Omaha, NE- Vets around the Metro are worried about a virus attacking dogs right in their own backyards.  Kim Weeks had to put down her dog in April.
 "We had been through two months of hell, but she kept getting sicker."
 One day the Weeks' family pet was healthy. The next day, Maggie was limping from sore muscles. Two months later, she died. Kim says, "We tried everything, but we had to let her go after awhile, she had suffered enough."
 Maggie contracted something called, Leptospirosis. It's a disease that virtually disappeared decades ago. It targeted hunting dogs because they came into contact with wildlife. Now vets say a new strain is hurting backyard dogs. Dr. Michael Hord with the Val Verde Animal Hospital in La Vista says,  "The main animals that spread it are possums, raccoons, rodents, most of the things running through the backyard at night time." Dr. Hord says th the animals contaminate puddles, ponds, creeks, even soil with their urine, which carries the bacteria.
    Dr. Hord says the disease sneaks up on pets, starting with flu like symptoms, then attacking their kidneys and livers. " The problem can be a subtle onset. The disease can start with diarrhea, vomiting and people don't think it's too serious. It may go a week of on again, off again, then call the vet to get in. By that time, since the organism goes after the kidney and liver, it may have done damage that is irreversable if it's a bad enough infection."
  Many times owners don't catch it until it's too late. But it can be prevented with a vaccine.
 In the past few months, Dr. Hord has lost two dogs and treated five others with antibiotics.   Other emergency animal hospitals have seen lepto cases which resulted in deaths.
 The Weeks have since brought home another lab, Sophie.
They've already given her the shot that could save her life. The vaccine costs about $15.