My dog was poisoned, but…

A recent post about dogs being poisoned, and the discussion that followed, made me remember what happened to my own dog, Choco.

On the morning of January 25, 2026, Choco was found dead on the pathway leading to my house. Several other dogs nearby were also found dead under similar circumstances. They showed similar symptoms, and we suspected that they had been poisoned.

It was painful. I loved Choco. I didn’t even know then that people in our village would resort to poisoning dogs.

There was definitely a brief John Wick feeling.

But after the emotion came reflection.

I had allowed Choco to roam freely. Around our property, I never knew him to cause problems. But once he left our property, the truth is that I couldn’t know everything he did.

Maybe he never bothered anyone. But I also couldn’t know whether he stole someone’s food, disturbed a household, chased someone’s animals, or became a nuisance somewhere else.

As his owner, that was partly my responsibility.

And I’ve experienced the other side too.

Free-roaming and uncontrolled dogs have killed some of our goats. Some of our neighbors have lost chickens to dogs as well. Other people deal with dogs getting into garbage, taking food, leaving waste on their property, or running onto roads and endangering motorists.

So this isn’t an abstract issue for me.

I’ve lost a dog because of suspected poisoning, and I’ve lost farm animals because of uncontrolled dogs.

I still don’t believe poisoning dogs is humane. Understanding why people become frustrated with roaming dogs is not the same as condoning poisoning them.

At the same time, I don’t think compassion for dogs should cause us to dismiss legitimate human grievances.

I care about animals. I believe they deserve humane treatment. But I will also say openly that human life and human welfare matter more to me.

That includes the farmer whose animals are being killed, the family whose food or property is affected, and the person whose safety may be endangered by an uncontrolled dog.

The harder question is what realistic alternatives communities actually have.

Spaying and neutering can certainly be part of the long-term solution, and affordable community programs should be welcomed. But simply telling ordinary people to have dogs sterilized doesn’t make the financial and logistical difficulties disappear.

There are also things we can do immediately, especially as owners: take responsibility for our animals and keep them properly controlled.

And I include myself in that.

Looking back, I loved Choco, but allowing him to roam meant that I didn’t know what happened when he left our property. If I expect other dog owners to take responsibility for their animals, I have to apply the same standard to myself.

Choco’s death was painful. But loving Choco doesn’t prevent me from understanding the grievances of people on the other side.

If anything, losing him—and experiencing the damage that uncontrolled dogs can cause—has taught me why we need to look at the whole problem.

We can protect animals from cruelty without ignoring the human beings who have to live with the consequences.

And beyond all these arguments, I also want this post to remember Choco simply for what he was to me: my dog, my companion, and a friend I still miss.

Rest well, Choco.