Convinced of link, man reports dog's poisoning

Commercial grade rat poison and a bucket were seized by police.
By PATRICIA MEADE
VINDICATOR CRIME REPORTER
YOUNGSTOWN -- John Greiner filed two police reports this week: The first alleges he saw a city employee doing work at home on city time and the second details the poisoning of Greiner's Rottweiler.
Greiner, 49, who lives on the city's West Side, believes the two events are linked.
Lt. Rod Foley, head of the Internal Affairs Division, said both reports are being investigated.
"His eyes were goofy, he was drooling and his bowel [movement] looked like tar," Greiner said of Thunder, 8. "My wife was crying her eyes out."
Greiner took Thunder to Ebert Animal Hospital after first thinking Wednesday morning that the 170-pound dog would have to be euthanized.
"The vet doesn't think he'll make it, he said to call [Thursday] morning," Greiner said. "They pumped his stomach; it was poison."
Dog warden's advice
Greiner said he was encouraged by Dave Nelson, Mahoning County deputy dog warden, not to euthanize the dog Wednesday morning but to seek medical attention because Thunder hadn't yet shown advanced signs of poisoning.
Nelson said containers of commercial grade rat poison and a bucket found on Greiner's property were seized by police to be fingerprinted.
"What a big, beautiful dog. What a shame. The dog's size was the only thing saving him," Nelson said. "He was lethargic and his balance was off. If he lives, the dog may never be right because the poison affects the central nervous system."
Greiner contacted the employee's supervisor Monday to voice the initial complaint. A police report said the employee bent the side-view mirror on Greiner's truck, but no damage was done. Greiner then filed a report with police.
Denied allegation
The city employee has denied the allegation about working at home Monday morning, but he told his supervisor he did stop at home in the afternoon to use the bathroom. The employee added that he was paying to have the fence installed.
Two fence installers confirmed they were on the job Monday and were not aided by the man who hired them. They did recall seeing him at noon.
Patrolman Richard Gresh, who was sent to check out the poisoning at Greiner's, found the Rottweiler on the ground, possibly bleeding from his nose and moving very slow.
Gresh said in his report that 28 rectangular bars of suspected rat bait and a plastic bucket labeled Ditrac Blox (a rat poison) were confiscated and placed in the police department evidence room.
meade@vindy.com