Advertisement Terrier finds big rat in Milwaukee neighborhood Share Shares Copy Link Copy

Families in a northwest side Milwaukee neighborhood are concerned about rats after a terrier walked up with a big rodent.The dog caught the rat in its own backyard at 78th and Locust streets near Cooper Park.VIDEO: Neighborhood worries about rat infestationThe owner said he's now seen three more rats in just the past two days after his little dog tussled in the bushes with a foot-long rat and came out the winner.Little terrier Cake proudly carried the rat she'd just dispatched in the backyard earlier this month."She came running right out of these bushes right around here along the fence line, because this is where she likes to pace up and down the fence line, and she came running out here (with) the giant rat in her mouth," dog owner Aaron Luther said.Her owner saw two more large rats just Wednesday night."Oh, wow, there actually just went one. You just missed it. It just darted right by that garage. It just ran right through the alley," Luther said.WISN 12 News reporter Nick Bohr looked but couldn't find it. Neither could Cake."I mean, you hear about stuff like that in New York or Chicago. You hear jokes about that, but I'm like this is Milwaukee, I didn't think we had rats that big here," Luther said.The city of Milwaukee has a rat control program and offers advice online, most importantly to keep any food waste contained. If a rat issue is confirmed, the city can help property owners to take action."If it's causing a public health concern, then, yeah, I think the city should definitely be trying to take care of this," Luther said."Because Cake can only handle so many?" Bohr asked.She's only 27 pounds," Luther said.Most neighbors Bohr talked with were surprised to hear about the rats, and the city Department of Neighborhood Services said it hasn't noticed an increase in complaints. But it anyone sees a rat in their neighborhood, call 414-286-2268.Neighborhood Services said it will send an inspector out to the home to check it out.