Del City Families Believe Dogs Are Being Deliberately Poisoned

A family in Del City believes the dogs on their block are being poisoned. This comes after their dog and a neighbor's dog both died suddenly.

Bill and Sheri Lynn Meyers love their pets as much as their three kids, so losing one is devastating.

Their dog, Tupey, was just a little mutt, but the disabled mom said Tupey would protect her at home, barking when someone was near the home and didn't belong.

It is would-be intruders the Meyers family thinks may be doing something to the dogs in the neighborhood.

Thursday, Tupey started throwing up blood and died shortly after the Meyers took her to the vet hospital.

"I'm armoring the house, battening the hatches," dog owner and dad, Bill Meyers said. "I'm not happy."

The sudden loss of the family dog, Tupey isn't easy; Bill Meyers wants answers.

"It was a surprise, so we had an autopsy," he said.

Tupey's vet, Dr. Anna Parker, tells News9 a high level of toxins was found in the dog's blood and she says poison is definitely a possibility.

"It's the only thing we could do, tell people to keep an eye out on their pets and watch what they're doing," Bill Meyers said.

Meyers believes would-be burglars may be poisoning dogs on the block when no one is around so they won't have dogs barking when they come to break in.

"Someone tried to get in the house. I could tell because of the marks where they tried to pry open the door," neighbor Charles Shaw said. "[They] come by and she let them know they shouldn't be there."

It was about three weeks ago someone tried to break in to Charles Shaw's home, one week later Shaw's dog, Simply, died too.

"She's a pit bull." Shaw isn't sure about the poisoning theory. He says Simply has lived a long life.

"Even if we're wrong, it wouldn't hurt them by doing it--looking out for each other," Meyers said.

Oakwood Veterinary Hospital's Dr. Gregg Ohmann says Meyers is definitely right about that, people need to watch out for potential poisons in and around the neighborhood where dogs like to run.

"I do see poisonings with rat poison, antifreeze and strychnine," Ohmann said.

He says dog owners dealing with a sudden loss often times say their dog might have been poisoned.

"Whether it's a malicious poisoning, it doesn't always pan out," he said.

Ohmann said neighbors who fight are prime suspects whenever a dog suddenly dies.

He suggests you build a good relationship with everyone on the block.

If your dog barks non-stop, you should get help from a trainer before an angry neighbor gets even more upset.

He said he had heard about criminals killing animals so they could gain entry into homes, but, bottom-line, if your dog dies from a toxic substance it will be difficult to prove who or what did the damage.

(The dog with Jamie at the beginning of the video is available for adoption from the Oklahoma City Humane Society.)