Now, Mr O'Brien is devastated after someone in the quiet village deliberately laid a bait out for Millie who is now facing the potential of going blind and also the very real chance of being euthanised.

"It's just heart-breaking," he said, looking back at the October 25 incident.

"I've got high range prostate cancer and I took on Millie from an older lady that died from bowel cancer. Now to see Millie suffer like this is just terrible."

As a companion dog, Mr O'Brien lets Millie sleep inside his home and the pair are usually in bed by around 8.30pm.

"During the day she's on a long lead and tied to a tree and the bait was in the yard," Mr O'Brien said. "It's very hurtful."

Mr O'Brien said that there had been some complaints in the village about dogs barking and is now concerned for the safety of the children and pets that live in the village.

"I'm really worried for the residents in the area," he said.

"All it takes is for a bird to pick it up and drop it in someone's yard or in the school, or even a dog eating it during a walk around town."

A vet from Cowra Vet Hospital told Mr O'Brien that rat bait and snail killer had been mixed with some chicken, samples of which Mr O'Brien has kept.

"She's shaking from the rat poison and will probably go blind from the snail bait," he said.

"I'm a pensioner. This is costing me a lot of money."

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