So sorry for your loss. I hope that now you're rethinking how you let your dogs roam for their sake. I mean knowing that there is someone putting out poison you need to take care to protect your other animals. I live is a small close town where the homes are only a few feet apart. We've had people purposely put out poison for cats. We have a large elderly population here and they put out cat food for the strays because well that is their source of entertainment. Most elderly don't leave their homes and watch the stray cats from their window. So some fool got tired of all of the cats and added antifreeze to cat food. Its a horrible way to die. Eventually they find out who did it and press charges but then it happens again a few years later in another part of town. We also now have a skunk problem because what the cats don't eat the skunks then finish off at night. My husband and I had talked about how to get rid of the skunks but would never ever put out poison for them. Besides the fact that poisoning is cruel we would worry about other animals eating it or children getting into it some how. There are so many things that could happen you just can't take that chance. At this point, besides contacting your local police and ASPCA to report it, you'll have to take better steps to protect your pets. As I tell our children, you can never be too careful. Dogs, cats etc. tend to get into things they're not supposed to. We wouldn't put poisonous plants inside our house if we knew our cats could chew on them and get sick or worse just as we don't allow our cats outside period because one we live close to a road, 2 there are stray dogs around that could kill them, 3 there are people who put out poisons or would take our cats, and 4 house cats live longer and have fewer illnesses than cats that go out. Our dogs only go out into our fenced yard and walk on a leash. We would be fined and or lose our dog to the law if we let them run free. We have leash laws here. Again, sorry for your loss. I hope none of your other pets get sick.

In re: to dispatching those nasty Bufo (cane) toads. Golf clubs, sticks, stones, car tires and shovels will all do the trick alright, but from my own experience is really going to be unpleasant and messy. As to ever putting one of them in my freezer, as mentioned by another poster - hell no! LOL That would involve: (1) handling them; and (2) putting a poisonous animal next to my food. If, like me, you get freaked out even being close to them, I suggest you pick a method that will not only get the job done instantly, but without the nasty guts, sounds, squirming and/or jumping around that occurs, if you happen to simply injure one (be aware - they really can take a beating and keep on ticking, so to speak). My solution: cattle prod, or, stun baton (much longer than your handheld stun gun). I currently have one that puts out 6,000,000 volts that I purchased for $47 (including delivery charge) on-line a few months ago. I found my dog swimming in circles in the pool chasing one of them just as summer began. I went online and purchased one that day. I personally know far too many people, who have had pets seriously poisoned and/or killed by messing with these disgusting pests. I assure you, with electricity, all it takes is one quick zap - they instantly lock up and don't move. However, make sure to have a pair of tongs nearby to help pick them up and discard them somewhere they will never see the light of day again. I say this for two reasons: (1) The first Bufo I ever zapped, to my astonishment, came back around after 3 hours and hopped away; and (2) the electric shock causes their poison glands to involuntarily activate. You don't want the resulting poison getting on your skin, or, create the possibility of your pet messing with them and getting poisoned by accident. Now, I use tongs to put them in those plastic grocery bags you get from the store. I tie the bag closed tightly and put it out with the trash. I have also heard of two other methods: (1) spray them thoroughly with common, household bleach; or, (2) get a 5 gallon bucket, line the sides with cooking oil, bury it in the ground (all the way up to the top) and put dog food inside. I have not tried the latter, but, supposedly, they will go in and can't jump out. My wife sprayed one with bleach and it did actually die sometime later. The HUGE selling point for me personally with my method is that they freeze-up and stop moving instantly. Good luck.

I have toads and turtles living in my garden, and eating tomatoes to obtain the water, since my little wildlife pond has dried up. Think I am going to put a large shallow pan of water in a shady corner of the veggie garden and hope they will get the water there instead of from the tomatoes. I don't know which birds eat small toads, but my son rescued a good-sized frog from one of the chickens a couple of days ago. She was running around with it in her mouth while all the other hens chased her. I think snakes and other creatures do eat small toads and frogs. Since all the stock tanks around here are drying up or have already dried up due to the drought, I've been having lots of great blue herons and white cattle egrets coming to my waterlily pond to hunt for food. We don't have as many aquatic-type frogs and toads as usual, but seem to have a bumper crop of tree frogs this year. I love listening to them at night. Sometimes I find them in my large container plantings, and sometimes they come and stick to the windows, although I don't know why. I wonder if they are waiting for a bug to try to fly by? Earlier this week we had a frog swimming around and around in circles in the dogs' plastic wading pool. The dogs didn't even seem to notice him. Water is getting really scarce, and I feel sorry for all the critters who need it.

I was surprised that he'd called the city at all. We've buried two cats here and would never have thought to call them. He has a business license to work on cars at his house. He had a kid working for him detailing cars and when he told him he didn't need him any more, the kid said he was going to come back and break all the windows in the cars. He hasn't but I bet he's the one that poisoned the dog. For my kitties sake, I hope so. We got Miaa Kitty off of Craigs list and she had 3 kittens and we ended up keeping 2 of them that are 8 mos old. We just opened the cat door about a month ago, I'm sick of cat boxes. When I heard about the dog I shut the cat door and brought out the squirt bottle I haven't used in months. When Precious started circling the house like a shark I yelled NO and squirted him. He litteraly threw a fit. You'd think I'd lasooed a wild horse. He didn't like me laughing either. The kittens have harnesses and have been on leashes, the idea of putting them on a long lead is a good idea! Thev've never been out at night and they don't bother to go out, until I get up. I have bad hips and trouble walking, especially with the wet weather we've been having. I've thought of checking the yard before they go out, it's a big one and me doing that isn't feasable. Forgive my spelling, I finally am starting to figure out this new highspeed but haven't found spellceck yet. Hi yourself Wildchild. As you've figured out I've had real trouble and gone through a doosey of a rough spot. Marcy