Rogers Park residents worried about widespread rat poison found in neighborhood

CHICAGO — Rogers Park residents have reported finding rat poison pellets throughout the neighborhood, raising concerns about the use of the substance and its potential harm to pets.

For Michael Kasper, the rumblings of poisonous pellets are especially concerning, considering he has two dogs whom he calls 'family.'

"I don't want anything to happen to them," Kasper told WGN News. "My dogs, they eat stuff off the ground, so I was conscious because I'd heard there may be a rat poison thing going on."

Rogers Park residents took to social media to report instances of rat poison spotted at numerous locations within the neighborhood. Photos obtained by WGN News show pellets found a few weeks ago near Greenview and Rogers.

Some believe the poison is responsible for a slew of dead rats and squirrels in particular.

'I'd say within the last few months, I've seen quite a few," Kasper said. "Enough for me to take notice of it for sure. I thought it was quite strange."

Fellow Rogers Park resident Dan Jordan has been a frequent dog walker for a few years and says the pellet problem is not new. However, he worries about the intentions behind it.

"I've seen pellets around trees and spots dogs would visit and bread as if they're feeding birds," he said. "To me, that's nefarious intention."

Ald. Maria Hadden (49th Ward) addressed the complaints online and said there's no evidence that the use of rat poison was intentional. The alderwoman ensured that the city was not responsible for the pellet droppings, adding that professionals do official rat abatement.

Hadden also stressed vigilance to residents. Hadden adds that residents should note the location and report to the Ward Office if anyone sees the poisonous pellets or green packets.

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Jordan hopes the droppings will cease due to the harmful and potentially fatal risk they pose to pets.

"I've seen that," he said. "I don't want to run into that by accident or on purpose, not my dog or anyone else's."