Mysterious White Powder at Shelter Found Harmless

A worker at the Marblehead Animal Shelter opened a taped envelope Wednesday and white powder dumped on to her lap.

It turned out the powder was a harmless substance, lysine, said police. Lysine is an amino acid that can be taken as a health supplement.

The worker discovered the envelope — nothing was written on it — in the shelter where mail is placed, police said.

The worker reported it for fear it had gone airborne and may have been harmful.

Marblehead fire and police units and haz-mat units responded to the scene.

Veterans and Village schools were notified. 

Authorities learned that another shelter worker had placed the lysine in the envelope and forgot to take it home with her, police said.

The schools were notified that the substance was harmless.

The powder was tested at the shelter, police said.