I was just wondering if anyone watched 50/50 last night?? They spoke about the poison two step that burglars are using to kill dogs?? I think it is more in JHB at the moment, but it was scary watching. One lady lost 13 yorkies. They actually showed the fotage of the dogs lying in the yard. It was beyond horrible to see that. It happed to 3 different people. I think another lady lost 6 yorkies.

Apparently they put it in food and throw it to the dogs!! It is a poison used to kill nematodes (worms in soil on farms), but burglars gets hold of it at markets and then use it on dogs. It only takes two minutes 9hence the name two steps!!) after ingestion and the dog dies.

They suggested people keep dogs indoors at night, even the big dogs. We have been keeping our boxer indoors since last year. You never know what the thieves are up to at night!!!!

Does anyone have any other info on it?

I never watched that how scary!!!!! let me know when you know more.

Will do!! Im not sure if they repeat 50/50 in the week again. Will try to google it and get more infor. It was most distrubing!!!

I got home late and we never watch those channels If there is a repeat I must try watch

I got this info on IOL:

Pesticide called aldicarb

According to the police and animal welfare organisations, the poison of choice used by South African burglars is a pesticide called aldicarb.

"It is also known as 'two-step' because when an animal ingests it, it takes two steps and then goes down," said Christine Kuch, spokesperson for South Africa's National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.

"The motive for poisoning in most cases is to commit a crime," she added. The poison is usually mixed with maize or meat and thrown over fences or pushed through gates.

There is no hard data on poisonings as they often go unreported. But some attempt to gather statistics has been made by South Africa's Onderstepoort Veterinary Institute.

Data from confirmed cases at its toxicology unit seemed to indicate that dog poisonings are decreasing, with 88 recorded in 2005 versus 130 in 2002.

But in 2004, the number spiked to 117 from 101 in 2003.

"It happens on a daily basis in South Africa, that I can assure you," said police Superintendent Johan Scott, who has trained detectives in how to investigate such cases."It (dog poisoning) was very high a couple of years ago but seems to have stabilised but at very high levels."

Police have made some progress in cracking down on those responsible. A few months ago, a gang of Mozambicans was arrested in Benoni east of Johannesburg after a spate of dog poisonings and robberies.

Police say burglary syndicates tend to target certain areas and then move on.

More info

Their poison of choice is Aldicarb with street name “Two Step”. This is an extremely toxic pesticide, a granular substance with a gunpowder appearance that when used in an agricultural context is applied to the soil in its dry form.

Aldicarb is available from vendors selling their goods on the sidewalks of our cities. It is a street poison and it is leaving a trail of destruction in its wake.

Dr. Gerhard Verdoorn – Griffon Poison Information Centre: 800 dogs per month get killed in our country because of Aldicarb and other poisons for people to gain access to our properties to commit armed robberies, house theft, rape, murder and petty theft. Many people have died, many dogs have died and many wildlife animals have died because of this. It is absolutely lethal in the hands of the wrong people. We have one manufacturer of Aldicarb in this country. That is done by Bayer Crop Science. It is called Temik.

Pieter Fourie – Bayer Crop Science: Temik is essentially a nematicide. For the layman, a nematicide is an agricultural chemical which actively controls nematodes in the soil. For those of you who do not know nematodes - you can describe them as tiny worms attacking the root part of plants which has a drastic effect on the growth and quality of the plant. Temik is a great product. It’s a systemic product and its value has been proven over and over again. It results in good yields, improved growth as well as quality of crops.

The man on the street is not allowed to posses any of the product, in whatever form, whether in the original pack or outside the pack. It is not allowed because it is outside of the law, it is an illegal possession for him.

Is this an ongoing issue? It sounds like it...i have often heard of dogs being poisoned in burglaries but this is just shocking. I would go off the handle and hunt them down if they injured or killed my dogs.

Temik is a really hectic lethal poison. It will kill a horse it is so strong my fiance has told me about it from his farm days. He went to Western Agricultural Boarding School.

You battle to get your hands on it like the article says so I wonder how these people get hold of it?

Im shocked

I think it is ongoing. The 50/50 footage was of April this year!!!!!

Apparently it is a controlled substance, but like the article says it can be smuggled over borders illegally from Zimbabwe and I think Mozambique. It then gets sold on markets as pesticides. The guy of Bayer Crop Science was shocked at what quantities it was being sold at the markets. He said that they only sell it in 5 - 10g quantities.

I was a little upset because it can actually give some burglars ideas now. I never knew about it. It was the first time that I saw it last night!!!!

My mom was telling me about this programme last night and she burst into tears hysterically and made me promise to never let either of my dogs out of my sight or leave them unsupervised for a second. Shame, I suddenly realised just how intense the programme must have been and I think I'm gald i never saw it because Im just as bad as my mom when it comes to animals and emotions.

It was really that bad. I also had tears in my eyes!!!! Even thinking about it again now brings tears to my eyes.