In December 2014, the two dog units searched a spot in the Municipality of Corvara (Pescara) where two truffle-hunting dogs had died, and found the carcass of a poisoned fox.
In the following days, more poisoned truffle-hunting dogs were reported in the Municipality of Brittoli (Pescara), in a place known as Cannatina in the heart of the Gran Sasso-Laga Park.
A truffle hunter, whose dog had been poisoned in the previous days, led the dog units on the spot; along the way, they met another truffle hunter, who had a dog with him that had just died from poison. Both truffle hunters led the dog units to the areas where their dogs used to search for truffles.
Handler Alessandra Mango and her dog Dingo detected and removed 14 poison baits and the carcass of a fox along a dirt road bordering a valuable white truffle-ground. A further search led to the removal of three more poison baits.
The wicked and criminal war among truffle hunters caused the ascertained death of six dogs and two foxes, but victims may be more numerous, including other dogs whose death wasn’t reported, or wild animals whose carcasses were not found.