Activists step up campaign to ban paraquat
(CNS): Local campaigners who want to see the poison paraquat banned from the island will be holding a candlelight vigil to remember all the dogs in the Cayman Islands that have been poisoned by the deadly herbicide. Activists will meet at Smith Cove Saturday evening at 5-30pm when they hope to raise more awareness about the persistent problem. Almost 5,000 people are estimated to have signed a petition to ban the poison, which killed another four dogs over the Christmas and New Year break. A Facebook group has also been created to measure how much support exists for banning the importation of paraquat, which is generally used by local farmers as a weed killer.
Campaigners also plan to hold a public meeting at 7pm on Wednesday, 16th January, to discuss the way forward in having the herbicides banned in the Cayman Islands. The meeting will be held at L'Ambience Room, at L'Ambience Apartment Complex on Fairbanks Road.
The activists are also hoping to record all of the pets that have been killed, usually as a result of eating food which has been deliberately contaminated with the poison, so they can guage the true extent of the problem. They hope this information will persuade the government to ban the substance and regulate other poisons that are imported on to the island.
Paraquat, one of the worst poisons, is particularly unpleasant as it is almost always fatal once an animal has eaten food poisoned with it. There is no cure and the dogs die a slow and painful death as their respiratory systems collapse.
Although government itself no longer imports the poison, Paraquat along with many other dangerous toxins is unrestricted and anyone can import and buy the herbicide.
There are no restrictions on the importation or sale of the herbicide in the Cayman Islands, so there is nothing to prohibit individuals from bringing it intothe territory.
For more details go to https://www.facebook.com/BANPARAQUATCAYMAN
Category: Science and Nature
What people need to understand is Paraquat is one of the most deadliest pesticides available in the world today.It is acutely toxic and has no know antidote. Thousands of deaths have occured from paraquat poisoning not just animals we are talking men woman and children.Why would any person want to use something so poisonous on their property? This can kill your child no doctor or specialist can save them.Countries all over the world have banned it because it can kill you. Our agriculture dept doesn't even sell it a lot of farmers have stopped using it.The world has been calling for a global ban for years.Why anyone would be against not having this on our islands is beyond me.I agree the dog laws need to be inforced properly but it is also against the law to poision an animal and noones ever been proscuted for that. Why do we all have to wait until some thing worse happens before we take notice don't we want a healthy enviroment for our children and grandchildren our generations to come.
Poison these dogs that run free and tear up our garbage! If you love your dog train him to be a house dog not a health hazard & pest to society!
Caymanian
The dogs that run free and get into the garbage are not the problem. They are being dogs!!
The problem is the owners who are breaking the law by not caring for their dogs properly. It is against the law to let your dogs run free. It is the owners that should be blamed, not the dog.
I have the same problem, having to clean up garbage strewn all over the road three or four times a week because my West Bay neighbors do not care enough about their dogs to keep them legally controlled.
Please do not take the ignorance of humans out on innocent dogs. That would make you even worse than the owners.
Guess we Paraguay the owners then… Problem solved???
1. The dogs that are running free are the direct result of irresponsible human ownership
2. I am in full support of banning Paraquat from the Cayman Islands
3. Dogs are not health hazards and pests to society – the people that neglect them, that are irresponsible in their care of them and abuse who their dogs are the true hazards and pests to our society.
Also a Caymanian and I'm also a proud and responsible dog owner.
There are many stray animals around not just dogs and before banning paraquat the government should decide whether they want an epidemic of salmonella from wlld chiclkens and iguanas. If people controlled thier dogs there would be no need to worry about poisoning.
Ummmm, the fact that dogs are poisoned in their fenced in yard, would seem to render you opinion about controlling your dog and not worrying, flawed.
As for salmonella, from what I understand, if you stay away from the poor chickens butt hole you should be okay.
In times past, I believe the poison of choice in the Cayman islands was Strychnine, which causes the most intensely agonizing death of any known toxin. Death by Paraquat is most unpleasant also, but not to the extent of Strychnine. Not one of the comments below seems to address this element of the equation. Killing dogs is one thing, but to cause them extreme agony while they die is even more despicable, and it's deeply ignorant too. First, why not poison them with something that simply makes them fall asleep and then die? Second, the more we learn about the biology of our fellow creatures, the more we recognize that the higher animals suffer pain and fear just like humans. How would you feel if your dog slipped Strychnine or Paraquat into your child's breakfast cereal, and you then had to listen to their screams of agony? See how that feels?
