ALERT: Snail bait poisons autistic boy’s beloved companion and closest friend, his dog

Some stories are so tragic one struggles with how to begin telling it. I tell this story with a heavy heart, the story of a boy’s dog that was accidentally poisoned by eating a commonly found toxic chemical, a tale that must be retold until such tragedies cease to occur.

Every day families lose a beloved pet because accidental poisonings with common everyday household chemicals. The toxic chemicals created to eradicate one problem could result in creating a much worse problem than any consumer ever bargained for.

Chemicals do not behave in the orderly fashion the manufacturers would have you believe. Despite consumers trust that the proper use of chemical toxins are safe if used for their intended purposes, consumers may not be aware that those same chemicals will leave behind the danger of unintended consequences.

Consumers with their desire to master their domain by nuking what they consider to be nature’s nuisances, such as snails, weeds, mice and any number of living organisms not allowed to take up residence on their property, might end up poisoning the family pet instead along with the environment.

Manufacturer’s glowing promise to perfect their world and solve their problems is promise that is rarely fulfilled. But the alluring prospect of finally eradicating that problem is made with every new and improved formula. And with those empty promises comes a house and an environment contaminated with ever-increasing amounts of lethal toxins. What was once a weed killer on a suburban lawn now poisons the rivers and oceans of the world. What once were poisoned pellets for snails now poisons pets who eat it too.

A little boy’s best friend, a three year-old labrador named Magpie, lies in a veterinary hospital today struggling for life after accidentally eating poison intended for snails. Deeds, the sweet little boy whose life revolved around his protector and service dog, Magpie, suffers from autism, epilepsy and mild cerebral palsy.

Yesterday, Magpie swallowed snail bait in the family’s backyard and is now in critical condition after ingesting the poison. Dogs are attracted to snail bait. Naughty Magpie even toppled a barbecue grill to get to it.

The pooch started convulsing as if she was having a seizure. “When a dog eats snail bait, they’ll start having pretty severe muscle tremors to the point where they can’t stand,” says Dr. Evan Caplis, Magpie’s doctor. At the hospital, they pumped the dog’s stomach and flushed out toxins through an IV.

Fortunately for Magpie, the doctors believe she will survive. “She’s really responding to the therapy,” says Caplis. But the separation is difficult for Deeds. The boy and the dog are the same age, just three years-old.

“He didn’t sleep well last night. We go and check on him and he’d be sitting up awake in his bed,” says his parents. “He told us he didn’t want to go to school, he just wanted Magpie home.”

Doctors believe the pooch will return home tomorrow. The boy’s family is asking for donations to pay for the mounting medical bills. You can donate via a link at dog4deeds.com.

Meanwhile, Dr. Caplis hopes Magpie’s story will enlighten other dog owners about the dangers of snail bait. “We just have to be conscientious to not put the snail bait out there where the dog can get to it is the bottom line,” says Caplis. “Look for other ways to get rid of the snails and make sure your dog is fenced off, away from the poison.”