Animal rescue workers are putting out a warning after a 4-month-old puppy died from ingesting rat poison.
Director Lisa Barker of The Boxer Rescue, Inc. in Grafton, Massachusetts, helps to save any dog she can. But a recent case has her speaking out.
"It's heartbreaking for us," she said. "It's heartbreaking."
A dog named Nora died Wednesday night after less than 48 hours in the rescue's care. She had ingested a lethal dose of rat poison at her previous owner's home.
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"This particular rat poison has no antidote," Barker said. "So we already knew from the get-go that it was going to be very unlikely that she'd recover, but she was so young, and only 4 months old, and we felt like we needed to try to give her a chance."
Unfortunately, even with the best treatment, Nora didn't make it.
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"She started to have severe seizures, and they were just continuing and continuing," Barker said. "We knew we had to humanely euthanize her at that point, it was no coming back. Her little body couldn't handle it."
It's a horrible death that Barker says was preventable. She's now warning about the dangers of these types of poisons, saying people should always consider alternatives.
"There are other ways, and there are humane ways, to get rid of rodents and unwanted pests," she said. "This kills. Bromethalin kills."
Barker says Nora's death must not be in vain. With these deadly cases on the rise, she wants her story to help save others.
"People need to be careful," she said. "This is going to happen. It could happen to you."