Here we have the deeply ignorant rationalising the use of quicker poisons?!? What kind of monster actually thinks this way? Paraquat is neither quick, nor humane, nor legal to use in this way. Period.
A quick question. A neighbor keeps letting their dog loose and the dog is fouling up my land. I asked the neighbor nicely but they did nothing. I am allowed to leave a piece of poisoned meat in the middle of my garden. If a dog eats that meat, surely I have not done anything criminal have I?
Yes it would be wrong to leave anything edible poisoned in your yard suppose a child eats it. Yes it would be criminal
I think you will find that a dog is a domesticated animal and it is illegal to kill them as they are considered to be somebody's property (whether or not it is a stray). It is also illegal to cause unnecessary suffering in animals. There are probably also other laws covering the welfare of a dog. If your intention in leaving a piece of poisoned meat in the middle of the garden is to bring about the death of an animal or to cause it suffering (and it is hard to see what else you would be attempting to do), then you are guilty of a criminal act (both Mens Rea and Actus Reus if I remember Law 101). And, of course, you could also poison other animals, other than your intended victim. In civil law, you could also be liable for compensation for the value o\\f the animal, vets bills and any other costs incurred by the owner in attempting to treat the poisoning and dispose of the animal's carcass. If the dog is a pedigree animal and being used for breeding, then you could also face liability for loss of future earnings.
Your only real recourse is through negotiation or the law. The most effective method is fencing or hedging your land, of course, to stop animals getting on it in the first place.
Yes of course that is wrong. You know your actions will cause death to an animal that trespasses on your land. Not unlike setting man-traps for burglars around your property, maybe deep pits with sharpened stakes??? Same argument. There are other ways of correcting the situation. Take pictures or video and present them with the evidence. If still no satisfaction, tell your neighbour you’re appointing a lawyer to sue them for nuisance. But you don’t poison the dog!
It is unlike setting man traps, because dogs aren't people, which is a difference the animal lover brigade seem to forget. Compared to the other options you suggested, the poison route seems far preferable.
If you think killing the dog is the best solution …. I myself couldn’t do it.
Why wouldn't you call the DOA or Humane Society before suggesting something your criminal mind already knows would be the premeditated and intentional illegal use of a dangerous herbicide? You should have signed something to that effect when you acquired the poison for gardening purposes, proving once again that there is very little comprehension or control on who can get their hands on this stuff.
What about bleach & other home appliances that can kill kids, should we ban that also?
You just have to keep those things away from your kids!
Braca
Stop making Brackers look ignorant talking foolishness. There's a big difference between Paraquat and bleach.
Of course there is. Paraquat works.
Jeesh!
Inever even thought of paraquat instead of getting divorced…
right on the border of a distasteful and reckless remark St Pete
Not if you have met his wife.
I’ve met hey several times….
Which might be why he wants a divorce. Home-wrecker!
Do you feel important now? How does thischange the true fact and point of the comment that this solution offered is not a solution at all? What other "fact" do you have that will actually help?
I am against poisoning of any animal or human being. But after banning paraquat then what next? Anti freeze, round up, boric acid, bleach, etc….. I find in today’s culture people are ready to jump and ban this and ban that without fixing the root and or cause of the problem. It’s like saying guns knives base ball bats golf clubs cars motor cycles kills people, but really it’s people that kills people for one reason or the other.
My point is weneed to look at the social issues in our communities that are causing the behavior. Whether its too many stray dogs, DOE not doing there jobs or dog owners being reckless I.e. allowing their dogs to breed and then dropping the pups off somewhere in the bush.
Now do we want to blame paraquat?
14.53 Where you are wrong is that bleach, antifreeze, motorcycles and golf clubs are simply impractical to kill dogs with, which is why these things are rarely used. When meat is soaked in Paraquat the animal still finds it palatable, and then suffers a very nasty death. It can ony be used in the States by a licenced individual. It causes serious health problems to workers who use it without protection. (You know, because their boss doesn't care.) It can get into the groundwater and affect us all. There is no control or education as to how it is used in Cayman. Why would you not want to ban it? It's my environment, too. We all have to live in it, along with all our diminishing wildlife. I think a ban would be a good thing, meanwhile you can sort out the generationally embedded social issues you refer to as being the root cause of the problem. See you in 25 years time! Good luck!
