Marysville man shares cautionary tale after puppy tests positive for weed
Andrew Holland says he assumes Charlie found cannabis on a walk
A Marysville man was in for a scary few hours over the weekend when his normally excitable 10-month-old puppy became wobbly, shaky and lethargic.
Andrew Holland says he took his golden retriever, Charlie, for a walk in the village on Saturday afternoon. Afterward, she went from being perfectly fine around 4 p.m. to not being able to walk an hour later.
"Immediately took her outside on her leash to see if she's going to be sick," Holland recalled Tuesday.
"But then … she couldn't hardly walk, like, almost like a deer stuck on a patch of ice."
Holland
compares his dog, Charlie, to a vacuum cleaner. He says he's just lucky
she's a bigger dog, since marijuana can have a much worse effect on a
smaller animal. (Submitted by Andrew Holland)
The sickness came out of nowhere, Holland said. He called his vet's office, which was closed because of the weekend, and then tried the newer after-hours vet in Fredericton, which was at full capacity.
Holland decided to rush Charlie to the Port City Emergency Veterinary Hospital in Saint John, where the vet took a urine sample that came back positive for cannabis.
Since he and his wife don't use cannabis, Holland said he figures Charlie ate something on the side of the road that contained the drug — something that also happened to a neighbour's dog at Killarney Lake.
"Charlie on the scorecard — she's been stoned one more time than my wife and I and her son," Holland joked.
Holland says he rushed his dog to the emergency vet on Saturday and was surprised to find out she had weed in her system. (Mike Heenan/CBC)
Dr. Ivan Zakharenkov, a veterinarian and CEO of Galaxy Vets, which opened Fredericton Veterinary Walk-In and Urgent Care, said a dog ingesting cannabis is a common occurrence these days.
Even Monday night, he said, the urgent-care clinic has a case of a small dog being brought in and testing positive for marijuana toxicity.
In any given week, he said, he sees two or three cases.
Zakharenkov said that when a dog shows clinical signs of marijuana toxicity, it can be difficult to tell what type of cannabis the animal ingested.
With edibles, he said, the absorption is longer, so the effect of the product could last longer.
"I had a patient in Moncton last year that the effect lasted three days until we put the dog on fluids," he said, adding that it's important to tell the vet, if possible, about the type of cannabis or concentration the animal ingested.
Dr. Ivan Zakharenkov says edibles take longer to absorb in animals, so the effect of marijuana toxicity could last longer. (Louis Blouin/Radio-Canada)
Zakharenkov said symptoms can include staggering, which Holland described, incontinence, squinting, hyper-reactivity, and in severe cases, seizures or a coma.
Holland said the cannabis passed through Charlie's system, but the vet told him he was lucky she was a bigger dog because depending on the dosage, the cannabis could have been much worse for a smaller animal.
Zakharenkov agreed, saying that if a typical marijuana cigarette has between 100 and 150 milligrams of THC, the toxic dose starts anywhere from two to three milligrams per kilogram.
Another issue, Zakharenkov said, is that owners are sometimes embarrassed to take their dogs in if they know they've ingested cannabis. But Zakharenkov said veterinarians are not judging and won't report anyone.
They just want to treat the patient appropriately.
"A lot of people are more upfront these days about it because it is legalized … but then you run into situations when there's, let's say, a teenage child that is visiting the vet clinic with the parent, and they don't want to admit maybe it's their product," he said.
"It's more important to be frank and direct with the veterinarians. We're not here to judge. We're here to help pets."
Holland hopes his story can serve as a reminder to cannabis smokers to keep it on their own property or clean up after themselves, as well as a cautionary tale for pet owners.
Holland
hopes his story can serve as a reminder to cannabis smokers to keep it
on their own property or clean up after themselves. (Darryl Dyck/Canadian Press)
"She's a 10-month golden that we just adopted, so they're like vacuum cleaners," Holland said.
"We've had two other golden retrievers in our house, so this is a third, and they pick up everything from tree branches and bark to socks in the house, you name it.
"It means that we're going to change the way we walk to be less along curbsides and try to walk more in the middle of the road, or where there are sidewalks … because otherwise … in the grass and in the snow, there's stuff that you just can't see."
