PORTLAND (Oregon) - In wake of the recent rash of poisonings that killed
12 dogs at Laurelhurst Park, a crew from Portland Parks and Recreation
made a thorough sweep of the park this afternoon.

The decision was made following a meeting between city officials and the
Laurelhurst Neighborhood Association Thursday night. Under the direction
of Commissioner Jim Francesconi, workers inspected shrub beds, removed
items that look like food waste, and disposed of litter that could
conceal suspicious items.

Thursday night, investigators announced that despite hundreds of tips,
they have no suspects in the case.

Portland police and Humane Society investigators say the big break
hasn't come in yet, but believe the someone who saw something is still
out there.

"We believe there are people out there that may have seen something
suspicious, but don't realize that what they saw was actually
potentially poisonings," said Portland Police Sgt, Brian Schmautz.

Police are asking people to think back to the Fourth of July and the
following weekend to recall if they saw anything out of the ordinary.
The poison has been identified in a toxicology test, but that won't help
investigators much. The substance is so common it could be found in
hundreds of homes and garages. More toxicology tests are due back later
this week.

The total reward for information leading to the capture of the poisoner
is over $15,000. Police still have no idea who left poisoned bait in
Laurelhurst Park that killed 12 dogs.

Thursday, at a public meeting attended by Mayor Vera Katz, dog owners
gathered to learn what is next because those who use Laurelhurst Park
feel their outdoor options have been further limited. A Parks Bureau
spokesman said it's exploring more off-leash options in the next few
months.

But dog owners have other worries about communication difficulties once
they reported trouble. City officials are looking at doubling the number
of full-time off-leash areas from four to eight. Parks officials also
are looking at a total of 20 part-time off-leash areas in Portland
parks. Details still have to be worked out and the plan could be
presented to city council as soon as August 13.

Source:http://www.katu.com/team2/story.asp?ID=59382