Bullet, pictured here, was put down Saturday. Karli Romaniuk says her dog became increasingly sick after eating rat poison she believes was intentionally thrown in her yard. (Supplied) A St. James pet owner is heartbroken after rat poison she believes may have been intentionally thrown in her backyard led to the death of the family dog.

Karli Romaniuk lives in the area of Century Street and Ness Avenue near Polo Park Shopping Centre.

She and her family had no other choice but to put down their otherwise healthy four-year-old dog Bullet Saturday after he suddenly became sick.

At first, it wasn't obvious to Romaniuk that anything was wrong with Bullet.

"He goes in spurts where he doesn't eat and he hadn't eaten in a couple of days, so it's kind of normal — I didn't think anything of it," said Romaniuk. "I noticed a bruise yesterday morning on his stomach or a red mark. I wasn't sure what it was."

After returning home from an outing Saturday, the family found Bullet could no longer stand up and had peed everywhere.

The family put Bullet on a blanket, took him out to the car and rushed him to the Pembina Veterinary Hospital.

'It's been horrible'

The vet did a clotting test on Bullet and found his red blood cell count indicated he had consumed rat poison, Romaniuk said. The family was told Bullet was too ill to save and there was nothing more that could be done.

"It's been horrible. We have four kids who are pretty heartbroken," Romaniuk said. "We just told them that he was sick and that he didn't make it. We didn't tell them [why] — they are young,"

Karli Romaniuk says she wants her Winnipeg neighbours in the Ness Avenue and Century Street area to be vigilant when they put their dogs outside. She doesn't want what happened to Bullet to happen to other dogs, she said. (Supplied) Romaniuk said she is grateful to the Pembina Veterinary Hospital, which tore up the bill at the end of the appointment because their dog was a rescue.

"I don't know if it was thrown or brought by an animal," Romaniuk said, adding it isn't the first time she's found rat poison in their yard. "Last time the bag was cut or ripped and thrown over the fence and it was scattered around the bag and we saw it before we let the dogs out."

Romaniuk filed a report with police and wants others in her neighbourhood to keep a close eye on their pets.

"I heard from other people in the neighbourhood. They've had similar experiences, it's scary," she said. "Check your yards…. Just be aware of your dog if it is outside."