Dog Falls Ill After Poisoned Meatballs Found In Park In Gunbarrel

BOULDER, Colo. (CBS4) - The Boulder Sheriff's Office has issued a warning for dog owners about poison meatballs found in a park in Gunbarrel.

On Monday many people reported finding the meat contained rat poison.

A veterinarian treated at least one dog, but it can take two to three days for pets to show symptoms. Those include lethargy, decreased appetite and difficulty breathing.

Officials said those with a dog that was in the park on Monday might want to check with their vet, even without symptoms.

Authorities found six tainted meatballs in the park at Buckingham Road and Spyglass Court.

"When we realized it was poison our thoughts were things you can't say on camera," said dog owner Brandon Weil.

Weil says friends realized the blue and greenish mass that his dog Amos found and swallowed while on a walk resembled rat poison and Weil's vet confirmed it.

Someone mixed the toxin into raw hamburger meat and left it where the neighborhood dogs play.

"Children and pets, they're the most innocent, and for someone to do this, that's pretty rotten," said dog owner Kim Kawulok.

A team of Colorado State University researchers is trying to determine exactly what toxin the meatballs contain.

For Amos, it's back to the vet every 12 hours for blood tests.

"He just wants to be everybody's friend," said Weil.

He's already endured a night of emergency treatment and Weil says it could be hours before doctors know just how the poison affected him.

"You just don't do this. If you are mad, you tell somebody why you're mad. You don't poison animals," said Weil.

Weil feels lucky that they realized that Amos ingested something dangerous, but there is no way of telling how many dogs could have eaten other tainted meatballs.