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Niagara Falls
Wednesday, March 27, 2024
Letter: Dog poisoned twice by discarded cannabis

Dear editor:

I’m writing to you on behalf of my wife, Bette Ann, myself, and for the many pet owners residing in NOTL, as your paper is a regular source of information for local residents. I have also cc’d MPP Wayne Gates and Lord Mayor Betty Disero, as our local legislators, to make them aware of our concerns.

On Dec. 13, for the second time this year, our one-and-a-half-year-old cockapoo, Bella, ingested cannabis while walking in the John-Charlotte-Niagara Street area where we live.

As a result, she suffered incontinence, vomiting and an inability to stay upright, with the symptoms fortunately dissipating after a day’s rest.

In both cases, she required examination by a local veterinarian – first on Sept. 8 (Labour Day weekend) at the Niagara Emergency Veterinary Clinic in Thorold and on Dec. 13 by our regular veterinarian.

In both instances, anecdotal comments were shared by each clinic, about the increased frequency of this occurring since the legalization of cannabis in 2018.

For a dog owner, this is a very emotional, costly, and unnecessary experience, which can be fatal, depending on the age/health of the dog and the amount ingested.

I understand and accept the legal use of cannabis, but wonder if we need to make the recreational and/or medical users more aware of the risk they pose to our pets, when they discard this product carelessly?

I would suggest this disregard for the consequences of their actions are akin to discarding open containers of alcohol or medical prescriptions on the street, which no one would contemplate doing. In each case, the person responsible is putting both pets’ and children’s health at risk.

This is an issue that has already had an impact on the greater community, as evidenced by this article previously published online by the CBC on Aug. 14, 2019. Your comments and response to my concerns would be appreciated.

Mike James

NOTL

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