attempt to kill my dogs in a few weeks," he said. "This guy is very persistent and I don't know what he plans to do next."
Alex said he had spoken to other residents in the area who had also reported baiting attempts. On Thursday he was due to give a statement to ACT police.
Friend Jenny Magee, who sometimes house sits and minds Otis and Yogi, said she was surprised the two dogs were targeted.
She said it was distressing to think about the alleged dog baiter's intentions and whether it went beyond killing the dogs and gaining access to the house.
The dogs are kept out the back during the day, removed from pedestrians and cars, and are not very visible to people who might be walking past, she said.
"Alex is a very responsible dog owner, so it's not like he would let these dogs go roaming the streets and create havoc on other people's lawns," she said.
Police said they believed the incident was isolated.
The penalty for dog baiting or laying poison that endangers, or is likely to endanger, the life of any domestic animal or bird is a maximum of $1,000, imprisonment for six months, or both.
If you recognise the man in the footage or saw something in Higgins on Wednesday morning, contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000, or report via the website at act.crimestoppers.com.au.
*Alex has requested his last name be withheld.
