Protect Wildlife, Pets, and Families from Deadly "Cyanide Bombs"
Dear John,
In 2017, the Mansfield family had its life changed forever. Canyon Mansfield, 14 years old at the time, was out on a walk with his dog, Kasey, near his home in Idaho when he accidentally triggered an M-44, a chemical poison "bomb" used by the USDA's Wildlife Services program to kill wild animals. Canyon was sprayed with cyanide and sustained serious injuries, while Kasey suffered an agonizing death.
That same year, three other families suffered similar losses when M-44s killed their pets as well. In the years since, families in Texas, Virginia, and Nebraska have experienced similar tragedies and trauma.
Over 1.85 million animals were reportedly killed by the Wildlife Services program last year, each one at taxpayer expense. The program tracks "intentional" and "unintentional" killings, acknowledging that every year there are hundreds more deaths than intended from these devices, including beloved family pets. Today, far safer, more humane, more effective, and cheaper alternatives are readily available.
Last month in Congress, Reps. Jared Huffman (D-CA) and Steve Cohen (D-TN) and Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-OR) reintroduced Canyon's Law to ban Wildlife Services from using M-44 devices on public lands.