Starting to feel a bit paranoid.

[82d DIVARTY]

I'm knida at a loss for what to do and hoping for some advise.

About 3 weeks ago my son said he seen someone walking through the back yard. While this is kinda odd because my back yard has 6 foot privacy fencing on 3 sides, I didn't get too excited because our property does butt up to a public bike trail and there was nothing amiss in the yard. No tools were missing from the unlocked shed and the gate was latched etc.

One night about a week ago while I was at work my wife kept hearing something outside and the dogs were barking. She turned on the outside lights but never seen anything. This lasted long enough and was bad enough that, although she isn't particularly fond of guns, got out her pistol. It was a particularly windy night and nothing was ever seen so she chalked it up to wind noise.

Sunday night I thought I heard something in the middle of the night so I actually got up, grabbed my shotgun and flashlight, searched the house and the yard but nothing was there.

Now in the last 3 days I have had 2 animals die that were not sick or showing any signs of poor health prior to their death. Monday one of the goats was dead in his pen when my son went out to feed them before school. The goat was about 8 years old and there were no outward signs of foul play that I seen. Last night, we let the dogs out and my 5 year old German Shepard didn't come back in when we let the other 2 in. She will occasionally jump the chain link in the front and come to the front door if we leave her out too long but they had only been out about 15-20 min. We looked out front and she wasn't there. After calling her for about 30 min. I drove up and down the roads and searched the neighborhood for her for about 2 hours without success. Well, at about 5:30 this morning we let the other 2 dogs out and the patio table was laying on it's side. My wife went out to pick it up and the dog was on the other side of it dead. She had a small amount of blood from her mouth but otherwise didn't look like she was injured and she had not shown any signs of illness or injury before we let her out.

I am putting up more security lights today, and we have warned the kids to keep all windows and door locked but we always keep the house pretty secure. Should we call the Sheriff and make a report and if so what do we report? We haven't actually seen anything other than my son thought he seen someone walking through the yard but couldn't give a description. I'm really starting to think someone is staking out my house. It's not a flashy house and we don't have anything that we have money. I did work in a prison for 3 years and have angered a few junkies working in the ER, but I don't know who would be doing anything like this. How should I proceed?

[DefensiveCarry.com]

[claude clay]

id for sure report 2 suspicious deaths

and have the contents of the dogs stomach examined. sounds like poisoning.

any new people in the area?

and sorry for the loss of your pets....they can be like, heck--they are, family.

[Mike1956]

Strange goings-on, to be sure, but hopefully all just coincidental. I would suggest letting a vet take a look at the dog to see if a cause of death can be determined, and go from there.

[SIXTO]

Those dang bike trails are a highway for vagrants and other undesirables. I know this for a fact and is based on very real and everyday experiences. Watch yourself... I'd toss up some trail cams. They can be had inexpensively and will tell you whats going on.

[Hiram25]

Animals will freely drink anti-freeze, why I have no idea, but it will kill them, and leave very little evidence. I'd invest in a couple game cameras, or regular cameras, if you've got the money. I'd also report everything that you've stated above to the local PD just to have it on file, and also ask them if there have been any other reports of unusual events in the area. It's possible that they are already watching for this, and your report may help them.

[CowboyColby]

I agree with Sixto on the camera idea. Preferably one that you can access while in bed through your tv or computer and see whats going on outside. Having animals your going to experience death thats a given however two unexplainable deaths is odd. With the dog did the table fall on him? Or was did he just go behind it and die? Watch your six

What you call paranoid I call prepared

[Ishmael]

In addition to the other suggestions, put up some new, really obvious outdoor lighting. If there is a creepy crawler playing around on your property, showing that you suspect foul play might inspire him to drift on down the road.

[Zepoll]

Video: Trail cameras and security cameras that you can watch from a monitor inside. Put up one of the trail cameras that flashes and makes itself "known", then put another camera to video tape the flash one. Hopefully the perp will see himself get flashed, then go to the camera to destroy evidence.. and you can get him on tape.,

[JDE101]

I agree with the suggestions for notifying the police and having the animals examined for possible poison, etc.! I would be extra vigilant. Two animals dying after hearing noises and seeing someone in your backyard is just too much of a "coincidence" for me! Im not paranoid, I just believe in being cautious and being prepared. Extra lights and trail cameras are also great ideas. Stay alert and stay safe. Keep us posted on what happens.

[msgt/ret]

All good ideas so far my only comment is to have a least one camera an IR type for surveillance in zero light conditions.

[82d DIVARTY]

The table was in front of her and it was just a light plastic table. Even if it fell on her it wouldn't have done any damage.

[C hawk Glock]

I honestly hate to bring this up, but I feel I must. This situation is being brought up as if it may be a stranger, ever think it maybe someone pissed off at you or one of your family members? I say this because situations you bring up take some thought and most random people are not going to go to those lengths to mess with somebody.

[Hopyard]

You didn't say how old your son is. I'm not at all clear if that privacy fence surrounds your back yard on all sides or if
someone can just walk into your back yard easily.

If your son seems credible, and your back yard is surrounded by a full privacy fence, I think you have a real problem.

That means someone jumped your fence or broke the lock on the gates (have you looked?) in order to get in. In short, they didn't just innocently wander in.

How many dead animals have you had in the previous 3 years? None I suspect and now several. How many times have you
found a table overturned for no obvious reason?

I've got to go eat lunch and can't write more now, but I know what I'd be doing with that back yard right now. And I know
what I would be looking into as well with regard to general security. I think you've got an enemy and you correctly identified
the possible sources where you picked it up.

[OldVet]

Animals will freely drink anti-freeze, why I have no idea, but it will kill them, and leave very little evidence. I'd invest in a couple game cameras, or regular cameras, if you've got the money. I'd also report everything that you've stated above to the local PD just to have it on file, and also ask them if there have been any other reports of unusual events in the area. It's possible that they are already watching for this, and your report may help them.

Its sweet taste is what attracts animals, and, yes, it's extremely lethal. Even when quickly treated, the survivors suffer severe brain damage. Makers are "supposed" to adding somehting to make the taste bad.

[barstoolguru]

I Would go with the IR cameras or trail cameras used for hunting and see what is happening. The cops are not going to do anything so you are going to have to do it on your own. Motion sensing lights are always a good thing too