Editor’s Note: A previous version of this story included a detail that might have infringed on veterinary patient privacy. Buckrail regrets the error.
JACKSON, Wyo. — Reports are circulating of dogs becoming ill after eating hot dogs found on Jackson’s streets.
According to the Jackson Animal Hospital, multiple dog owners have reported gastrointestinal problems in their pets after the dogs have eaten fully intact, non-frozen hot dogs found in the Cache Creek area. Hospital representatives say they haven’t been able to confirm the exact cause of the illness.
Jackson Police Department (JPD) Lieutenant Russ Ruschill confirmed that JPD has received two reports of poisoned hot dogs, one from Dec. 30, 2024, and another from Jan. 8. One of those dogs found the hot dog on Cache Creek Drive, and the other found one on Redmond Street. Ruschill said both animals had been seen by vets and that the “prognosis is good,” but that they were unable to confirm the cause of illness, attributing it to “some sort of poison or other food-borne illness.”
“This is definitely not a natural occurrence,” Alyssa Cowan of the Jackson Animal Hospital told Buckrail Friday morning.
This is not the first time dogs have fallen ill after eating mysteriously placed hot dogs. In 2022, hot dogs laced with ibuprofen were discovered in May Park and ingested by two dogs. Ibuprofen can be toxic to dogs and cats when ingested, according to MedVet, potentially causing kidney failure in dogs. Symptoms include vomiting, increased or decreased drinking and urination, dark and tarry stool, yellow discoloration of the skin and mucous membranes, agitation, tremors, seizures and coma.
Ruschill shared the following safety measures for dog owners to keep in mind:
- “Be aware of what your dog is doing while out and about,” Ruschill said. “We never know what is under the snow and our K9 companions have an uncanny knack at finding things with their noses, which sometimes aren’t good to eat.”
- “Be mindful of the location in which you are walking/exercising your K9’s and be aware of ordinances regarding dogs in parks in the Town of Jackson.”
- “The winter dog park is in full swing and is a great place to socialize your dog and get some exercise,” Ruschill said. “You and your dog may also make new friends.”
If a dog has consumed something suspected to be poisoned, seek veterinary help immediately and contact JPD.
“If this is intentional, we want the ability to investigate to find the perpetrator, stop their behavior and hold them accountable,” Ruschill said.
