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The Town of Rocky Ripple, Indiana is warning pet owners to use serious caution after a dog died from poisoning near Butler University’s athletic fields. On September 28, 2026, the dog died after eating canned chicken that had been contaminated with antifreeze, found in a wooded area between Butler’s soccer practice fields and the White River.
A social media post from the town described the meat as a “bait trap” and warned that more of it could still be in the area.
Rocky Ripple has notified Butler University, the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department, and the Indiana Department of Natural Resources. Both DNR and Butler are now setting up extra patrols in the area, according to the town’s post.
Antifreeze is dangerous to animals and humans alike and can be fatal even in small doses, according to Purdue University’s College of Veterinary Medicine.
Its main component, ethylene glycol, causes severe kidney damage once metabolized by the body. Animals who have ingested antifreeze typically act intoxicated shortly afterward, often appearing unsteady on their feet or vomiting.
My thoughts: The word “bait trap” in the town’s own post is doing a lot of the work here, it’s not describing an accident or something a dog stumbled into on its own, it’s describing something apparently placed there deliberately.
That distinction matters for anyone walking a dog in that area between Butler’s fields and the river, since this isn’t a one-time hazard that’s already been cleaned up, it’s an active concern serious enough to justify DNR and campus patrols.
If you’re anywhere near that stretch, knowing the early signs of antifreeze poisoning, unsteadiness, vomiting, shortly after exposure, could matter more than usual right now.
