07/15/2026
☠️ MY NEIGHBOR’S BACKYARD POISON ALMOST KILLED MY DOG.
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On Monday, my 10-pound Toy Poodle almost died from rodenticide poisoning while on-leash on our walking path. He caught a vole that was already sluggish and dying from eating poison. I pulled it from his mouth immediately—he never even swallowed it. But simply holding the poisoned rodent allowed toxic chemical residue to absorb directly through his gums.
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Within two hours, he was in emergency veterinary care with acute poisoning—violently vomiting, heavily salivating, and in severe pain. He only survived because I caught him in the act and rushed him to the ER.
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Rodenticides cause a slow, painful death and are completely uncontainable. Rodents eat the bait, wander into neighboring yards, and carry a lethal dose straight to our pets and local wildlife. Our strata’s common-area ban is completely bypassed if even one person uses poison on their private deck, patio, or garden.
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How you can take action right now:
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• Ditch the chemicals: Choose pet-safe, non-toxic pest control alternatives (like snap traps, exclusion methods, or sealing entry points in your home).
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• Push for private strata bylaws: Under the BC Strata Property Act, strata developments have the clear legal right to pass bylaws banning chemical rodenticides on individual private lots. Ask your council to put this amendment on the agenda for a 3/4 majority vote.
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• Report illegal poison use: Second-generation anticoagulant rodenticides (SGARs) are permanently banned for residential use in BC. If you see bait boxes on residential properties, document them and report them to the BC Conservation Officer RAPP line.
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• Support a full provincial ban: Join the advocacy work being done by Rodenticide Free BC to push for a complete ban on all chemical rodenticides with zero loopholes.
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If you support banning rodenticides, please leave a comment below.
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