SEATTLE - Mo has come a long way since he was found in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina, starving, alone, covered in mange.

Mo - short for "Mohawk" - was rescued by Pasado's Safe Haven. That's where Cammie Owen first saw the chow mix.

"They had a list of people who wanted to foster Katrina dogs, but nobody wanted him," she said.

Owen wanted him. She nursed him back to health. But last Monday night, she heard him whimpering.

"His eyes were open but he couldn't even move at all. I shook him … Mo, Mo … and he didn't ... he was Jello," she said.

Mo was rushed to the vet's office, where a frightening discovery was made.

"They just started running all these tests. They said he was going to need blood transfusions. It was awful," said Owen.

"They really don't think it could be any other thing besides rat poisoning," she said.

Somehow Mo ingested deadly rat poison. Owen is not sure where he could have picked it up. The day he got sick he was either at home or at Westcrest dog park.

"We haven't found any poison here but the woods are pretty big, you know it's hard to even know what to look for," said Owen.

It's a tight-knit dog community at Westcrest. Dogs and their owners know each other well. The news of Mo's rat poisoning has stunned them.

"The bottom line is we have to be vigilant up here and maintain and police ourselves and watch out for each other," said park steward Steve McElhenny.

Mo still has a long road to recovery. He will continue taking vitamin K pills and might have to undergo more blood tests. But he is a survivor.

Vet bills for Mo's emergency care are already more than $2,000. Doctors believe with careful monitoring, he will make a full recovery.

Reward offered

Pasado's Safe Haven is offering a $5,000 reward in the case. Tips can be called in to 206-300-7218. Callers will remain anonymous.