Action Alert- CA Residents, Please Call to Pass AB 1788

Dear Hanaeleh Family:

I am asking all of our supporters in California to contact their assembly member this week to help pass AB 1788. This is not necessarily horse-related, but it is a very important bill to me. AB 1788 would ban second generation anticoagulant rodenticides (SGARs) throughout the state, except for agricultural use or by special permit. SGARs are the most toxic rodent poisons, which contaminate the food chain and poison any predator or scavenger that eats the rodent. The bill would also ban any anticoagulant rodenticide use on state-owned lands.

I am asking you to help get this passed because my precious dog Skye was killed last November after ingesting rodenticide. Although we do not allow any poisons on the ranch, there is no law to prevent our neighbors from putting out these incredibly dangerous poisons. These rodenticides don’t just kill mice and rats- they kill rabbits and squirrels. They kill hawks and owls and other birds of prey, who feast on rodents who have ingested the poison. They kill foxes, bobcats and mountain lions.

These poisons kill dogs and cats. They kill children.

Skye was in intensive care and I spent thousands of dollars trying to save her life, but after only a few days it was obvious she was just in too much pain, and I finally had to make the decision to end her suffering. I cannot express how horrible of a death this is for any animal. I still deal with the guilt of knowing that Skye somehow died because of something she ate at the ranch.

It only takes one person who puts this poison out on their property to kill any number of animals for miles around.

Please help stop any other animals from suffering and join me in calling our assembly members to pass AB 1788. Your message can be as simple as: “I am your constituent, and I urge you to vote YES on AB 1788, the California Ecosystems Protection Act.”

For contact information of your assembly member, please click here.

Thank you very much for your help. Together we can help stop sweet dogs like Skye from being unwitting victims of these catastrophic poisons.

Sincerely,

Elizabeth Zarkos, Ph.D.