Latest news with #ratpoison
CBC
5 days ago
- Health
- CBC
'Torchy' and other pets the faces of what rat poison can do in new London bus ads
A new series of ads have appeared on London city buses to warn of the dangers of rat poison for wildlife, and even displaying photos of household pets who have died from it. The ad campaign was created by Rodenticide Free Ontario (RFO), an organization dedicated to ending the use of rat poison in the province, and it was sponsored by Londoner Shannon Chande. Chande has always loved animals, she said, and when she came across the organization's page on social media, she wanted to do something to help. "I was actually shocked," she said. "I was one of those people many years ago that would have used that poison, thinking that was the only option." While rat poison, or rodenticide, has long been a go-to solution when dealing with rodent problems, it can seriously harm or kill any animal that eats it, the advocacy group said, including when wildlife species feed on a poisoned rodent. The exact effects depend on the type of rodenticide used, according to Dr. Ellen Denstedt at the East Village Animal Hospital. The most well-known is the anti-coagulant type, which can lead to severe internal bleeding, she explained. Other types include neurotoxic poisons, and some that concentrate calcium in the body. Animals that get into rodenticide often survive with prompt veterinary care, Denstedt said, but it can be expensive with treatment sometimes lasting weeks. Among wildlife, raptor species are the most commonly treated for poisoning. When birds like owls and hawks eat a poisoned rodent they are actually at risk of the same effects as an animal that ingested the poison directly. "And just remember that these are the animals that people are are finding," Denstedt said. "There are many more animals out there that potentially have been exposed that pass away in the wild that people just don't find, you know, coyotes, foxes, raccoons, really anything that eats rodents." 'A matter of changing the mindset' RFO was started in 2021 by Allison Hansen. She began researching the topic after her rescue dog, Torchy, died from liver failure caused by a buildup of rodenticide. Since then, the group has grown to include about 10 volunteers who engage with municipalities and businesses across Ontario. One of their first breakthroughs came in 2023, when the City of Pickering banned the use of rat poisons on all city property. Part of the organization's work is also teaching people about alternative solutions to rodent problems that are not only safe for pets and wildlife, but also better at addressing the root causes, according to Hansen. She recommends sealing all holes into the building, clearing any brush in the area, not feeding nearby wildlife and, if necessary, using temporary traps with one-way doors. "We've done a cost analysis and it's money saved in the long term," she said. "I just honestly think people have been used to using these poisons for so long, and it's just a matter of changing the mindset." While the ultimate goal is a total ban of rat poisons, the group is not quite ready to take the fight to the provincial government, they said. "I think it's going to happen one person at a time," Chande said. "I'm hoping people, when they're driving or standing at bus stops, see this and think, 'I didn't realize those poisons could kill somebody's cat or dog.'"
Daily Mail
28-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Gemma Collins left 'terrified' after being sent 'rat poison' in the post as TOWIE star ups security at her mansion following menacing letter earlier this month
Gemma Collins has been left 'terrified' after she was sent rat poison in the post as her stalking hell intensifies. The reality star, 44, is said to be 'reeling' after a package containing the toxicant was delivered to her Essex home. Gemma is believed to have reported the incident to police after a 'nasty' glittery note was also found inside the package. A source told The Sun: 'The package was really scary and she was terrified to receive it. 'It was delivered by the postman, but had no postage stamp on it. 'Gemma was worried as it contained rat poison, especially as she has animals at her home.' The reality star, 44, is said to be 'reeling' after a package containing the toxicant was delivered to her Essex home MailOnline has contacted a rep for Gemma for comment. It comes after it was revealed how Gemma was forced to call in police after previously being left 'terrified' by a nasty letter delivered to her home. A source close to the reality star told The Sun how the note detailed the twisted sender's strong dislike for Gemma. After the menacing letter, Gemma was said to have beefed up security at her mansion and police were investigating. Gemma, who was a car dealer before shooting to fame when she landed a role on ITV's The Only Way Is Essex, previously spoke about her experience with stalking. She told how she's had 'scary' people turn up at her shop in Essex and send her terrifying letters. She told how it 'played havoc on her mind' and was the reason she stepped away from her front of house work at her boutique in Brentwood. Appearing on the Daily Mail's Everything I Know About Me Podcast, Gemma said: 'No one would believe the bl**dy crap I've had to deal with. 'I've had a woman stalker that wrote me a letter in white gloves and wanted to kill me. 'You know, people would wish me dead. I'd get all sorts turn up at the shop. Weird. People are weird. And that's why in a way I came away from my shop in the end.' In 2019, Gemma was forced to move out of her home in Essex over stalking fears, with removal vans being pictured at the property at the time. She had been stalked by a man that previously fat-shamed her. It comes after Gemma recently told fans how she had been struck down with pneumonia as she explained her absence from social media. Gemma explained that her condition had been leaving her breathless 'really quickly' but due to medics diagnosing it as viral, antibiotics would be ineffective. She told The Mirror: 'It's shocking, I've had it now for over three weeks and I had steroids given to me by my doctor. It was DJ Fat Tony's wedding and I had to take them to get through that,' 'But I'm off them now and the sickness is really kicking back in. It's so frustrating because I normally have so much energy and I'm always loving life, but now I get really breathless really quickly and I feel like I'm dying.' Pneumonia is inflammation of the lungs, usually caused by an infection. Most people get better in two to four weeks, but babies, older people, and people with heart or lung conditions are at risk of getting seriously ill and may need treatment in hospital. Taking to her Stories Gemma shared snaps as she underwent X-rays while praising medical staff for their care. She wrote: 'Thank you to all the amazing doctors helping me your real life angels'. Announcing the news of her condition on Wednesday, Gemma shared a photo of herself in bed looking poorly in bed. She wrote: 'Hey guys sorry been quiet i have Pneumonia. I'm not as fast or on it as I usually am on the daily. 'I am still honouring my work commitments which is taking every bit of energy I have but will be back entertaining you all soon.' On her Story she added an update as she showed she was on a drip and had been visited by a doctor. One post that showed a drip in her arm read: 'I'm having to take it easy which is not like me very slow and get so out of breath and tired so quick.' WHAT IS PNEUMONIA? Pneumonia is a type of chest infection that affects the tiny air sacs in the lungs. The condition causes these sacs to be become inflammed and fill with fluid, making it harder to breathe. Pneumonia is caused by bacteria or viruses, with the most common being Streptococcus pneumoniae. It affects between five and 11 out of every 1,000 adults every year in the UK. Anyone can suffer from pneumonia, however, at-risk groups include: Babies and young children People over 65 Those with long-term heart, lung or kidney disease People with cancer, particularly those having chemotherapy Smokers Those on drugs that suppress their immune systems Antibiotics or mechanical ventilator use in hospitals also raise the risk. Symptoms include Coughing up mucus Fever Chest pain Loss of appetite Fatigue In severe cases, sufferers may cough up blood, vomit or have a rapid heart rate. Treatment is usually antibiotics, which may need to be given intravenously in hospital in severe cases.
