'Disgusting Behavior': Man Caught Pouring Unknown Substance in Public Dog Water Bowl

Dog owners in Toronto are being told to be cautious after a man poured an unknown substance into a public water bowl over the weekend.

The man was caught by nearby security cameras which showed him unwrap an object in his hands and spray an unknown substance into the dog bowl set up outside of a local store. The man was wearing a black and white hooded coat and carrying large neon green bags on his back.

"To want to harm dogs, in particular, to me is quite concerning and disturbing," Michael Catafalmo, the manager of a local store told CTV.

In the CCTV footage, the man walked by the store and pointed at the bowl before returning to the store approximately 10 minutes later. When he returned, the man had an unknown object in his hands which he spritzed into the bowl before he turned around and walked out of the frame of the camera.

"It's really disgusting behavior," a local dog owner told CTV. "I can't believe someone would stoop that low to harm our dog community."

While it is common for businesses to place communal dog bowls in front of their stores especially in the summer months, but many experts warn that allowing your dog to drink from them could be harmful.

The American Kennel Club actually warns dog owners about contagious diseases that can be passed through contaminated, communal water bowls.

"Your dog may be lapping up bacteria, viruses, or parasites when they quench their thirst after an outdoor adventure," AKC wrote on their website.

Some contagious diseases that dogs can potentially pick up through communal dog bowls include canine papillomavirus, salmonella, leptospirosis, along with various parasites.

In order to avoid any contamination from communal dog bowls, the AKC recommends purchasing a foldable silicone dog bowl that can easily be thrown into a bag and work for on-the-go food and water.

After the unidentified man tampered with the dog bowl, a woman and her dog approached the store but were told by a witness to not go near the dog bowl. That same witness also told staff at the store and they proceeded to pour out the bowl and contact police.

The contents of the dog bowl were never analyzed so it remains unclear whether or not the water was potentially contaminated and harmful, but CTV reported that local dog owners are upset and worried about the situation regardless.

"Animals don't do anything except want to be loved," a local dog owner named Angela told CTV. "For someone to want to do that just means that they're very insensitive, uncaring."

Employees who saw the suspect described him as a white male with a light beard and mustache. He appeared to be between 35 to 45 years old and was about 5 feet 8 inches tall and between 170 to 200 pounds, CTV reported.

Local police are currently investigating the incident.