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Letters: Know the laws!

Sooke resident angry after dog eats rat poison left out by neighbour

Did you know that it is against both Federal and Provincial law to use  rodenticides (rat poison) unless they are used in compliance with the labelling?

In Canada, the labelling says rat poison MUST be placed either in tamper-resistant bait stations or in locations not accessible to children, pets, livestock or non-target animals, and if it is applied outdoors and above-ground it MUST be placed in bait stations that are in locations not accessible to pets or livestock and be clearly labelled.

We recently experienced very serious consequences when our dog Murphy ate chunks of rat poison that were left outdoors in the open on a neighbouring property in an area that is accessible to wildlife, pets and children. We are very fortunate that Saseenos Veterinary Service and Dr. Addie were able to administer treatment almost immediately and I am optimistic that Murphy will recover, alhough we will know for sure after 30 days of treatment.

I am writing in the hope that this will help raise awareness and prevent future poisonings. It is distressing to imagine the tragic consequences if it had been a child instead of my dog that found the poison.

Doni Eve

Sooke