Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison has filed a civil complaint against a Mankato couple, Donata and James Adam, alleging they placed rat poison in their garden to deter dogs from urinating on their property. The lawsuit, filed in Blue Earth County District Court on behalf of the Minnesota Department of Agriculture (MDA), seeks tens of thousands of dollars in fines and legal costs.
The complaint states the couple lined their lawn, which is adjacent to a public sidewalk, with rat poison. According to the lawsuit, these actions violated state and federal laws that mandate the use of bait stations for outdoor pesticide application. The attorney general's office is requesting a fine of $7,500 per day for the alleged violations, in addition to the MDA's legal expenses.
Photographs included in the lawsuit depict alleged rat poison cubes on the Adams' property, along with homemade signs that read "No Dog Piss." According to the complaint, a neighbor observed her dog consume a block of rat poison from the Adams' lawn in late June, necessitating the dog to vomit. The neighbor reported seeing "chunks of rat poison in her dogs’ vomit."
PetMD notes that ingestion of rat poison can lead to symptoms in dogs such as lack of coordination, tremors, seizures, paralysis, internal or external bleeding, organ failure, and potentially death.
The lawsuit also references reports of another dog in the neighborhood that may have ingested rat poison, and a June 29 KEYC article detailing incidents involving two dogs on the Adams' property. One dog required induced vomiting, while the other was hospitalized. The family residing behind the Adams reported that their 13-year-old Malamute, Emma, died two weeks prior to the article from excessive rectal bleeding, a symptom a local vet hospital confirmed to KEYC is common with many commercial rat poisons.
According to the complaint, the MDA received a report that the Adams had placed more than a dozen blocks of rat poison directly beside a public sidewalk without using protective bait stations. An MDA inspector, Nathan Rolling, visited the property on June 29 to investigate. During his visit, he observed rat poison blocks and attempted to speak with the Adams, but they reportedly refused entry and denied having anything to discuss, citing privacy.
Following the uncooperative response, Rolling contacted his supervisor, who then involved the Mankato Police Department. Responding officers also spoke with the couple, who continued to refuse to cooperate with the inspector. On July 2, the attorney general's office filed a temporary restraining order against the Adams. This order prohibits the use of rat poison in any outdoor areas of the property and requires any existing poison to be stored in sealed indoor containers. The couple was also mandated to certify compliance with the restraining order within three days and allow an MDA investigator to inspect the outdoor areas to ensure the rat poison was removed.
Court records indicate the couple has not yet appeared in court or secured legal counsel.