Potentially lethal veterinary drugs have been stolen from the Hawera dog pound.
The Beach Road pound was one of three Hawera premises targeted overnight, along with the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals compound and an Armourguard building.
Detective Guy Jackson said the most concerning item taken was 250ml of Pentobarb 300, or sodium pentobarbitone, used to euthanise dogs.
It was in liquid form and could prove lethal if injected, and was also highly dangerous if ingested.
"Police urgently want to locate the Pentobarb 300 before someone comes to harm,'' Mr Jackson said.
"If anyone knows who is responsible for the theft or who currently has the drug they are asked to contact police immediately.''
The theft followed a series of burglaries and attempted burglaries in Hawera, including that of a dental surgery, during the past few days but it was not known if they were linked.
"... but the medical nature of their work makes us concerned that they are being targeted in the hope of finding drugs,'' Mr Jackson said.
"If so, it is a dangerous game that the thieves are playing.''