You can tell a lot about a culture by the way it treats animals.
never trust a person who hates dogs…………
Never trust an idiot who abuses, starves and manipulates thier dogs to bark incessantly to annoy thier neighbors.
NOW we’re getting to the source of the problem!
Outsiders should be quite and stop meddling with Cayman!
1. Closing of the turtle farm
2. Banning poison
3.want to vote while on visitor visa or work permit
4.animal protection law
5.closing the entire ocean to fish (marine parts)
We cannot voice our option in your country as we feel!!!!
My wife an I are down her 3 times a year for the last 16 years. If we are here during the election we plan on voting. What happens in the elections affects us too, and he money we spend helps send young Caymanians to law school. We will be voting.
Actually, if you go and live in any of the "Western" countries (and in quite a few others), you are perfectly free, whether a citizen or not, to voice your opinion on any matter that you want to, providing that you do not attempt to incite others to break of the law of the land.
I think it's interesting that some commenters are coming right out and advocating using paraquat to kill dogs.
Interesting is an interesting word. I like how they say ‘some people worry more about animals than people’ While maybe some people do (and so what) I would guess that people that are compassionate about animals, are also very compassionate about people. C’mon folks live a little and love a little….. Please
Too stupid to realise that the poison might kill their kids too.
I don’t have any kids.
This monsterous rationale proves there are real lfe evil pirates all over this country. For real.
There are far more effective, humane and LEGAL means available to everyone in Cayman for protecting themselves and family from vicious strays. Stat by actually speaking to the owner of the animal. If there is no owner, contact the Humane Society, CARE, DOE, even the police. Hell SHOOT the dog if you feel compelled to kill something but not this way; not with a chemical that makes the animal suffer for up to a month for a problem their owner caused by neglecting their animal. The cancer rate in the Cayman Islands is high enough; let's not perpetuate it by allowing the continued misuse of this easily replacable chemical.
My word, a well rounded comment on CNS, no mention of the Brits being to blame either. What is going on here??
I tried talking to the owners and guess what? They do not care. They let their dogs off the leash all the time and it runs and poops on my lawn everyday. And I am not allowed to put up a fence due to strata laws. What next?
I also tried the DOE and guess what? Dogs are not stupid. They are not easily caught in the traps. A few times, DOE has come for the traps before it caught a dog. Another time one of the "strays" got caught, DOE took it away and the very next day it was out on my lawn. What next?
So while I would never hurt any dog by poisoning them, I really wish there were hefty fines for irresponsible owners as well.
Your repeated “what next” refrain implies that you are deliberately poisoning dogs since no other recourse. It would be ironic if your ignorant corpus were to perish from your own toxic solvent administrations. Amen.
Please read the last line
"So while I would never hurt any dog by poisoning them, I really wish there were hefty fines for irresponsible owners as well."
For you to wish horrible death on a person actually just shows the person you are.
I am a dog owner and agree with you completely. I walk our dogs on leashes and often get comments from others to the effect that I should "let my dogs run free". I find it very irresponsible that so many owners let their dogs roam when there are so many dangers around for them — cars, chemicals, rotten food in bins, chicken bones lying around — and when they could be a danger to someone else. Let's face it, even the sweetest dog is still a dog, and small children or strangers can give animals plenty of reason to snap. And then there's the issue of poop — it's everywhere in our neighbourhood. Also, I am not fond of being accompanied by a small pack of loose dogs every time I go for a walk or a run, and my dogs, being leashed, are at a distinct disadvantage when any aggression is shown.
I do realize that sometimes a dog will escape its fence…I am talking about people who regularly deposit their dogs outside unleashed for the day.
The DOE does not and never has provided are taken part in the trapping of any dogs. It is the Dept. of Agriculture.
Before you tell tales make sure your facts are correct.
I am Fri 18:30. My apologies to DOE – an excellent gov dept. I meant DOA which has some very fine attributes and persons working for it too. The animal control part is not effective, though. I meant no offense to anyone, simply to state things as I found them and to point out there are no easy solutions to worthless (wort'less) dog owners.
