POCATELLO, Idaho (AP) — Federal authorities have confirmed that a cyanide trap intended to kill coyotes in eastern Idaho instead killed a dog in an incident that local law enforcement officials say also injured a 14-year-old boy. 
 
 The U.S. Department of Agriculture acknowledged Friday that workers with its Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service's Wildlife Services placed the device called an M-44. The device activated and killed a 3-year-old Lab named Casey on Thursday near Pocatello. 
 
 "APHIS' Wildlife Services confirms the unintentional lethal take of a dog in Idaho," the agency said in an emailed statement to The Associated Press. "Wildlife Services has removed M-44s in that immediate area." 
 
 It's not clear how many other devices had been set. 
 
 Bannock County Sheriff Lorin Nielsen in a statement said the boy's father reported that his son had been covered in an unknown substance and the dog had died. 
 
 "Initially, we were just trying to determine what it even was — that was our biggest concern" said Capt. Dan Argyle, who responded to the call at about 1 p.m. Thursday. "We have never dealt with these before." 
 
 He said the device was on top of a ridge about 500 yards from the boy's home, which is in a foothills area with other homes outside Pocatello. 
 
 The boy was transported to a hospital emergency room to be tested for cyanide poisoning but was not seriously injured and was released. The rest of the family was also checked for cyanide poisoning and released. 
 
 "It's a miracle the child wasn't seriously injured or even killed," Argyle said. 
 
 M-44s are spring-activated devices typically smeared with bait that shoot poison into an animal's mouth when it tugs on the trap. The federal government uses the devices to control predator populations in an effort to limit losses to livestock operators. 
 
 Wildlife advocate groups and some environmental groups condemn the devices, contending that they can kill non-targeted species. 
 
 Theresa Mansfield, the boy's mother, said her son was walking their dog on a hillside behind their home when they encountered the device. She said her son was knocked down when it activated, and that he watched as the dog died. 
 
 "Seeing something like that stays with you," she told the Idaho State Journal (http://bit.ly/2mCFmGu). 
 
 The Pocatello Fire Department and a hazardous material crew also responded to the area. 
 
 Argyle said the device was in a patchwork area of private and public land and is believed to have been placed on U.S. Bureau of Land Management land. Argyle said the area is frequented by hikers, bikers and ATV riders. He said the area also has some sheep grazing. 
 
 "Wildlife Services is completing a thorough review of the circumstances of this incident, and will work to review our operating procedures to determine whether improvements can be made to reduce the likelihood of similar occurrences happening in the future," the Agriculture Department said in the statement. ||||| Mutt that mauled 4-year-old to death was trained to kill by dead child's stepdad 
 
 Nicholas Fevelo for News Saquina Jubeark (c.), the mother of Jayelin Graham, is seen outside her Brooklyn apartment. 
 
 Nicholas Fevelo for News Police said the fatal attack went down in a matter of seconds. Related News Articles 
 
 Daly: Neighbors' premonitions of doom became reality 
 
 The malevolent mutt that fatally mauled a 4-year-old boy as his terrified brothers watched from beneath a bed was trained to kill by the dead child's stepdad, neighbors said Saturday. 
 
 Brooklyn residents who watched Damian Jones walk his powerful pets on the street were shocked but not surprised by the canine carnage that left little Jayelin Graham dead in a blood-spattered bedroom. 
 
 "Those dogs were vicious," said building superintendent Kenny Risher, 50. "They stink and they are nasty. The same dog ate their (pet) rabbit." 
 
 Another neighbor, who tried desperately to help free the child from the brutal Cane Corso dubbed "Machete," said there was no chance of pulling the overmatched boy from the dog's death grip. 
 
 "He was trained to kill," said the 29-year-old man. "He had the boy by his throat. The dog was shaking him. He had no chance." 
 
 But Jones, known as "Animal" or "Dread," and his devastated fiancée Saquina (Honey) Jubeark insisted the death was a tragic accident. 
 
 "He was like a big Scooby-Doo," said Jones, whose Facebook page says he's a fan of the television program "When Animals Attack." 
 
 "He acted like a big kid and just wanted to play." 
 
 Jubeark, a mother of four, was sobbing and hysterical when she returned to the gore-covered apartment after hours of questioning at a Brooklyn police precinct. Later, she absolved her fiancé of any blame. 
 
 "It was not my son's or (Jones') fault," she told The News. "The dog had showed no sign of aggression." 
 
 Jones, who was working when the fatal attack occurred, brought the Italian-bred dog home two months ago. The dogs are large, muscular animals traditionally used to hunt wild boars. 
 
 The couple was preparing for both Jubeark's 24th birthday and their June 10 wedding - two events now linked forever to the horrific killing. 
 
 Police said the fatal attack went down in a matter of seconds, when Jubeark returned to the squalid apartment with her four kids. 
 
 The bride-be-be left her three boys alone in a bedroom as she carried her infant daughter into the hallway to grab her keys from a stroller. 
 
 When she came back, the ferocious dog had its jaws locked on the little boy's neck as his brothers - age 2 and 5 - cowered beneath a nearby bed. Cops needed a tranquilizer gun to take the snarling dog down. 
 
 The child was pronounced dead at Brookdale University Hospital. 
 
 "What a horrible way to die," said the boy's great-grandfather, Ameer Jamaal-Uddin. "I have a lot of frustrations, a lot of emotions, a lot of anger." 
 
 Family and neighbors recalled Jayelin as a happy-go-lucky kid often spotted playing outside. He was the second of his mother's four kids, arriving after 5-year-old Sincere and before Jordan, 2, and 6-month-old Savannah.
– Federal authorities have confirmed that a cyanide trap intended to kill coyotes in Idaho instead killed a dog in an incident that local law enforcement officials say also injured a 14-year-old boy, the AP reports. The U.S. Department of Agriculture acknowledged Friday that workers with its Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service's Wildlife Services placed the device called an M-44. The device activated and killed a 3-year-old Lab named Casey on Thursday. It's not clear how many other M-44 devices had been set, but Wildlife Services says it's removed them from the area. Sheriff Lorin Nielsen said the boy's father reported that his son had been covered in an unknown substance and the dog had died. "Initially, we were just trying to determine what it even was—that was our biggest concern" said Capt. Dan Argyle. "We have never dealt with these before." He said the device was on top of a ridge about 500 yards from the boy's home. The boy was transported to a hospital emergency room to be tested for cyanide poisoning but was not seriously injured and was released. "It's a miracle the child wasn't seriously injured or even killed," Argyle said. Theresa Mansfield, the boy's mother, said her son was walking their dog on a hillside behind their home when they encountered the device. She said her son watched as the dog died. "Seeing something like that stays with you," she told the Idaho State Journal.