A BLACKBURN couple are heartbroken as their dog died from a rare contagious illness linked to rats urine.

Sarah Bernasconi Parsons and her husband Mark are trying to raise awareness by putting up posters about recent cases of leptospirosis in the Mill Hill and Cherry Tree areas after their Lurcher Cross Zeus died at a specialist vets in St Helens on Wednesday.

It comes after reports of another dog dying in the Ewood area and also earlier this month when the Telegraph reported how grandfather Paul Eckersley from Mill Hill almost died from the same condition.

Now, Sarah is calling on people to try take steps to reduce any more pets or adults or children being hurt by the condition.

The 38-year-old said: “Zeus was our family.

“We got him not long after our daughter died and we did not have any children so it makes it more heartbreaking.

“We had to make the tough decision as he was losing blood and tissue. We asked them what the chances of coming through the anti-biotics but they did not even say it was 50/50..”

The 38-year-old said her husband Mark had taken Zeus for a walk on the canal in Mill Hill and along Cherry Tree last week and was not eating.

After a visit to the vet they found he had a temperature and his lymph nodes were swollen.

Despite being put on a course of anti-biotics his condition deteriorated and they took him to other vets in Bolton and St Helens where the leptospirosis was diagnosed.

Sadly in the early hours of Wednesday morning, the three-year-old dog died.

Sarah said the couple had to go to get blood tests on Wednesday to make sure they have not picked up the illness.

“Luckily our other dog does not have it as we did tests. It is contagious but we went to our GP and they said they could not test it and we would need to go to the hospital. We are a bit worried about it as we had to look after it and clean Zeus’ bottom.”

The couple from Mitton Close are now rallying friends to get a message across about the condition locally.

She said: “We have heard about another dog in the area and then there was the grandfather who nearly died.

“It shows up as flu-like symptoms and a cold but shuts down the internal organs and the kidneys.

“There is a problems with rats in Mill Hill and we need to raise awareness about the condition.

“They cannot kill every rat in Blackburn so we need people to wash their hands and keep them clean when they come in from being out. Also you should carry hand sanitiser to clean your hands and try to stop your dog sniffing.”