Hi All, protect your animal companions from making them sick or killing them...with best of intentions!  For decades Hartz flea collars have been making cats and dogs sick.  Now they expanded to drops and there may be more items like these.  Please take your time to read the links at the end, plus these 2 articles for SAFE FLEA/TICK removal methods:

 

http://www.askcarla.com/answers.asp?QuestionandanswerID=232

http://www.peta.org/mc/factsheet_display.asp?ID=43

 

Many medicines can be worse than the illnesses.  Why not use the old fashioned way of combing the animal companion with a fine comb over a large paper - DAILY?  Not only is this 100% safe, but it is a wonderful chance for both of you to slow down and enjoy a slow-down, intimate moment...  :o)      Adela

 

Subject: Terrible experience...Please read and spread the word!!!

 

Last night at midnight a friend came to the house and told me our mutual friend was laying in his driveway holding his dog and crying. He was saying to his dog how sorry he was, that he only wanted to help him, please don't die.

I was told Andy used Hartz advanced flea and tick drops on Scruffy. I nearly fainted.

Andy is poor, has no phone, limited use of a car. This poor guy has no family, they are all deceased, and his family is his 4 dogs. Scruffy is a 100 pound mixed breed dog with a history of epilepsy. Scruffy was having flea problems so Andy, not having much money, bought the Hartz product from K-Mart. He applied the product early yesterday morning. By 6pm Scruffy was lethargic, staggering, disoriented. By 8pm Scruffy started seizing. With no phone,living in a rural area, all Andy could think to do was wash Scruffy with lots of water. Since Scruffy was seizing, Andy gave him a dose of pheno barbital, Scruffy's seizure medicine. The seizures slowed down. Our mutual friend just happened to be close to Andy's around 11pm and decided to check on him and see if he needed anything. That is when he found Andy and Scruffy in the drive. When he saw the condition Andy was in, and the problems Scruffy was having, he decided to come to my house, less than 5 miles away from Andy's house, and see if I had any info on this product. 

I told him to go back and use his cell and page the vet to meet them at the clinic immediately. I told him this is a potentially deadly product that needs to be removed from the market. Keep the package and get to the vets right away. Don't worry about the bill...I told him to tell  Andy that I would deal with Hartz later.

This morning early I went to Andy's and Scruffy was weak, dazed, slightly shocky and still needing to get to the vet. I was shocked he wasn't at the vets already. The vet did not answer the late night page. Our mutual friend had left Andy the cell phone. Andy had called the vet and a ride. He informed me that his ride would be there any minute. I wrote down the information from the package, told him to call me if his ride didn't show. Scruffy is at the vets now but is still not out of the woods....please say a gentle prayer for Scruffy....and Andy.

 

I called Hartz. I told them what happened to Scruffy. They took the information and gave me a case number for Andy. He told me that Hartz would pay the vet bill and refund his money for the product if we provided the information and a vet report. I asked him if he thought that would make up for a man possibly losing his best friend. No answer. Then I asked them if Hartz was making so much money on this product that they continued to market it, knowing it's deadly potential....IS THE PROFIT WORTH THE COSTS OF PAYING THE CLAIMS?  No answer. I told him that I felt Hartz was marketing this poison to a lower income group of people and that their company was banking on consumer ignorance. No answer. I asked him if paying the claims was cheaper than pulling the product...again..no answer. I asked this rep what he personally felt about this product. He told me that he only took the complaints, he had no answers. I asked him if he liked working for a company that profited on ! the death of companion animals. No answer. So I told him that if I worked for any company that murdered animals that I would quit that employ and make a lot of noise about it. I told him his personal standards must be very low or completely lacking. Still no answer. I want answers. I am sure there are many victims of this product that want answers. He ended our conversation asserting that Hartz flea and tick drops are safe and he THANKED ME FOR USING HARTZ PRODUCTS!!!!!!!! I hung up before I said something very insulting....then I cried for all the animals that have died so Hartz could make money.

 

PLEASE make it a point to tell everyone you know to boycott these products. Educate everyone about the potential hazards of these products. And please look in the links below and sign the petition against Hartz...thanks....Julia

 

www.hartzvictims.org

 

At this site you can download and print flyers and stickers to warn people about these products. You can print mailing labels too so you can put the message on every piece of mail you send. I printed mine today.

 

BoycottHartz.com 
Description: Hartz Mountain Corp manufactures a product known as "Flea & Tick Drops Plus," an anti-flea remedy which is applied to the animal's back, like Frontline or Advantage. The difference is that Frontline and Advantage use a much newer chemical, which DOES NOT HURT the animal. Hartz uses phenothrin which --- according to my vet --- has been around for 50 years, is not nearly as effective, and can be toxic. Cats apparently are much more likely to be sensitive than dogs.
Added on: 20-Jan-2004 Hits: 54
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Environmental Protection Agency 
Description: The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Use their search tool to find a lot of information on Hartz
Added on: 25-Nov-2002 Hits: 86
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Hartz Consumer Relations Department 
Description: You need to contact Hartz immediately should anything happen to your pet due to a Hartz product. 1-800-275-1414
Added on: 25-Nov-2002 Hits: 139
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National Pesticide Information Center 
Description: NPIC is a cooperative effort of Oregon State University and the United States EPA - 1-800-858-7378
Added on: 25-Nov-2002 Hits: 69
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People! for the Ethical Treatment of Animals 
Description: PETA
Added on: 25-Nov-2002 Hits: 88
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Solano Pet Emergency Clinic, Cordelia, CA - Topic: Topical Flea Products 
Description: The Solano Pet Emergency Clinic gives a helpful overview of the harmful effects of some topical flea products (pyrethrins or pyrethroids)
Added on: 05-Aug-2003 Hits: 71
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Against Hartz 
Description: Feline Owners against Hartz have set up a web site for updates about the petition.
Added on: 25-Aug-2003 Hits: 141
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Feline Owners Against Hartz 
Description: This is a list group on Yahoo. Open to anyone who's cat has been hurt by the use of Hartz flea products.
Added on: 05-Jun-2003 Hits: 145
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Hartz Flea & Tick Products - Dangerous for Pets Petition 
Description: Sign the petition!
Added on: 25-Nov-2002 Hits: 165
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Hartz Product Warning from Furr Angels 
Description: You buy an over the counter flea control product from Hartz for your animals. You apply it to your babies, totally unaware that it contains a substance that is toxic for your cat.
Added on: 25-Nov-2002 Hits: 150
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Hartz Syndrome 
Description: Attention Hartz One-Spot or Advanced Care Anti-Flea treatment users
Added on: 25-Nov-2002 Hits: 224
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Hartz Warning - Flea and Tick medication 
Description: A warning regarding Hartz Advanced Flea and Tick drops from the folks at PandEcats.com
Added on: 25-Nov-2002 Hits: 189
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POISON! ADVANCE FLEA & TICK CONTROL FOR CATS 
Description: An Extended Years thread discussing Hartz's poisonous products.
Added on: 25-Nov-200! 2 Hits: 110
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Shirley's Wellness Cafe 
Description: Check out Shirley's Wellness Cafe where she provides stories and information about Hartz and other highly toxic and dangerous pet products.
Added on: 26-Nov-2002 Hits: 123
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The Hubbub Over Hartz 
Description: Dr. Van Wyk's story from VetCentric.com
Added on: 25-Nov-2002 Hits: 254
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