'Shut the mutt up': Pet poisoned after death threat

Less than a day after a threatening note landed in her mail box, Tracey Spoor's dog was dead.

POISONED PET: Tracey Spoor and her surviving dog Yoppy with the letter she received threatening her dog and children. Picture: Cody Fox

LESS than a day after a threatening note landed in her mail box, Tracey Spoor's dog was dead.

The menacing message, telling Ms Spoor to "think carefully" about her "children's well-being", was filled with protests about the noise her dogs made while barking.

The next morning, Tuesday June 11, Ms Spoor's dog Bella was coughing blood.

She was dead within hours.

"They didn't even give me any time to do anything about it," Ms Spoor said.

Ms Spoor rushed Bella to Maryborough Veterinary Surgery but was told there was no way of saving her.

"They confirmed it was poisoning," Ms Spoor said.

"She was bleeding internally, and it was all because of poison."

Dog poisoned - Tracey Spoor received this letter in the mail. Picture: Cody Fox

Maryborough Veterinary Surgery veterinarian David Goddard said a post mortem examination of Bella showed her lungs were filled with blood.

Mr Goddard said the only other possible cause of death would be a snake bite, but Bella showed no other symptoms consistent with that theory.

"You have to say it's a strong possibility it was poison," Mr Goddard said.

"Even without the letter it was some sort of compound factor that affects clotting the blood."

Ms Spoor is not the only one in her Maryborough neighbourhood targeted by anonymous attacks.

Her neighbour, Lauren Fletcher, had her car vandalised after receiving a malicious letter.

The letter, dropped in Mrs Fletcher's mail box in February, took issue with her dogs, demanding she "shut the f**king mutt up or I will kill it."

Dog poisoned - Lauren Fletcher received this letter in the mail. Picture: Cody Fox

Three weeks ago, her Hyundai was trashed, covered in orange paint.

The women believe both notes were sent by the same person, pointing out similarities including suggestions they buy anti-barking collars.

"The tipping point for me was last week when we ran into Tracey and she said she got the same letter in the same handwriting," Mrs Fletcher said.

Lauren Fletcher's car was vandalised with orange paint while it was parked at outside her home. Picture: Contributed

Both women now keep their dogs locked inside and Mrs Fletcher has since installed security cameras around her property.

"I don't think that our property or dogs or safe," she said.

Maryborough Police Sergeant Steve Wheeler confirmed a report was filed and police will investigated further.

Originally published as 'Shut the mutt up': Pet poisoned after death threat