Woman says dog poisoned during home burglary

Fort Benning authorities are investigating a weekend report of a burglary and fatal poisoning of a 7-month-old Bichon Frise dog named Josiah.

Lisa Painter said someone broke into her home on post late Saturday and used Raid spray on her puppy, who died hours later at Animal Emergency Center in Columbus.

Post authorities are investigating the burglary and death, said Elsie Jackson, a Fort Benning public information officer.

"They're actively investigating this incident," Jackson said, confirming that someone broke into Painter's home.

Painter wept Tuesday as she discussed the hours leading up to the discovery of her pet immobile on her couch, issuing shallow breaths.

Painter and her roommate had left Saturday night for work, returning about 4 a.m. Sunday.

Josiah usually waits for her by the door, but sometimes he sleeps on her bed. When she failed to hear Josiah bounding toward her, she tore through her house looking for the small dog.

She found him lying on the couch.

"I knew that he was still breathing, but it was slow, shallow breathing," Painter said.

Painter called a friend for a ride and immediately took Josiah to Animal Emergency.

A veterinarian met her at the door, she said.

Josiah was taken into the back, and Painter learned moments later that her dog had ingested poison.

He was bleeding from the mouth as well as internally, she said.

"I knew the odds weren't good," Painter said. "I was praying for him to wake back up and be my puppy again."

Painter said she was told Josiah ingested the poison between 2 and 3 a.m. -- about an hour before she returned home from work. She was told to go home, where she slept about an hour. The call from the veterinarian came at 8:19 a.m. Sunday, Painter said. Josiah was dead. Painter and her roommate were distraught. They didn't notice a footprint near an open window. A friend did, though, and military police soon responded to the home.

"They noticed that the footprints were females," Painter said. "Nothing was missing. The only thing missing was my dog's life."

Military police searched the home and found an empty can of Raid on its side.

The roommate had purchased it recently, and the police took that can and other cleaning supplies, Painter said.

She thinks the intruder sprayed her dog in the face with the Raid, emptying the can.

"My dog didn't have a chance to fight back," she said. "My dog would have run up to them. If someone broke into my house, he would have made them feel like the guest of honor."

Jackson said she couldn't release any further details about the incident, except that the investigation is ongoing.

"They shouldn't have hurt my baby," Painter said. "He still had so much to live for."

This story was originally published September 11, 2012 at 10:51 PM with the headline "Woman says dog poisoned during home burglary."