RICHMOND, Calif. -- Burglars broke into the home of a Richmond police officer last week, poisoned two of the officer's dogs and escaped with a cache of guns and other personal items, police said Tuesday.
"We're obviously very upset by this," said Lt. Bisa French. "One of our own was targeted in this attack, and we think he was targeted specifically because he was an officer."
French declined to identify the officer or the Richmond neighborhood in which he lives, citing safety concerns.
One of the dogs, a 1-year-old black labrador retriever, died in a veterinary hospital the next day. The other, a K-9 dog in the police department, is recovering, French said.
French said the officer discovered that his labrador was sick Friday morning and took it to the hospital. When he returned, he discovered the other dog, in a backyard kennel, was also sick and then noticed that his home had been burglarized.
The burglars made off with three "sporting guns" and two handguns, French said, as well as some other items she declined to specify.
"The dogs were poisoned to carry out the burglary," French said, adding that the poison was hidden in food.
French said police are following up on leads but have no suspects.
"We are looking for the public's help," French said.
The Richmond police union and the police management union are offering a $10,000 reward for information that leads to the arrest and conviction of the burglars.
The Richmond Police Officer's K-9 Association is accepting donations to help with the veterinary bills, which French said total more than $10,000.
Rewards will also be given for tips that lead to recovery of the guns, French said, but did not specify how much.
Copyright 2013 - The Oakland Tribune
McClatchy-Tribune News Service
