Dogs suffer after neighbor uses rodent bait

Fallbrook resident Jeff Lassle is mourning the death of his Labrador, Starbuck, and finding the whole ordeal even more painful knowing it could have been prevented. Starbuck, along with Lassle’s two other dogs appear to have been victims of a neighbor’s rodent bait station.

“I held Starbuck in my arms while he died,” Lassle said. “I had no clue that poisoning was involved at the time.” Starbuck’s pulmonary system hemorrhaged; he was five-years old.

Lassle lives in the Champagne Crest area of Fallbrook.

On Saturday, Dec. 19, 2009, Lassle said Starbuck began coughing, as if something was caught...