A legislative proposal could make antifreeze less appealing to pets. Alyson Bodai is the Wisconsin state director for the Humane Society of the United States, and explains the reason for adding a bittering agent to antifreeze. “A bittering agent would be a chemical that’s added that is a deterrent for them to ingest the product,” says Bodai. “That could prevent thousands of pet deaths every year.”
Bodai says while many of those poisonings are accidental due to improperly stored, or spilled antifreeze, some are deliberate. Gary Godding a board member of the Dane County Humane Society, says pet owners can incur substantial costs – if the animal survives. Bodai says as little as a teaspoon of antifreeze can be fatal. It’s unclear whether the bill (AB 842 and its Senate companion SB 663), from Milwaukee Democrat, Representative Christine Sinicki, will make it to the governor’s desk in the waning days of this legislative session. Eleven other states already have similar laws.
AUDIO: Bob Hague (:60 MP3) AUDIO: Bob Hague reports (:60 MP3)
