I cheaped out and tried the Sergeants Flea Drops, not believing the negative press that I’ve read. Big mistake. I poisoned my 3 cats. Luckily, I quickly noticed my kitties acting ill and washed them clean shortly after application. I also had activated charcoal in my medicine cabinet, and dosed them (knowing that charcoal is a standard hospital treatment for poisoning victims). They were fine within a couple days, but I was severely shaken by the event.
Now that I am a believer, I wonder why haven’t these products been pulled, and how many deaths are necessary before a recall is instituted? I don’t want to find out, so I’ve taken matters into my own hands. I make sure to have a Sharpie in-hand whenever I go to a store that carries Hartz and Sergeants products, and write “Will kill your pet-visit HartzVictims.org for more info” on both sides of ALL of the flea drop packages.
Generally, I’m opposed to vandalism. However, until the products are safe or removed I will continue this campaign. I suggest you do the same. Eventually someone will get the hint.
Stumble it!
9 Comments Received
November 25th, 2009 @4:00 pm
Cat Fancy has an article about this. Not this website, specifically, but the harmful products by Hartz.
They interviewed Hartz, and Hartz said they have taken the harmful ingredient out of the products.
November 25th, 2009 @11:16 pm
Good to know. Hartz packages will be safe from my righteous pen. However, my run-in with Sergeants was in September (just a couple months ago). Until they remove the harmful ingredient, Sergeants will continue to suffer my wrath. Or rather, the stores that purchase Sergeants products will, but hopefully the stores’ purchasing agent will stop buying the products until Sergeants revises their formulae.
Speaking of which, what *was* the ingredient that was causing all of these illnesses?
November 26th, 2009 @10:04 am
The article “Jane” was referring to in Cat Fancy was published in 2005. This “news” is not recent and has nothing to do with Hartz’s current cat and kitten products. Hartz Mountain’s current products continue to injure and kill animals in unacceptably large numbers ever since.
In 2005 the EPA issued a Cancellation Order against Hartz Mountain’s cat and kitten products containing the ingredient phenothrin, a synthetic pyrethroid. That Hartz product had killed and injured thousands of cats and kittens previous to 2005. The volume of phenothrin in their products was 85.7%, by far the largest volume of synthetic pyrethroid of any product in the marketplace. Phenothrin is a forty year old chemical that was banned as a lawn insecticide because of health risks. However, Hartz continued to use it in their cat products until forced to terminate it in 2005 by the EPA. Unfortunately, Hartz continues to use exactly the same ingredients in precisely the same volumes in its current dog and puppy products. Expectedly, many dog and puppies continue to be injured or worse.
I don’t know why “Jane” implied that Hartz’s action–required by the EPA–was a recent development. It’s not. Their current product ingredients for cats are continuing to damage animals and devastate families. Their products were named as those under increased scrutiny in the EPA’s Public Advisory of April, 2009.
I’m not a supporter of the kind of “guerilla tactics” mentioned above. That’s possibly the reason “Jane” brought forward this erroneous information…in order to mitigate the behavior suggested above. Regardless, her “news” is wrong.
Hartz Mountain and Sergeant’s are deplorable companies with reprehensible business tactics. Their reputations are about the same as Congress, the Taliban and trial lawyers. Every individual has to make their own decisions on how to fight these despicable companies, but I’m not going to support vandalism or property damage. This website has credibility and power. I think advocating illegal activity damages our objectives. There are more productive ways to gain the support of consumers, regulatory agencies, animal advocates, veterinary academics, the media and pet owners in fighting against companies like Hartz, Sergeant’s, Central Life Sciences and others. They have been killing animals, taking advantage of consumers (particularly those that think they can save some money by buying these OTC products) and using their resources to build relationships with the EPA and the ASPCA, among others, to continue the most deplorable business practices in our society. I hope everyone will think clearly about what each of us can do to stop this carnage…and I hope people will stay the course and follow through on their complaints and concerns. Most people won’t–that’s exactly what Hartz, Sergeant’s and the others count on.
November 28th, 2009 @9:38 am
The above action is ILLEGAL.
However, a much better idea would be to print some cards with that information and slip them gently inside the boxes. Yes, it means they have to buy the product to see it, but it also means that the store won’t just immediately pull all those collars off the shelf- and you’ll probably actually save some pets some suffering that way!
Not that I didn’t vandalize a few boxes myself before.. I will admit that I was initially so enraged at an earlier date that I did so. For all I know the woman who posted this is the friend I was telling about that incident… haha! But seriously. Dropping a card in the box that says HARTZ KILLS: hartzvictims.org, would probably be 100% a better way to go.
December 2nd, 2009 @11:25 am
Hartz continues to kill- see McNalley’s story. They wrote me back after I sent in all info and bills and said they are sorry for my loss but they were not at fault because the vet said it was pyrenthrin poisoning! This one spot treatment killed my beloved pet- I have reported to all and the epa did say there was an up in poisoning reports from this product this year! Don’t believe that they have changed! I don’t know what to do now! I do know what I would like to do is give the corp. people a nice dose of poison and see how they feel, but that is not rational, so I don’t know legally what to do! I do know that I still grieve the loss of my pet and I know that there is alot of others out there feeling the same way!
December 2nd, 2009 @3:25 pm
Wendy, I am so sorry for your loss. Every time I read one of these stories my heart breaks. I hope the EPA gets involved, I hope there is a successful class-action lawsuit, but none of this brings back our loved ones. One thing that helped me through my grief when I lost Mistral (old age) was the thought that every moment I live brings me one moment closer to seeing her again at the end (and this coming from a non-religious person!) It has helped, but I am crying for both McNalley and Mistral as I write. I am so sorry.
December 3rd, 2009 @6:58 pm
This is the worst product you can buy for your dog or cat! I just purchased the UltraGuard Flea and Tick drops from Walmart for my dog Zeus. We applied it as directed to him on Tuesday! This evening we just discovered his fur coming out in clumps and his continual scratching. Once we examined the area where his fur is coming out we noticed several red areas. When we bathed him he acted as if he was in pain. This is clearly from the product we applied! I am reasearching now and seeing all of the horrible things that have happened from using this products. This product should be pulled asap! I am shocked that Walmart is carrying this product after all the complaints!
December 7th, 2009 @12:50 am
Jane your idea is wonderful. I plan to do the same. I am going to copy the information I have been reading ALL DAY. I plan to make copies of a printout with list of the toxic side effects of these products and carry a dozen in my purse and post them in stores I visit and slip them under these products on the store shelves.
People need to know that these products CAN (and 90% of the time) WILL KILL there animals. I am horrified. My cat is sleeping right now but the horror she lived through today has made me furious. I trusted Sergeants. I trusted Wal Mart. I read the directions. I never thought a company would purposefully give my animal a neuro-toxin. We must be vigilent about proctecting these innocent members of our family. They cannot speak. We must speak for them.
December 7th, 2009 @2:21 am
Kat Muir
Please consider giving your dog a dose of benedryl. You have to do it by weight. I had to do that with our cat today. I guess I shouldn’t be giving medical advice. But I think it helped our cat. I bathed her twice with dawn then I gave her a very small dose of benedryl. I couldn’t afford the 110.00 ER visit. But she is seeing the vet in the morning. I have been terrified all day. You are right about our animals being our “babies”. I never knew how much I really loved Lisa til I saw her in that state. I can’t begin to imagine the pain of others on this site. I am sorry for all the loss and pain. Good luck with your puppy. God Bless all of you.
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