Dog owner warns others of rat poison in public parks
Posted February 20, 2012 9:58 am.
This article is more than 5 years old.
VANCOUVER (NEWS1130) – Rat poison has turned up in a Vancouver off-leash park, leaving one pet very ill. It happened when a woman took her two dogs and her baby for a walk in Hadden Park near the Maritime Museum.
Jennifer Tillett watched as her dog Daisy started playing with a black box in an area accessed only by dogs and children.
“As I got even closer I was like, ‘Oh my God, it’s a rat box!’ I started running with my baby and my other dog. I got there too late. She had rolled the box, knocked out the poison and eaten it, very quickly. She’s a fast dog, especially when she is motivated by food.”
Daisy was rushed to the veterinarian. However, one treatment wasn’t enough and the medical bills are now over $1,000 without any compensation from the Vancouver Park Board.
“I can’t believe this happened. This shouldn’t happen to anyone.. I will live if Daisy dies. But if this were my baby… if my toddler had eaten this, would I be in the emergency room fighting for hours and hours, trying to get answers from the Park Board?”
She adds the Park Board has been trying to find a reason the deadly substance ended up in a public space. It blames a pest control company for putting it there to kill rats at the nearby Museum.
In an email to the board, Tillett outlined a couple of steps that could be taken to prevent a situation like this from happening again. For instance, poison should not be placed in public parks and if it is there should be signs posted for the public.
“First and foremost, no more poison in parks. I found out that it’s not even their policy. Their policy is to use no or minimal pesticides in public parks and that seems the most reasonable to me.”
