No Cheese Laced with Nails in Chicago Area Dog Parks
Dog owners in the Chicago area were alerted to rumors of cheese cubes containing nails that reportedly began popping up at dog parks. The rumor is false, according to Snopes.com.
Chicago area dog owners might be alarmed by the possibility of nail-laced cheese cubes at dog parks—but there's no need to be.
The Facebook-based thread warns “New trend at dog parks, nails in pieces of cheese, if you take your dogs to dog parks, be careful.” The warning is accompanied by a photo of a person's palm filled with cubes of cheese with what appears to be nails embedded.
Urban Legends Reference website Snopes.com reports that people claimed to have received warnings about the cheese in the Chicago area, as well as Massachusetts.
The picture is authentic, but the threat is empty, Snopes reports. There are no known reports of such treats found in Chicago area—or Tinley Park—dog parks.
The picture comes from a July 2011 report of similarly spiked treats found in a kennel near a public park in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Snopes reports. A dog walker there found the treats on the floor of a kennel. There were no reports of animals being harmed, according to Snopes.
Reports of water bowls at dog parks spiked with antifreeze in Augusta, Maine, are also bogus, Snopes reports.
For a list of local parks to walk your dog, check out our Places directory.
Denise Becker
1:07 pm on Tuesday, October 4, 2011
WHO EVER STARTED THIS HORRIBLE RUMOR NEEDS TO STOP CAUSING HISTERIA ALL OVER THE WORLD, PEOPLE ARE SPREADING THIS NEWS EVERYWHERE POSTING THIS IS HAPPENING NOW, BE AWARE, WHEN THIS INFORMATION CLEARLY IS INVALID. THANK YOU FOR THE ARTICLE
Carrie Frillman
1:27 pm on Tuesday, October 4, 2011
Thanks for the comment, Denise. I have seen this all over Facebook in the last 24 hours. Spread the word that it's not true!
Resident
2:04 pm on Tuesday, October 4, 2011
Rumor or not, humans need to watch their pets. Notice what they are sniffing. It's probably another dog's doo-doo... and that other dog might have something that your dog can catch just by getting the fecal matter on its nose. And don't assume that your neighbors love your dog as much as you do. Watch your dog even in your own backyard. It's stupid not to be vigilant. Same as locking your car, even in your very own driveway. Take precautions to avoid disappointment, or worse.
TP Mom
7:53 am on Wednesday, October 5, 2011
If people would take the time to verify if a rumor is true before emailing or posting, these rumors would stop circulating and die. Don't just pass it on because the last line tells you to do so!
Carrie Frillman
3:40 pm on Tuesday, November 8, 2011
Thanks for the comment, Dustin, but I had to delete it. We don't allow masked profanity on the site. If you'd like to rephrase it, you're welcomed to do so.