Rat baits are highly toxic to pets and wildlife. They don't just kill the rodents who ingest the poison. SGAR rat baits have been found in over 37 native species of animals in Australia. Many are threatened.

This is an URGENT call to restrict retail sales of anticoagulant rodenticides, especially "second-generation" products (SGAR’s) that are poisoning pets and killing native wildlife including endangered powerful owls at an astounding rate. 

Australia is one of the only countries in the world that still allows consumers to buy these products. They are either banned or highly restricted in Europe, the USA, Malaysia, Thailand and many other countries. Disturbingly, these poisons are on currently on shelves at Woolworths, Coles and Bunnings and available to anyone. 

SGAR poisons are more dangerous than first generation poisons. They do not break down in animals' bodies as quickly as first generation poisons, and are globally notorious for large scale poisonings of non-target animals. Scientists and environmentalists have previously called on retailers to stop selling rodenticides that contain toxins including brodifacum and bromodialone, but they will not listen.

There are eco-friendly products available such as corn gluten meal available as Ratsak Naturals. Despite this, SGAR poisons are the most widely sold products on the shelves. Because of their unrestricted availability, Australians are the biggest users of SGAR poisons per capita in the entire world. 

Studies indicate the severity and extent of SGAR poisoning to native animals could be greater in Australian than anywhere in the world. The problem is becoming more and more evident. Wildlife rescuers are drowning in dead owls, magpies, possums, tawny frogmouths and more because of these lethal rodenticides, and scientists such as Western Australian Professor Rob Davis, says the situation has become so dire their freezers are filled to the brim with at least "50 to 100 dead owls" - in the space of one month.

Dr Davis says his research found a disturbing 73 percent of all dead birds studied had been poisoned. "Work by other researchers has further uncovered these poisons in Australian frogs as well as possums, wedge-tailed eagles and a wide range of native animals," he added. 

"The writing is on the wall and Australia is now far behind all developed countries in allowing these nasty poisons to continue to be used with scant regard for environmental or human health impacts."

Our precious wildlife and our pets need us to do better. Habitat loss has already decimated wildlife populations, and they are coming into our backyards to live. Unfortunately, this means they are being poisoned even more from living in urban areas.

This poison MUST be regulated. We're calling on the CEO of the APVMA to do the right thing, and restrict the domestic use of SGAR poisons. 

We're also calling on the CEO's of Bunnings, Coles and Woolworths to remove SGAR poisons from their shelves. These powerful corporations will of course, still make monstrous profits, so this move won't hurt their pockets, but it could mean the difference between the survival or extinction of our beautiful owls and other affected wildlife.

It's up to us to keep the pressure on - THE MORE LETTERS THE BETTER: 

Write to the Managing Director of Bunnings  - Tell the CEO of Bunnings, Michael Schneider to stop the sale of SGAR poisons and let him know how concerned you are about our pets, threatened owls and other native animals being killed:

Here's his email address: mschneider@bunnings.com.au. 

Write to the CEO of the APVMA, Scott Hansen: Tell him you are concerned about the upcoming review and that you hope they will do the right thing and ban the retail sale of SGAR poisons.

You can email him here: Scott.Hansen@apvma.gov.au 

Please sign, share and write, and and tell the CEO's why you care.