Lompoc Dog Recovering After Intentional Poisoning

Walking her two dogs is something that Dayana Talamantes-Shadkamyan does every day.

“I take them out every morning and every night,” she said.

But, she said the morning of April 1, was much different.

While walking her 11-month-old, Jack Russell Terrier/Chihuahua mix, Martini, she noticed a bag of open hot dogs on the grass, readily available for any dog or cat that walked by.

After turning away for a minute, Talamantes-Shadkamyan said she turned back to find her small dog had a piece of hot dog in her mouth.

“I said man you hit the jackpot,” Talamantes-Shadkamyan said.

Martini took one bite of the hot dog and in one hour was on the verge of death.

Talamantes-Shadkamyan rushed the dog to the Animal Care Hospital in Lompoc.

“They told me she didn’t look good, they were giving her oxygen, she couldn’t breath and was turning blue.”

Doctors at the vet hospital examined parts of the hot dog that Martini consumed and they believed it had been laced with Tylenol which is fatal for dogs and cats.

“This is the first time we’ve seen something like this and we don’t want to believe it’s anything malicious,” said Dr. Tammy Mendez. “But it’s very concerning something very obvious that was brought in that looked like a dissolving tablet.”

Pictures of Martini’s face show what the pup looked like when she first arrived at the hospital.

Doctors said that swelling in the face, especially around the eyes is a big indicator of the presence of Tylenol.

The Bay Laurel Apartments in Lompoc is where the bag of hotdogs was found.

Apartment Manager, Shannon Gaskins said the staff immediately investigated the grounds for the bag of hot dogs, but could find no trace of it. “We’re always paying attention of there’s anything out of the ordinary here ,” said Gaskins.

Now, Talamantes-Shadkamyan is warning other residents, not just in the Lompoc area, but throughout the Central Coast to be very careful.

“Yes, be careful make sure that when you walk them there’s nothing around, I know it takes a second for them, you know?” she said. Everybody just has to look out for each others pets.

Martini is currently recovering, doctors said her condition is slowly improving but she’s not out of the woods yet.

Shadkamyan said vet bills have gone up to $3,000. She has set up GoFundMe account to help with costs. If you wish to help CLICK HERE.