After Puppy Almost Dies, Owner Wants Pest Control Company To Change 'Pet Resistant' Packaging Claim

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- As the weather warms up, we dream of family time spent at the cabin. But, a trip up north this winter turned into a nightmare for a Minnesota dog owner.

WCCO found how poison meant for a pest nearly killed her puppy.

The close call came at her brother's cabin this past winter well before any travel bans. But, Ruth Jansen has had plenty of time since to see if there's something she may have missed.

"This bait station is resistant to weather and tampering from children and dogs," Jansen said.

She only had her new Havenese named Coco for a couple of months when they made that trip.

"My little dogs went all over the place and especially the puppy puts everything in her mouth," she said.

Within a few minutes, Coco dropped something in her owner's lap.

"I said 'what's that?' and Sue said that's one of the poisons that I had put out," Jansen recalled.

Turns out that poison pack mounted on a small peg inside the d-CON bait station was broken up by a mouse.

"That's what allowed the mouse to come in, take one half of it, and then come back and take another half," she explained.

"Well those two cakes went somewhere in the house," she added.

"She ate about that much probably about two or three teaspoons," Jansen said.

Poison control said it would take less than a half teaspoon to kill her.

"She was going more and more lethargic. She's nonstop normally and she was just a limp noodle in my lap," Jansen said.

"I don't really think they expected her to live because she was so small and the amount she ingested," Jansen said.

Vets pumped Coco with IV fluids and used chemicals to absorb the poison for 24-hours. $3,000 later, she was given a clean bill of health.

The label says it's a child and dog resistant station. Jansen doesn't think the packaging should say that.

But, it doesn't seem to say anywhere what could happen if a mouse carries some of the poison cake out.

d-CON did not return our calls and emails but in a statement to Jansen the company pointed her to the small print on the back of the bag where they warn of the "hazards to humans and domestic animals." d-CON says the product is in full compliance with all applicable laws and regulations and that it's impossible to eliminate all risks with their products.

The company was willing to pay Jansen $1,000 as a gesture of goodwill if she'd release them of any future claims and not disclose the payment to anyone else.

She didn't take the money. Believing it's more important to be able to warn others.

"I think people need to know this could be a potentially dangerous product," Jansen said.

"People are bringing these into their home and thinking they're pet safe and it's not they're clearly not," she added.

In the past, poisons like this used a different chemical vets could treat with Vitamin K. Now, most use Vitamin D-3 baits, where there is not a safe and inexpensive antidote. That's why poison control says it's important vets know exactly what a pet was exposed to so they can properly treat your pet.