Dog Found Roaming In Middletown Dies After Apparently Ingesting Type Of Poison: Animal Control

MIDDLETOWN, CT — A male Rottweiler found roaming around Middletown has died after apparently ingesting some type of toxic material, local animal control officials said.

Here's what animal control posted on social media:

"We love this job but sometimes it really stinks. Many of you saw our post about this Rotti that had been roaming for two days. We were so happy to have him safe at the shelter.

"He was wearing a bandana, a collar, he was friendly and clearly had a home. No one reported him missing.

"Then it happened, he started vomiting. His condition quickly deteriorated until he was vomiting what seemed like gallons of blood. His blood was not clotting. X-rays did NOT show a foreign body or anything strange. His kidneys had failed. All indications point to poisoning of some kind, possibly rat poison or antifreeze. Unfortunately, we have seen this before.

"When animals ingest these things, death is not immediate. It can take days. We are hoping that someone recognizes this dog and can help us identify an owner so we can further investigate what happened.

"He was an intact male, possibly 6-8 years old, with a cherry eye and a full tail. We gave him a peaceful end surrounded by kindness and love. We called him 'Doug.' We spent money on diagnostic tests because we never want to make that decision without all of the information. We literally give our all. This may be why we cannot return phone calls right away or get to the next call as quickly.

"We appreciate being given some grace with that."

Animal control officials said that any information in the dog should be called into them at 860-638-4030.