WEST ROXBURY, Mass. — A West Roxbury family is urging neighbors to think twice about using rodenticides after their beloved family dog nearly died from eating suspected rat poison.
Described by his dad, Mark Turkall, as a happy, loving, and energetic Mississippi mutt, Oatie is a curious little pup. However, that curiosity got the best of him, Saturday night.
“He woke up in the morning, and he was vomiting, not feeling well, and we knew right away that something was amiss with him because he’s generally healthy,” Turkall remembered.
Turkall thought his fenced-in backyard would be a safe haven for his 5-year-old dog, but when Oatie started vomiting blue pellets, he knew something was wrong and immediately brought him to the emergency vet.
“We brought it into them. They took a look at it and said, based on their history and what they’ve known, that it probably is consistent with rat poison,” Turkall recalled.
Rats in the Boston Metro area have been a consistent issue for years. In West Roxbury, 311 data show a steady increase in rodent activity over the last 5 years. In 2021, there were 69 reports, and every year since has seen an uptick in reports, with an incomplete 2025 showing 172 so far.
Rep. James Hawkins believes that using rodenticides is not always the best solution for mitigating rodent problems.
“This poison is an anticoagulant; the animals bleed to death. It’s a horrible, horrible way to die,” Rep. Hawkins said.
That’s why he’s introducing House Bill 965.
“This bill, which actually limits the use of these anticoagulants, before you could say ‘boo,’ I had over 100 outside organizations coming out in support,” Rep. Hawkins said. “We got, which is very unusual, 120 co-sponsors from legislators in both the House and the Senate.”
The bill is currently making its way through the legislative system, but Rep. Hawkins seems confident it’ll become law without issue.
Turkall hopes Oatie’s story can serve as another example to highlight why rodenticides can be harmful to wildlife and family pets.
“He was here in this fenced-in yard. He was just right here, sniffing around, where you think he would be safe, and apparently, critters can bring rat poison into your property even if you don’t put it here, and that’s the scariest thing for us,” Turkall explained. “Just know that what you decide to do on your property can have impacts on others around you.”
Oatie still has some treatment and check-ups to go through, but he’s expected to make a full recovery.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.
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