Stop the cruel poisoning of Manitoba’s ground squirrels
The Issue
To: Mike Moyes, Manitoba Minister of Environment and Climate Change, and Winnipeg City Council
We, the residents of Manitoba, demand an immediate stop to the City of Winnipeg’s permit to kill Richardson’s ground squirrels using lethal chemical agents and mandate humane, non lethal wildlife management for ground squirrels.
The Manitoba government recently dismissed a joint appeal by Animal Justice, the Winnipeg Humane Society (WHS), and wildlife expert Dr. James Hare. By upholding this permit, the province has allowed the use of Rozol (a slow acting, painful anticoagulant poison) and RoCon (a suffocating foam) in our public parks and sports fields.
Why This Matters:
- Extreme Animal Suffering: These chemical control methods do not provide a quick death. Rozol causes a prolonged, agonizing internal bleeding process over several days, while RoCon painfully chokes the animals. Also, using these chemicals during breeding season risks orphaning dependent, nursing young.
- Threats to Pets and Wildlife: Poisoned ground squirrels become easy prey. This creates a severe risk of secondary poisoning for local wildlife including foxes, coyotes, hawks, and owls as well as our companions like dogs and cats using public green spaces.
- A Failure of Leadership: While the province deflected responsibility by stating these chemicals are federally registered, federal registration is not a stamp of safety. Under Manitoba’s Environment Act, our provincial leaders hold the sole authority and moral duty to decide if poisoning wildlife in public parks is responsible. This decision ignores peer reviewed science regarding the dangers of rodenticides.
Our Demand:
Humane practices should be a requirement, not an afterthought. We call on Minister Moyes and the City of Winnipeg to immediately rescind this permit. Instead of relying on cruel toxins, the city must transition to modern, humane, and sustainable population management policies, including exclusion methods and ethical deterrents.
Protect our urban wildlife, our pets, and our ecosystems. Sign the petition today
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The Issue
To: Mike Moyes, Manitoba Minister of Environment and Climate Change, and Winnipeg City Council
We, the residents of Manitoba, demand an immediate stop to the City of Winnipeg’s permit to kill Richardson’s ground squirrels using lethal chemical agents and mandate humane, non lethal wildlife management for ground squirrels.
The Manitoba government recently dismissed a joint appeal by Animal Justice, the Winnipeg Humane Society (WHS), and wildlife expert Dr. James Hare. By upholding this permit, the province has allowed the use of Rozol (a slow acting, painful anticoagulant poison) and RoCon (a suffocating foam) in our public parks and sports fields.
Why This Matters:
- Extreme Animal Suffering: These chemical control methods do not provide a quick death. Rozol causes a prolonged, agonizing internal bleeding process over several days, while RoCon painfully chokes the animals. Also, using these chemicals during breeding season risks orphaning dependent, nursing young.
- Threats to Pets and Wildlife: Poisoned ground squirrels become easy prey. This creates a severe risk of secondary poisoning for local wildlife including foxes, coyotes, hawks, and owls as well as our companions like dogs and cats using public green spaces.
- A Failure of Leadership: While the province deflected responsibility by stating these chemicals are federally registered, federal registration is not a stamp of safety. Under Manitoba’s Environment Act, our provincial leaders hold the sole authority and moral duty to decide if poisoning wildlife in public parks is responsible. This decision ignores peer reviewed science regarding the dangers of rodenticides.
Our Demand:
Humane practices should be a requirement, not an afterthought. We call on Minister Moyes and the City of Winnipeg to immediately rescind this permit. Instead of relying on cruel toxins, the city must transition to modern, humane, and sustainable population management policies, including exclusion methods and ethical deterrents.
Protect our urban wildlife, our pets, and our ecosystems. Sign the petition today
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Petition created on September 8, 2026