Dr Pepper Rat
John Graves found a dead rat inside a Dr Pepper bottle that his three-year-old grandson drank. Facebook/John Graves

After victimising a Starbucks outlet in the Philippines where a female customer complained in January of finding a dead mouse inside her coffee, a similar rodent was found in Texas in a Dr Pepper.

The Telegraph reports that a grandfather found a dead rat inside a Dr Pepper bottle that his thee-year-old grandson drank. As proof, John Graves took a photo of the half-consumed Dr Pepper and posted it on Facebook.

In reply, Dr Pepper Snapple Group, maker of the soft drink, said in a statement, “It is virtually impossible for any foreign object to enter any container during the bottling process.” But it asked Graves to send it the bottle and the company will inform him of its findings after six to eight weeks.

In response, the grandfather posted again on Facebook: “Are you kidding me? What if my grandson drank poison or disease?” Graves, who purchased the drink on Monday at Valera on 39th and Broadway, warns buyers of Dr Pepper to check their bottles.

Dr Pepper adds that if offered to send a courier to pick up the bottle, but the grandfather declined the offer. He recalls that Kayden, his grandson, did not finish the drink so they covered it again with its cap. However, when they reopened it the next day, they found the rat.

Graves had Kayden go through blood and urine tests and is waiting for the result of the blood tests. He declined Dr Pepper’s offer to have the bottle picked up because he wanted to have it tested first before he turns it over to the soft drinks maker.

Dr Pepper stressed it takes all complaints very seriously and was very concerned when it got the call from Graves.