Thumbtacks, Dog Food Sprinkled On Oakland Streets Prompts Pet Owner Warnings
OAKLAND (KPIX 5) -- Piles of thumbtacks sprinkled next to dog food in Oakland have prompted a warning for pet owners Monday.
Dog walkers in the Grand Lake neighborhood say that for months, someone has been purposely placing silver thumbtacks spike up on the ground within a six block radius.
"Our guy Sampson here stepped on one," dog owner Matt Renner said. "It went between his toes, so it didn't stab him, but it almost did."
At first, Renner thought they were dropped by accident.
"Then we realized that they were all facing straight up," he said.
In some case, dog food has been sprinkled near the tacks to lure pets.
While the tacks are easier to see when sprinkled on the sidewalk, KPIX 5 found some others that were concealed in the grass and not as apparent to the naked eye.
"It's very scary someone would do that. You question what goes through their minds," dog owner Steven Thorn said.
Pets aren't the only concern for residents. With Halloween just days away, parents are worried about their children potentially stepping on them.
Neighbors have posted about the problem on the community website Nextdoor. Surveillance cameras have also been placed outside many homes in the area. The problem has been going on since April and neighbors are on high alert in hopes they can catch the culprit as soon as possible.
