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ERIE, Colo. -- The Lautzenheiser family was forced to say goodbye to their dog Winston too soon.
"He was our baby in the house. He was the friendly neighborhood dog," Hanna Lautzenheiser told Denver7.
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Winston has been a part of the Lautzenheiser family for eight years.
"We got Winston kind of as a therapy dog. We lost our little brother when we were younger," Lautzenheiser said.
As the Lautzenheiser family was going through their darkest days, Winston was there.
"He didn’t fill a hole, but he helped mend a breaking heart," Lautzenheiser explained.
Lautzenheiser noticed Winston acting erratic Wednesday.
"He was loopy, waking around. He looked stoned," Lautzenheiser recalled.
So she took the 8-year-old bulldog to the ER where Lautzenheiser was told Winston tested positive for THC.
"We don’t have any THC in our house. My family has never smoked marijuana so they are like, 'how would he consume it?'" Lautzenheiser said.
Winston was treated and sent home. The next morning, when Lautzenheiser woke, Winston was nowhere to be found until she went in the backyard and saw him unconscious.
Winston was rushed to hospital again. This time, he wouldn't be able to go home. The family was told he was brain dead and they would have to euthanize Winston. That procedure cost the family $3,400.
Lautzenheiser and her family believe this was not an accident.
"We were told it was something extremely potent. So, it would have to be something like CBD oil or an edible. Someone would have to feed it to him," Lautzenheiser said.
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