Victims of Rexburg dog poisoning say they didn’t know the suspect

For the Martin family, August 17, 2015 is a day they’ll never forget as they watched four of their dogs die from poison.

“It’s a lot of shock at first, especially loosing the first one,” said Kael Martin, the dog’s owner. “Then when the other three followed, it just makes you wonder why somebody would do that to you.”

21 year-old Christopher Hill was arrested in connection with the incident. Martin and Hill live across the street from each other, and Martin says they don’t really know each other.

“If he’d had a real problem with it, he should have come to me,” said Martin. “He never said anything to us about it at all.”

Madison County Sheriff’s deputies say Hill poisoned a piece of meat, and “placed it in an area that the dogs would have access to,” said Detective Curtis Wood.

Madison County Sheriff’s office is currently investigating the incident, and wouldn’t officially say if the meat was placed deliberately placed in Martin’s yard or if was thrown into Hill’s own yard.

Dogs wandering out of Martin’s yard isn’t unheard of. Martin said the dogs occasionally wander after he lets them out to go to the bathroom. “We know there’s a leash law. I’ve been ticketed for it before. But like I said, I’d rather pay the ticket than have my dogs killed an have my kids pay for it,” said Martin.

Local News 8 and Eyewitness News did reach out to Hill’s attorney’s for comment. They declined, but did say over the phone that they look forward to sharing both sides of the story come Hill’s initial court date on September 1st.