'We're heartbroken': Winnipeg family's dog dies after being poisoned
A Winnipeg family is in mourning after their beloved dog died from a suspected intentional poisoning.
Ginger was part of Tannis Snyder's life for nearly eight years, but her life was cut short.
"We're heartbroken. We're devastated. I want my dog back," said Snyder.
In early April, Snyder said Ginger started acting strange, so she brought her to a veterinarian.
"She wouldn't eat, so we brought her in. She was in really rough shape. She ended up spending a couple nights out in Stonewall and they took such good care of her, and she came home, and she just couldn't hold food."
After a few trips back and forth to try and figure out what was wrong, it was determined through testing that Ginger had consumed rodent poison.
Tannis Snyder's dog Ginger had to be put dog on July 10, after it was believed Ginger was intentionally poisoned with rat poison. (Source: Tannis Snyder)
Tannis Snyder's dog Ginger had to be put down on July 10, after it was believed Ginger was intentionally poisoned with rat poison. (Source: Tannis Snyder)
"We were just shocked. Utterly shocked," said Snyder. "Where the heck would we get mouse poison? I don't have it in my home. I never buy it, and it just didn't make any sense. We were just all confused, going, 'How did this happen? How could this happen?'"
Ginger had to be put down on July 10. It's believed the poisoning was thrown into the backyard of their Minto area home.
Another dog in that same neighbourhood was also poisoned, according to the Winnipeg Police Service, though that dog recovered. Police said the rodent poison was contained in a plastic bag which was thrown into their yards.
"The troubling part is the way some of these rodenticides work, they can be anticoagulants that can take three to five days before there's any obvious symptoms," said Dr. Ron Worb with the Anderson Animal Hospital and Wellness Center.
He noted some early symptoms may include breathing rapidly, some coughing, and being lethargic.
"As this goes on further, and it goes from internal bleeding to external bleeding, they could vomit with blood in their vomit, they may have bloody feces, they could have swollen joints that are getting filled up with blood, or they start to bruise easily."
Dr. Worb said the sooner you can bring your pet in, the better it is for treatment. He also said it's important to let your veterinarian know if you believe your pet may have consumed poison, so the appropriate steps can be taken.
After Snyder found out her dog had been poisoned, she warned her neighbours to be on the lookout. She's also urging all Winnipeggers—not just those living in the Minto area—to keep an eye on their pets and their backyards.
"If my dog's death can raise awareness of this happening to somebody else, then we could save somebody the pain and loss that we've endured, then it's not for nothing," she said.
Police are encouraging pet owners to report any suspicious circumstances that involve their pet consuming a poisonous substance in their yard, and to immediately seek medical attention for the animal.
Cruelty to animals, which includes intentional poisonings, is a criminal code offence. Those found guilty could spend up to five years in prison or be fined up to $10,000.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'They needed people inside Air Canada:' Police announce arrests in Pearson gold heist
Police say one former and one current employee of Air Canada are among the nine suspects that are facing charges in connection with the gold heist at Pearson International Airport last year.
House admonishes ArriveCan contractor in rare parliamentary show of power
MPs enacted an extraordinary, rarely used parliamentary power on Wednesday, summonsing an ArriveCan contractor to appear before the House of Commons where he was admonished publicly and forced to provide answers to the questions MPs said he'd previously evaded.
Leafs star Auston Matthews finishes season with 69 goals
Auston Matthews won't be joining the NHL's 70-goal club this season.
Trump lawyers say Stormy Daniels refused subpoena outside a Brooklyn bar, papers left 'at her feet'
Donald Trump's legal team says it tried serving Stormy Daniels a subpoena as she arrived for an event at a bar in Brooklyn last month, but the porn actor, who is expected to be a witness at the former president's criminal trial, refused to take it and walked away.
Why drivers in Eastern Canada could see big gas price spikes, and other Canadians won't
Drivers in Eastern Canada face a big increase in gas prices because of various factors, especially the higher cost of the summer blend, industry analysts say.
Doug Ford calls on Ontario Speaker to reverse Queen's Park keffiyeh ban
Ontario Premier Doug Ford is calling on Speaker Ted Arnott to reverse a ban on keffiyehs at Queen's Park, describing the move as “needlessly” divisive.
'A living nightmare': Winnipeg woman sentenced following campaign of harassment against man after online date
A Winnipeg woman was sentenced to house arrest after a single date with a man she met online culminated in her harassing him for years, and spurred false allegations which resulted in the innocent man being arrested three times.
Woman who pressured boyfriend to kill his ex in 2000s granted absences from prison
A woman who pressured her boyfriend into killing his teenage ex more than a decade ago will be allowed to leave prison for weeks at a time.
Customers disappointed after email listing $60K Tim Hortons prize sent in error
Several Tim Horton’s customers are feeling great disappointment after being told by the company that an email stating they won a boat worth nearly $60,000 was sent in error.