Dear editor,

Imagine this: it is winter, you are cold and wet and hungry. But you find something to eat.

After a couple of hours, you start to feel ill, your stomach cramps and it only gets worse. Soon you are in terrible unending pain. Your throat fills with blood and in a few horrible days of suffering, you die from internal bleeding.

This is the fate of many noble birds of prey such as owls, eagles, hawks and ravens, as well as mammals who scavenger for their meals. Poisoned and condemned to a slow and excruciating death. The cause? Rat poison bait made attractive and ingested by rodents who are then eaten by these other birds and animals, even pet dogs and cats.

Legal for homeowners and pest control companies to use, it is a deadly practice. Alternatives exist. I implore our local governments and homeowners to cease this immediately. For more information on non-lethal was of rodent-proofing visit .

Just imagine.

Harold Macy,

Merville