I would have shot the large three wild and terrifying dogs who came from I don't know where and ran all over my yard killing chickens (and leaving the carcasses there) and finally savaging most horribly a cat that was sleeping in my carport when they rushed in totally out of their minds, requiring me to pay for it to be euthanised. But I could not shoot them, because I am not allowed a gun as I don't belong to the Gun Club. I tried Animal Control – useless. The dogs were finally dealt with by neighbours with a very young child who they wished to be able to play SAFELY in their yard. I suspect poison – they would not say. I could never poison an animal (I lost a magnificent dog to a neighbour's poison-that man had himself a horrible death so…Karma..) but we must face facts that there is a terrible level of frustration around about this problem. And 15:56, if you are a non Caymanian and you take the "actually speaking to the owner of the animal" approach and that person is a born Caymanian blah blah, let me tell you, you can end up with cussing and insults and even threats. That's why poison is resorted to. For the avoidance of doubt, let me state: Paraquat should be banned. The poisoning of animals should NOt happen – it's vile and cruel. But something must be done about the casual irresponsible and cruel ownership of dogs in this island.
Sorry kids come before stray dogs! Kill them if they are stray & dangerous before they kill us!
Savannah
Really. Are you fricking nuts or just a non-thinker. What does that even mean ‘kids come first’?
This toxin will kill your kids too.
These stray dogs that are capable of doing some serious damage & need to be put down before they kill someone or someone kid etc! We have a serious dog problem in Cayman & no one to control it!
Caymanian
What’s that mean no one to control it?
Dear Caymanian
The reason why there is such a serious dog problem in Cayman is because of the stupid mentality of certain nationalities, that their dogs have to have puppies and their refusal to have their dogs spayed or neutered. Puppies are then thrown away like garbage onto the street where they have to survive on their own.
There is absolutely no reason or excuse why people should not have their dogs fixed. There are organizations like CARE and the CIHS who provide financial assistance ie it will cost you NOTHING and will even transport the dog to the vet and back home again. Dogs and cats are healthier and happy for being fixed. And they are less likely to roam too far from home.
If everyone got their dogs (and cats too) fixed then the "serious dog problem" would be well on the way to being resolved.
Now would someone please tell me why do you get a dog then keep it tied up in your yard all day everyday with no love, no walks, sometimes no shade, no fresh water. What is the purpose of getting a dog??? I would really love to know.
A Caymanian
This poison will kill kids too – same weight morons!
There are many other effective solutions for clearing weeds than this poison. This stuff is illegal in many countries for a reason.
Ban it and promote environmentally/animal friendly products!
A ban would serve no purpose; there are plenty of other substances readily available that could be used to poison dogs if someone is so determined.
If the 'ban' argument is carried to it's logical conclusion it would have to extend to all weed-killers/fertilisers/cleaning fluids/hydraulic fluids/gasoline/diesel/paint etc etc. All of these are lethal if misused.
I have been thinking alot lately on the subject of animals/pets and noticed that people nowadays seem more interested in protecting the lives of animals than that of human beings…. hmmmmm sorry but I am not an animal lover and really don't give two hoots whether its banned or not. This chemical has been around for years and from what I know its mainly used to kill weeds or other unwanted brush. Keep your pets off of other people's properties and you won't have to worry. Of course I know I will get alot of flack for this post but thats life, animal lovers will not agree and those who feel the same as I do will.
Wow you sound like a scientist!
………..and I hope that those individuals who do use it realize what possibly deadly consequences it can have to them. Maybe not immediately, but if the ones who handled this poison get any form of cancer or other illness, they may consider this poison as the reason for it. Paraquat will cause lunge damage and can even make one sick if it touches a sore or cut on your skin.
So good luck to everyone who feels that the only way they can manage their bush is using paraquat.
Oh – and just like how you want me to keep my dog of your property, just make sure that your poison doesn't leak into the ground/or well water and run off into my property.
The sad thing is, most of the dogs that have been poisoned and killed haven’t been strays and they didn’t drink from a puddle of runoff water from the neighbours land. The majority of the dogs that have been killed have been pets, on their property; containers of food were soaked in this poison and then dropped into their yards. I lost my dog 12 years ago to paraquat and the person responsible went to extreme lengths to fill a paper bag with ground beef and rice which was soaked in this noxious substance and then thrown over my 6 foot fence. Neighbours on either side of me and across the street also lost dogs within a couple days. Banning paraquat isn’t the answer, mental therapy and jail time is really what’s needed but we will start here and consider it a small victory for our family members who can’t speak out.
