Pet Owners Worried About Squirrel Poison Traps On North Side
CHICAGO (CBS) -- Pet stores and veterinarians on the North Side are sending out a warning: someone is putting squirrel poison where dogs can get it, and it has killed some dogs already.
CBS 2's Pamela Jones reports the squirrel poison looks much like rat poison, but is a different color.
People simply out walking their dogs are running across a deadly danger, without even realizing it.
Someone has been placing poison pellets right where pets can eat them and it has dog owners on guard.
"I'm just horrified by this. I mean i take my dog out in my neighborhood all the time," one pet owner said.
Pet store owners say the stuff has led to the deaths of at least three dogs on the north side in the last month.
Rogers Bark Pet Salon owner Marie Winkeler said when she learned about it, "I thought it was tragic."
One dog owner said her pet got so sick, the dog had to be euthanized Sunday. She came to Rogers Bark Pet Salon to tell her story.
"She came in very upset that her dog had died the previous day, because he ingested something, and the vet said it was squirrel poison," Winkeler said.
And she says unsuspecting dogs and cats can mistake squirrel poison for the perfect treat.
"That's the difference between squirrel poison and rat poison, is they use more food substance in the squirrel poison," Winkeler said.
People in the 1800 hundred block of West Chase say they've seen the poison - and it's turning up near Touhy and Clark, too.
A lot of dog lovers in the area are just hearing about it.
One man out walking his dog Wednesday said, "I just can't believe it. It's horrible."
At Rogers Bark, they're using Facebook and other social media to make sure they spread the word about the danger to keep pets safe.
"We're trying to keep the information out there," Winkeler said.
The poison can stop your pet's blood from clotting within 36 to 72 hours - and they basically bleed out, from the inside. The symptoms include coughing up blood, fever, or loss of consciousness.
