A heartbroken family believe their dog died after being exposed to rats that are "taking over the streets".
Pauline Robertson, from Page Moss, Liverpool, said vermin are running riot in her community.
Her miniature Yorkshire Terrier, Coco, fell ill over the Easter weekend and was diagnosed with a suspected bacterial infection.
The seven-year-old pup later passed away and Pauline is convinced she caught leptospirosis from rats in the area, the Liverpool Echo reports.
The family first realised something was wrong with Coco when she went "very quiet" and had no appetite.
They were forced to keep her hydrated via a syringe before she took a sudden turn for the worse on Easter Monday.
Pauline said she was cuddling her beloved dog when Coco instantly "went stiff" before having what appeared to be a seizure.
When she was rushed to the vets, they were given the bad news that it was believed the seven-year-old had leptospirosis.
Leptospirosis is a bacterial infection that can cause haemorrhaging, organ failure and swelling of the brain and can be potentially fatal to dogs and humans.
Dogs that become infected can die within 48 hours if left untreated.
This had resulted in kidney and liver failure in Coco, and despite best efforts to get her on antibiotics, she sadly died.
Pauline told the ECHO: "The vet told us they could give her antibiotics but that it was a fatal disease.
"I asked how she got that and they told me it's caused by rats.
"They thought maybe she had bitten a rat but I don't think she had.
"She had been in the shed last week for a few nights and I had to keep getting her out but she had no cuts or anything.
"We were told that even if a rat has run across the flags and had a wee and she's licked it or come across the disease that's where she caught it from."
Pauline added the situation is "absolutely atrocious" saying rats have become a prolific issue in the Page Moss area.
She added: "The situation with rats in Page Moss is absolutely atrocious. Rats are getting caught stuck in bins, jumping out on people.
"We don't have grass, we have flags so it's not as if our garden is overgrown.
"Our neighbours are suffering with rats in their house and everyone has been posting on Facebook about the situation.
"But the bins aren't being emptied as regularly as they used to. This has been ongoing for years.
"People are cleaning their gardens as best they can, there's no rubbish on the nearby field. In our shed we only had tools but she kept going in there.
"People are really trying but something needs to be done.
"You feel so dirty. These rats are strolling down the road walking, they just don't care."
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Coco was poorly for two days when her symptoms began.
Symptoms in pets can include a fever, vomiting, abdominal pain, a refusal to eat and stiffness.
Pauline added the death had come as a "shock" to the whole family as they believed she would "come home with antibiotics".
She added: "You can't take your dog out anywhere because there's rats everywhere. All a dog has to do is sniff or lick and they can get this disease. It's terrible.
"The vet picked her up and went to get her on antibiotics but they came back through the door to tell us she'd had another seizure and died.
"Other people have been sending notes saying their dogs have died because of this disease. Something really needs to be done."
A spokesperson for Knowsley Council said: "We are not aware of the details of this specific case or of any reported incidents of Leptospirosis in Knowsley but we offer our sincere condolences to this family on the loss of their much-loved pet.
"Although rats can carry this bacteria there are a number of ways that dogs can catch Leptospirosis including from other infected dogs, from licking or sniffing ground where an infected dog has urinated, from other infected animals’ urine (cows, pigs or rodents) or from wet ground or rivers and lakes where the bacteria can live.
"Thankfully this infection is relatively rare in this country and protection against it is offered in routine vaccinations and boosters by vets.
"We continue to work with partners, residents, businesses and landlords to tackle any rat infestations in Page Moss.
"This includes sewer baiting, pest control and most recently a full day of action specifically targeting the area, identifying issues that may be contributing to the problems and offering advice to residents about prevention.
"Despite these best efforts, we are aware there are still some parties who are not following council advice and continue to allow overgrown or poorly maintained areas to offer shelter for rodents.
"This is causing issues for the wider neighbourhood. We are proactively working to tackle this as a priority and those efforts with partners, residents and business will continue."
