Toxic Tales

From across the country, we've heard stories of problems people have experienced with ChemLawn. Some stories are about pets, some are about adults and some are about children, but all are frightening. Here are a few we would like to share with you:

Pets

“My Dalmatian died of nasal and brain cancer. I was a TruGreen user. After doing research I learned that one cause, especially in long nosed breeds, is the environment and pesticides. The day I lost her at the veterinarian specialist, I sat on my deck with my other two dogs, while my neighbor across the street had liquid application done to her lawn with TruGreen, The smell was horrible, even in my own back yard, sitting across the street. It smelled like I had entered a chemical factory, even though I was sitting outside. My dog dying of nasal and brain cancer, may very well be related to our lawn treatments, and I never would have known, if I had not pulled up research about causes of these types of cancers in dogs!” Ellen, Ohio

Health

“In 1998, I walked approximately 50 feet on a lawn treated about 4 days prior by TruGreen ChemLawn. Within 1 hour my feet felt as though I had stepped on glass. Two hours after that, they began to swell and became very stiff and sore. The situation continued to get worse the next few days (I was away from the area I had walked and had yet to make the direct connection--which I made by finding undissolved granular product all over the lawn--it had not rained--only then did I recall that treatment had occurred). Through cortisone, the swelling abated. However, I was left with severe and deep fungal infections that took months to resolve. Upon informing my physician, he stated it was clearly a chemical poisoning response. Approximately 2 weeks after the poisoning, I developed psoriasis and have developed numerious conditions resulting from over-active immune system responses.” Howard, Pennsylvania

Pets

“We used TruGreen ChemLawn for the first time and last time this summer. They sprayed for ticks, and fertilized, & some weed control products. This last Saturday one of our dogs became lethargic and his appetite diminished somewhat. By Sunday – when we would take him outside he would mope around, at one point he laid down in the grass – he NEVER does this. By the afternoon he was having trouble breathing and his stomach was extremely distended. A few hours later I checked his crate and there was thin blood all around the perimeter of his crate. I cleaned it up – we planned to take him to the vet first thing in the morning. He laid down beside me and went back into his crate. A few hours later he was lying in his crate, blood all around the perimeter again and he was dead. We approached the doctor who was working on the necropsy and said our dog showed clear signs of pesticide poisoning.” Margaret, Connecticut