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Hugo Family Speaks Out After Deadly Dog Poisoning: 'I Know Someone Knows Something'

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- A deadly dog poisoning has a Hugo family searching for answers.

The Bluetick hound named Ruby died last month after suffering hours of seizures. Another dog, Duke, also got violently ill.

The owners discovered evidence of what likely led to it all, right in their Hugo front yard.

Duke and Pauly still enjoy their time playing outside. However, for the last month they haven't spent as much time there after what happened to the third dog in their pack.

"She was 4 years old and a super good girl," Kelly Trapanier said of their dog, Ruby.

It was the morning of July 16 when Ruby went outside with Duke -- and when Trapanier ran out to find Ruby shrieking and seizing.

"I was just trying to figure out what I could do for her right then. It was just terrible," she said.

A trip to the Emergency vet lasted all day where Duke was sick, too.

"Ruby was still in really rough shape. She was still seizing and this was like five hours later," Trapanier said.

The Trapanier's made the difficult decision to put her down. Then, they went home to try to figure out what happened.

Turns out, some half-eaten hot dogs in the yard had some type of metallic liquid inside.

"I was horrified. I was horrified because I didn't give my dogs hot dogs," Trapanier said.

Washington County is now investigating. The Trapanier's checked and said no one had ever called the department to complain about their dogs before.

The family sent toxicology tests from Ruby to a lab in Michigan. Results last week confirm a substance caused cirrhosis of Ruby's liver.

"No, I'm not going to stop until we figure out who did it," Trapanier said.

Yard signs now line their property in their search for justice and security in their quiet part of town has also become a priority.

"Now we have cameras all over the place because you can't just trust people apparently," she said.

"I know someone knows something and I hope someone will say something and we can get justice for Ruby," she added.

The family has paid out thousands of dollars in vet bills and for lab results. They are also planning to have an autopsy performed on Ruby.

Their other dog, Duke, also suffered liver damage from that day that they don't know what will mean for him long-term.

If you have any information, you're asked to call the Washington County Sheriff's Office at 651-430-7600.

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