You have actually experienced one of my greatest fears on this island. That someone would kill my dog in our yard. Our dog is like our kid and I don't want to imagine what you felt at such a tragedy. I am so sorry.
I agree with your post but actually catching these sick people is very difficult. My suspicion is there are people out there who are serial dog killers and probably take pride in themselves but are quiet about it.
Once again, I'll bet there are family who know the identity of some of these dog killers.
Our much-loved (and always fenced or leashed) family pet died a few years ago as well — we didn't suspect paraquat poisoning since he was never left to roam. He became ill quite suddenly and when we took him to the vet, the first thing they said was, "Looks like paraquat." I can promise you he was never a threat to anyone. He weighed about twelve pounds and was always supervised by us. If the vet was right, I have no idea how he could have come into contact with this chemical, unless it was during a leashed walk or contamination from the vacant lot next door.
poster 16:52
I find it hard to believe that there is persons going around fixing food with poison and putting it into peoples yards for no reason, there is more to this than what is being told…the ban will not help if the true problem is not solved……maybe the dog is not the problem, maybe the owner is?, just saying.
i gaurantee nothing will done by this time next year………
Acute toxicity
Paraquat is highly toxic to animals and humans and has serious and irreversible delayed effects if absorbed. As little as one teaspoonful of the active ingredient is fatal. Death occurs up to 30 days after ingestion. Absorbed paraquat is distributed via the bloodstream to practically all areas of the body. The lungs selectively accumulate paraquat, and therefore contain higher concentrations than other tissues. This develops into pulmonary oedema and other lung damage, leading to fibrosis. Liver damage occurs and renal failure may follow as the kidneys remove absorbed paraquat.
The minimum lethal dose by oral ingestion in human beings is about 35 mg/kg body weight, although less could be lethal without treatment. In dogs the lethal dose is 25-50 mg/kg and in cows and sheep 50-75 mg/kg.
In developing countries the conditions of use make safe use very difficult. Although not fatal at spray strength, regular use, such as required on plantations, leads to accute health problems. No antidote for poisoning exists although it is recommended that the highly absorbent Fuller's Earth is administered. Hospital care must be sought without delay.
The activists are not a radical extreme group. They are just normal educated human beings that don't want to develop cancers or see their pets die. Paraquat is misused in Cayman to clear vegetation from land lots. It is used in residential areas. Animals need only tread a paw in a puddle with trace amounts of paraquat runoff to experience painful respiratory failure and death. It can cause permanent repiratory damage and death in humans too – particularly vulnerable are those min wage laborers that are commanded to spray lots without due protection in Cayman's 15+ knot winds. Additionally, the runoff of this deadly herbicide has been leaching into well water and ocean ecosystems for decades. Is it any wonder Cayman has the cancer rates it does? Do you think maybe there is a correlation?
It simply baffles me, for a very long time actually, how it is possible for anyone to import chemicals of just about any nature rather then licensed importers. Who is the authority, if any at all who decides who can import what in terms of deadly chemicals or anthing else for that matter that is not suposed to be in the hands of unqualified persons? Customs has claimed before that they do not know under what import detail paraquat is listed among all other chemicals that come in here. Talk about having your head in the sand! For crying out loud, how hard can it be to classify this stuff, really!! I am starting to believe that certain individuals keep paraquat on hand just to kill dogs, rather then weeds. Paraquat, like agent orange, both being industrial grade herbicides, is used for mass weed destruction and not for your occasional weed that pops out on your driveway. It can not be used in combination or even close to anything else that one wishes to preserve as it kills everything in close proximity. So, tell me, who is doing mass weed eradication on this island without wanting to bulldoze it? I'm pretty sure nobody is as it would be prohibitly expensive to do so not to mention so very lethal that more then dogs would have died by now.
FYI: We lost 5 dogs in 1986 by paraquat so this goes to show how long this has been going on. Many governments around the world have banned these types of chemicals. Why? Because they have a government with their heads screwed on right. Apparently we do not!
The old premier was importing explosives, but then he was the premier and they’re special.
Why this take so long ??
Shut up please no ban ..
Poop on your shoe my friend, and then onto your hideous carpet. Peace!