The Sun
28-06-2025
- Entertainment
- The Sun
‘Terrified' Gemma Collins sent rat poison and bizarre note in the post as she ups security at her Essex home
TERRIFIED Gemma Collins was left reeling after a parcel containing rat poison was sent to her home. The reality TV star, 44, was shocked by the toxic package, which also contained a nasty note covered with glitter, and reported it to police. 3 3 The hate mail came just weeks after The Sun on Sunday revealed Gemma was forced to call the cops over another 'abusive and menacing' letter. A source said: 'The package was really scary and she was terrified to receive it. 'It was delivered by the postman, but had no postage stamp on it. 'Gemma was worried as it contained rat poison, especially as she has animals at her home.' Gemma, who lives with businessman fiancé Rami Hawash, has since beefed up security with 24-hour guard dog patrols. The source added she has passed on details of the latest incident to cops, who she had been already in contact with over the previous hate letter. They said: 'They've been fantastic and have some new leads. 'She's trying not to let it get to her too much and doing her best to focus on summer projects.' Gemma told a podcast in May she has had multiple stalkers over the years. They threatened to kill her and sent letters to her boutique store in Essex — leading her to quit front-of-house work. Terrified Gemma Collins calls cops & beefs up security after man sends 'nasty and menacing' letter to her home A spokesman for Gemma declined to comment. But sources confirmed she is in contact with cops. Essex Police were approached for comment.
Daily Mail
11-06-2025
- Health
- Daily Mail
How a plague of 'mutating' super rats are taking over Sydney and becoming resistant to poison: 'Impossible to kill'
Black rats in Australia's biggest cities have developed a genetic mutation that increases their resistance to one of the most widely used poisons. New research led by Edith Cowan University PhD student and environmental toxicologist Alicia Gorbould found the mutation in over half the rats tested in Brisbane, Melbourne, Perth and Sydney between 2021 and 2024. The mutation suggests the rats have developed a resistance to second-generation anticoagulant rodenticides, also known as SGARs, but other animals continue to be inadvertently killed by these types of rat poison. SGARs are deadly to secondary predators, such as tawny frogmouths, Australian boobooks and eastern barn owls, that feed on rodents. Black rats are the most common introduced rat in Australia and experts warn their increase in resistance to poison could pose a serious risk to the country's wildlife. Ms Gorbould also expressed fears of a public health crisis as Australians may be using larger quantities of poison in an attempt to rid rats from their home. However, instead of working effectively, this would serve to introduce more poison into the food chain, and into waterways. Animals that consume the poison, which prevents blood clotting, die from internal bleeding. Research carried out by Ms Gorbould and her team found genetic mutation Tyr25Phe, which is associated with resistance to anticoagulant rodenticides, in 53.7 per cent of the rats they tested. The tests were carried out on the tails of 191 rails caught in Australia's fourth most populated cities. Alarmingly, the gene was found in over 80 per cent of black rats tested in Perth, over 45 per cent in Sydney, 39 per cent in Melbourne. Tyr25Phe was found in none of the 10 rats tested in Brisbane. 'If you're using one of the baits that don't work … people will probably try to use more, and more, and more,' she told Daily Mail Australia. 'And so it's feeding back into that cycle of increasing the rates of resistance in the population, increasing those non-targeted poisonings, and then we're ending up essentially with a public health issue because we've got these rats that can't be controlled.' Second-generation rodenticides are so potent they are banned in the United States, Canada and the European Union. The poison makes it way up the food chain and kills other animals in a huge risk to Australia's biodiversity. Scientists at Deakin University previously found rat poison was to blame for killing powerful owls. In 2022, in a study looking at the prey of powerful owls, the team dissected 160 possums. They found rat poison in 91 per cent of brushtail possums and 40 per cent of ringtail possums tested. Ms Gorbould urged Australians to consider against using rat poisons and instead look to non-poison alternatives. She suggested snap traps and electrocution traps while pointing out that 'prevention is better than cure'. The scientist advised the best thing people can do is make sure they don't have places for rodents to live by removing waste from their yards.
