A horrified Scots owner has claimed her dog catches around 'four rats a day' in their infested scheme where they live.
The Edinburgh resident, who asked to remain anonymous, said their Jack Russell terrier regularly catches vermin as the problem gets 'out of hand'.
They claim to have suffered a long-standing mice problem for thirty years where they live in the capital's city centre.
But the issue is worsening in their scheme - which they claim is now 'crawling with rats', reports Edinburgh Live.
Their family pet even caught a rodent that the resident believes was trying to build a nest at the back of their fridge.
They said: “I’ve been in the city centre for 30 years and have always been bothered with mice but over the past few months it has been rats. The area is mad with it as they’re just running around."
Their dog has been helping to keep the rats at bay but the resident is finding it increasingly hard to keep the rats out of their home.
“Terriers are great hunters; she stalks them for hours then boom.
"The rodents were nesting in the back of my brand new fridge freezer and managed to eat a whole bag of dog food. My wee Jack Russell was really annoyed by that but they are able to get through the smallest of spaces and surprise you with where they end up", they added.
They believe the increased number of rats could be due to overflowing bins and roads being dug up in the city's centre.
The issue has gotten so severe that one family member has been left terrified to walk down their path for fear of the rodents.
They continued: “I think personally that it must be due to all the roadworks and of course the rubbish bins overflowing constantly.
“It’s getting out of hand. I’ve just found another one under my bin, so my dog must’ve got it last night.
“I would say all of the city centre needs to be looked at. My housing association is pretty good at nipping things in the bud but I think it’s Edinburgh City Council's responsibility now as there are too many bins overflowing and roadworks all over the city.
They added: “I have a family member that is scared to walk down their path in town because the place is crawling with rats.”
An Edinburgh City Council spokesperson said: “Waste collections had recently been increased from two to three times weekly in the impacted area and residents are encouraged to report overflowing bins to the council.”
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