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Missing Gunner

by BILL BULEY
Staff Writer | November 30, 2022 1:09 AM

RATHDRUM — Gunner was the family protector, a fiercely loyal 9-year-old German shepherd of the Chamberland family.

He had been with them since they bought him when he was 7 weeks old. They were told he was the alpha of the litter and his attitude reflected it.

“He was not a big fan of outsiders,” said Alisha Chamberland. “But he seriously loved his family.”

And he loved being with that family.

So as usual, Gunner joined them when they went for a walk after their Thanksgiving dinner. Since the Chamberlands own 10 acres in Rathdrum, the dog had room to roam and patrol the property.

Behind their home off Ramsey Road is a large field, bordered by railroad tracks.

The group of adults and kids, and a few other dogs, walked perhaps a third of a mile off the Chamberland’s land to a tree line next to the tracks before turning back.

Chamberland turned and called for Gunner, who had his nose into something. He left it, trotted back to the family and they returned home.

An hour later, Gunner was unsteady and shaky on his feet. Then, he fell to his side.

“I knew something was off,” Chamberland said.

As the family gathered Gunner to rush him to a veterinarian, one of the boys ran back to where the dog was seen getting into something by the railroad tracks.

He found a fresh rotisserie chicken, clearly left there by someone, and brought that along to the veterinarian because Chamberland believed it was likely poisoned.

Gunner’s condition was deteriorating. He began suffering seizures and spent the night at the vet’s office.

“It was progressively worse,” Chamberland said.

The next morning, with Gunner suffering with almost no chance of recovering, the decision was made to euthanize him.

The vet told the Chamberlands he was confident Gunner had been poisoned. Because the dog weighed about 75 pounds, he must have ingested a substantial amount of it.

Family members were by Gunner's side when he breathed his last.

“We loved our Gunny," Chamberland said.

Chamberland believes the poisoned chicken was left by someone with the intent to kill coyotes that live nearby.

Mark Rhodes, regional conservation officer with Idaho Fish and Game, said Tuesday that it is illegal to place poisoned bait on public lands in effort to kill unwanted wildlife.

He said leaving poison out in the wild is prohibited by both state and federal rules.

"That's pretty indiscriminate. It could get a dog, an eagle. That's just not allowed," Rhodes said.

Previously, in regards to a fatal dog poisoning in Salmon, Fish and Game wrote that "poisoned baits present an extreme danger to public safety. Organophosphate poisons are highly toxic and can be absorbed through ingestion and direct absorption through the skin. Exposure to these materials is potentially fatal to adults and especially children. Pets poisoned by organophosphates will die unless they receive immediate veterinary attention."

The Chamberlands miss Gunner.

Their children were ages 6, 8 and 10 when they got him in North Dakota before moving to Rathdrum nearly four years ago.

“They grew up with him,” Chamberland said.

Her husband, Matthew Chamberland, worked with Gunner, who from day one was stubborn and strong.

As Gunner grew up, he loved the outdoors and carrying the biggest stick he could find. He was fond of finding pinecones and if he approved of a newcomer, he would drop a pinecone at their feet.

Most of all, he was loyal to his family.

“It's just hard,” Alisha said. “He was part of us. He was part of our little unit. We just remember him, talk about him, think about him.”

Their other dog, 2-year-old Freyja, only knew life with Gunner. She has been confused, looking around, as if wondering where Gunner is, Alisha said.

“He was a little bit hard on her in the beginning, but he helped us turn her into such a good dog," she said.

As only an alpha can.