Torchy was an adventurous pup who spent hours hunting for rodents. What seemed like a harmless hobby, quickly turned dangerous and ultimately led to Torchy’s death. In 2021, Torchy’s owner, Allison Hansen, noticed her pet starting to act differently. “Taking her to the vet we started to realize her liver was shutting down,” said Hansen. “Her blood wasn’t coagulating properly, she had sores in her mouth, trouble eating, which were all signs of rodenticide toxicity.” Torchy had come in contact with poisons frequently used to manage rats and mice around buildings. “It was traumatizing,” said Hansen. “There was a lot of anger that came with it, but then I realized a lot of people don’t know because they are sold these poisons and told they are safe for cats and dogs.” Animal advocates say it can take up to one week for the poison to kill the rodents. During that time, they are weak and out in the open, making them easy prey. “This is problematic for all the scavengers that rely on these animals as a source of food and you can see that’s how dogs and cats also get into them,” said Hansen. A citizen-led campaign that launched in London Monday is aimed at preventing similar deaths from happening in the future. “Rodenticide Free Ontario is the lead on this campaign which is trying to raise awareness of the harms and risks posed by the use of rodenticides,” said Brendon Samuels, a campaign partner. The group is calling on the government and building operators to use lower-impact and more effective alternatives. “Use of poison as a strategy for managing pest infestations in buildings is not typically very effective unless you are dealing with the actual reason why you have an infestation in the first place,” said Samuels. Campaign ads were posted on buses around the city, featuring photos of pets that have been killed by rodenticides.
