Authorities suspect four dogs found in Wayne Township had been poisoned with rat poison

WAYNE TOWNSHIP ‒ Authorities believe that four dogs found last week on state land near the Beach City Dam may have been poisoned with rat poison.

Three of the pitbull-type dogs were already dead when found, and the fourth had to be euthanized because it was suffering. The Tuscarawas County Dog Pound , in a Facebook post , described it as "a horrific scene of abuse."

According to Dog Warden Ken Griffith, a game warden found the dogs around 10 a.m. Friday along Kaylor Road NW just south of Soehnlen Road NW, between Beach City and Dundee. All of the dogs were under a year in age, he said.

Officials suspect the dogs were poisoned with rat poison but Griffith said they are not absolutely certain.

"This causes mass amounts of bleeding internally," according to the Facebook post. "Animals who are poisoned like this will bleed into their chests and abdomens and eventually suffocate to death. Physical exam of the dogs showed signs of this type of death. All of the dogs appeared to have passed away in the 24 hours prior to them being found."

The dog warden is responsible for investigating these types of incidents.

Anyone with information is asked to call the dog pound at 330-339-2616.

Reach Jon at 330-364-8415 or at jon.baker@timesreporter.com.

This article originally appeared on The Times-Reporter: Authorities suspect four dogs found in Wayne Township had been poisoned with rat poison