Poison Free

Poison kills everything. horribly.

In Canada, long-outdated policies continue to allow the use of Compound 1080 to kill coyotes.

This violent and indiscriminate poison kills everything on the landscape.

BAN THIS CRUEL & RECKLESS POISON.

poison food chain infographic_edited_edi

THE END OF LEGAL WOLF POISON PROGRAMS,
BUT MORE WORK AHEAD.

In March, 2024 we celebrated a significant win. Health Canada announced that all strychnine products will be cancelled! As of September 7, 2024, strychnine is no longer legal in wildlife management (ie. it's banned!)

Over the past decade, we have witnessed the end of federal permits that authorize wolf and wildlife poison programs, including strychnine, sodium cyanide bombs, and liquid Compound 1080 (used in "Livestock Protection Collars").

THANK YOU to all who have contributed to making this happen. Your ongoing demands for ethical, evidence based and ecologically sound treatment of wolves and wildlife have contributed to making Canada's landscape safer for all species.

However, despite recognizing widespread concerns from the public and experts, and despite documented, widescale, illegal misuse of Compound 1080, this highly dangerous toxin is still authorized by the Pest Management Regulatory Agency (an agency of Health Canada) to be used on coyotes in Alberta. As long as this highly toxic poison remains in use, it will inevitably kill coyotes, wolves, and many other animals on the landscape, as this poison does not discriminate and travels through the food chain.

Compound 1080 is incredibly inhumane and reckless. Learn more about it in this publication: Indiscriminate, Inhumane and Irresponsible: Compound 1080 Is No Longer an Acceptable Form of Wildlife Management.

We oppose the decision to allow Compound 1080 use in Canada, and ask that you help us ban its use entirely.

MORE RESOURCES:

WeHowl's Notice of Objection to Compound 1080

Learn about a collaborative Notice of Objection

14 May 2025 Media Release: Animal protection groups and wildlife advocates celebrate as Alberta ends use of poison on wolves.

About Compound 1080

Sodium Monofluoroace, commonly called Sodium fluoroacetate or Compound 1080 is one of the most toxic poisons used in Canadian farming. Regulated under the federal Pest Control Products Act (PCPA) it is currently authorized for use as a predacide in Alberta to kill coyotes in response to livestock predation.

The poison is available in 5 mg tablets which are placed in meat baits. Clearly, many animals are attracted to meat baits, including dogs, wolves, and sensitive wildlife species. Compound 1080 does not discriminate among its animal victims.

Compound 1080 is inhumane, with symptoms being extremely painful and prolonged before death.

It is an indiscriminate killer that has claimed people and pets in addition to wildlife.

1) the excruciating and prolonged pain and distress that all animal victims will endure lasts for several hours

2) there are risks to non-target species and non-target individuals from ingesting poison baits, and risks of secondary death through scavenging poisoned carcasses (like strychnine)

3) there is a long delay in the onset of symptoms after eating 1080 bait, which means that poisoned carcasses are spread further across the landscape, never to be recorded or recovered by people. These are fed on by scavengers that will experience relay toxicity, including eagles, owls, badgers, foxes, dogs, and many other species

4) despite false claims that Compound 1080 is canid-selective, the reality is that it is in fact highly toxic to all birds and mammals. Poisons are not specific to species.

More about Compound 1080