Chloe Julian never imagined a routine walk at a local park would cost her family their dog.
But that’s exactly what happened when Bogie, her 1-year-old golden retriever, swallowed a death cap mushroom at Valencia Summit Park in Southern California — and died days later from liver failure.
“Bogie was the sweetest dog ever,” Julian said. “He brought so much joy into all of our lives.”
Bogie was staying with family while Julian and her fiancé were out of town. During a walk, he ate something off the ground before anyone could stop him. The family brought him home, and he seemed fine at first.
By the next morning, he had vomited throughout his crate.
The family rushed him to an emergency vet. His condition deteriorated overnight. Julian and her fiancé cut their trip short and raced home — but they still didn’t know what he had eaten.
Back at the vet, they posted a photo of the mushroom to a poison control group online. The situation was serious enough that a specialist from Rhode Island saw the post and personally called Bogie’s veterinarian to help.
The diagnosis: a death cap mushroom.
“I’ll never forget one of the tests — his blood mixed with something showed how yellow his liver was,” Julian said. “At that point, they told us he was going into liver failure.”
Death cap mushrooms are among the most lethal fungi on the planet, toxic to both humans and animals. Expert Bob Cummings described the poison’s effect as devastating.
“This toxin goes to those vital organs and literally shuts them down by shutting down its genetic machinery,” Cummings said. “It’s almost like someone takes your liver out.”
With few options left and Bogie in severe pain, the family made the heartbreaking decision to let him go.
“We told him how much we loved him,” Julian said. “And then we had to make the decision to take him to doggy heaven.”
Death cap mushrooms have been appearing with increasing frequency in Southern California parks, experts warn. If you spot one, do not touch it — and keep pets away.
Julian hopes sharing Bogie’s story prevents another family from going through the same loss.
“We don’t have our baby anymore,” she said. “But I hope his story will save someone else’s.”
