Report of an Adverse Effect Associated with Pesticides
Trevor is a Dalmatian whose early history is unknown. His story begins when he was an abandoned dog living at a shelter...

A volunteer was playing ball with Trevor on the shelter’s lawn. Unknown to her, the lawn had recently been sprayed with chemical pesticides. The ball rolled under a bush and Trevor dashed after it. He came out with the ball in his mouth and at that point started to have a seizure.

Shelter personnel then told the volunteer that the lawn had been sprayed with pesticides and it seemed that Trevor’s seizure was associated with those chemicals. A veterinarian saw Trevor and apparently concurred concerning the cause of the seizure.

The next day, shelter personnel decided that Trevor’s vulnerability to seizures made him a poor choice for adoption and marked him for euthanasia the following day. As a courtesy, the volunteer was notified of this decision. She resolved to save Trevor and adopted him.

Trevor’s seizures have abated, though today he is still considered vulnerable to adverse effects of pesticides. He is now living in an environment without chemical pesticides. As you can see from the photographs, Trevor has found a happy and safe home.

Trevor’s owner, however is quite concerned that other pet owners do not realize that lawn pesticides may be associated with hazards to their own pets. RCC has prepared a publication called “SNOOPY Only Lands on Toxic-Free Lawns!” to advise pet owners of the need to protect pets from chemical pesticides.
For more information on this and other issues, contact:
Rachel Carson council, inc.
po box 10779 • Silver Spring, MD 20914
www.rachelcarsoncouncil.com
rccouncil@aol.com • 301.593.7507

Click here to download Trevor's flyer.

Pesticides not only pose immediate dangers to pets; repeated use of pesticides has been associated with canine cancer, neurological effects in cats, death of companion birds, and a multitude of illnesses in adults and children.

In addition, the impact of pesticide use on songbirds, other wildlife, and our environment has been well-documented. Please think before you use chemicals on your lawn!