Dogs ingest peanut butter in Toronto park appearing to contain rat poison, owner says

This combination photo shows Milo and Piper (right) and a peanut butter jar with an unknown substance found at Taylor Creek Park on Friday, March 22, 2024. (Toronto Police Service/Mark Rullo)

Two dogs came across a jar of peanut butter in a Toronto park and ingested what appears to be three types of rat poison, according to one of their owners.

“It looked like it was clearly a malicious act intended on hurting animals,” Mark Rullo told CTV News Toronto on Saturday.

Rullo was walking his dog Milo and his neighbour’s dog Piper on Friday at Taylor Creek Park in East York around 9 a.m.

They were on a trail in the park when Piper came back with a jar of peanut butter. He shooed the dog away from the jar but then found Milo had gotten into it too.

“I had a hard time getting it away from him,” Rullo recalled. “When I finally looked at the jar, it was clear somebody had put something in the jar.”

“I was very alarmed,” he added.

Milo is seen lying on a couch in a file photo. The Toronto dog is recovering from ingesting peanut butter containing hazardous substances at a park (Credit: Mark Rullo). An image released by police on Saturday shows a rectangular object and black specs in the peanut butter. Toronto police described it as a possibly hazardous unknown substance that could be fatal or harmful if ingested.

Rullo immediately left the park with the peanut butter in hand. He brought Milo to his vet and showed them the peanut butter. After examining it, the vet said it appeared there were three different kinds of rat poison mixed into the jar.

Toronto police release an image of an unknown substance in jar of peanut butter. Both Milo’s vet and Piper’s decided to induce vomiting and run blood tests.

“We still don't know about the effects,” Rullo said, after taking his dog back to the vet on Saturday.

So far, he said Milo and Piper are doing okay, but he wants the community to be aware. “That’s what matters to me,” Rullo said.

Toronto police interviewed Rullo on Friday night and published a news release on the incident Saturday, asking anyone with information on the incident to get in contact.

At this point in time, no suspect description has been released. 

"We are asking for the public's assistance in identifying a suspect who may be responsible for dispersing this unknown substance," Toronto police Const. Cindy Chung said.

"We're asking for anyone who may have been in the area prior to March 22nd or even on the trails now, that notices anyone doing anything suspicious, just leaving packages or things on the trail or in the park, to call police."