Letter to the Editor: Keep Children and Pets Safe from Rat Poison

I am writing to make people aware of the possible unforeseen contact that their dogs or cats – or possibly small children – may have with rat poison sold in solid-brick form.

Having recently moved into this area from Chicago, my husband and I had never heard of or seen this type of poison. It was a shock to us to hear that my daughter’s dog had consumed rat poison on her afternoon walk. Fortunately, he survived because she knew to induce vomiting immediately. But he would not have been so lucky if I had been walking him – I would not have realized what he had grabbed on his walk until it was too late.

This is not just an unusual mishap. Many of my daughter’s friends’ dogs have been accidentally poisoned with this type of rat poison. People need to be made aware of the potential dangers when using poisons so that they can be more careful about where and how they use them. Plus, people need to be informed about what this poison looks like so they can safely walk their pets, or if it’s found, they can pick it up safely to dispose of in the trash.

The rat poison comes in kibble and solid blocks, extruded in various geometric shapes, and brightly colored green, blue or yellow. Unfortunately, the colors fade to white as the poison ages, making it less visually prominent but still toxic. 

Because solid poison, when found, does not come with instructions, it would be wise to use plastic bags or gloves when picking it up.

Carol Wiese
Baileys Harbor, Wisconsin