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
With files from Information Morning Fredericton
David Amos
I have no doubt a lot of political animals see this for what it is
David Amos
Everybody knows that I have a better tale to tell about my best buddy Bo encounter with the heat after the forest fire
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https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/new-brunswick/wild-fire-kars-belleisle-1.6863445
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Mark Carney can win the Liberal Party leadership and be appointed to the role of PM. Canada has done this once before.
The 17th Prime Minister John Turner in 1984. He left politics a decade earlier and returned to succeed Pierre Trudeau as leader of the Liberal Party and was then appointed PM by the Governor General without holding a seat in the HoC.
Me,Myself and I
NDP gets help from democracy expert
An international expert on democracy has flown all the way from Egypt to help NDP candidate John Carty campaign in Fredericton.
Dominic Cardy is with a group called The National Democratic Institute. Its members include such people as former U.S. President Jimmy Carter. The group's mission is to teach democratic values and spread democracy around the world.
Cardy has taught about democracy in Algeria, Bangladesh, and Cambodia during the past few years. When he heard his friend John Carty was running for office back in his home town of Fredericton, he hopped on a plane.
"It was a strange experience," Cardy said. "One evening I was watching the sun go down over the pyramids, and the next evening watched it go down over Fredericton airport as I came into land."
Cardy is no relation to the NDP candidate. But he loves elections and loves getting people pumped up about democracy.
Carty the candidate is running against federal Indian Affairs Minister Andy Scott, Conservative Pat Lynch, Green candidate Philip Duchastel and independent David Amos. The riding has sent Scott to Ottawa for the last four elections, despite the best efforts of the other parties.
Cardy says he doesn't care how tough the race his – he just wants people to participate in the process. "People have forgotten how incredibly precious these gifts that our ancestors fought for are and were just giving them away. It makes me furious when I talk to people and people just say 'ah there's no point in voting.'"
After election day, Dominic Cardy is flying back home to his wife in Kathmandu, Nepal. He hopes to leave behind a new Member of Parliament for Fredericton, his friend John Carty for the NDP.
Riding profile: Scott fights to hang on in Fredericton
Three party candidates in Fredericton are hoping to give senior Liberal cabinet minister Andy Scott the boot in the first mid-winter election in close to three decades.
In this riding, the only thing the candidates have in common is their rubber-soled footwear, as they trudge through the snow to knock on doors and attend campaign events.
Conservative candidate Pat Lynch is trying to unseat Minister of Indian and Northern Affairs Andy Scott, who held this riding through four elections.
It's a first run at politics for Lynch, a management consultant who has worked as a party organizer and helped run Stephen Harper's 2004 election campaign.
Lynch says Scott needs to be held accountable for the problems in Ottawa. "You know, Andy is part of the team. He sits at the cabinet table, and I think people realize, if they're going to defeat this government, they've got to defeat Liberals in every riding, to make it happen."
Fredericton is usually considered a bell-weather riding – if the Liberals go down here, their chances in the rest of the country are similarly grim.
- CANADA VOTES 2006: Fredericton riding
Scott has represented Fredericton since 1993, when he became the first Liberal in 36 years to win the seat. He beat the popular Bud Bird, a one-term MP and businessman who served as minister of natural resources under the Hatfield government in the 1980s.
Bird was one of the first Atlantic Canadian Tories to stand behind Harper's leadership. A twist of fate placed Bud Bird's son-in-law Kent Fox as Scott's Conservative opponent in 2004 – who Scott beat with 47 per cent of the vote.
Scott has survived the ups and downs of the federal party and remains a popular MP. Even after he was forced to resign from the solicitor general's post in the late 1990s after some ill-advised airplane chatter predicting the outcome of an RCMP inquiry, his constituents rewarded him with another term in office.
He says the country is in good shape and there's no need to change governments now. "We have been able to create the economic opportunities. Now, it's important that we keep those regional economic development agencies, to make sure that Atlantic Canada gets their fair share of the wealth. That's what I would be afraid of, if you don't believe in a strong central government – and, quite frankly, there's lots of evidence to suggest that Mr. Harper doesn't."
NDP candidate John Carty grew up in Fredericton, and ran in the riding for the New Democrats in the 2004 election. He manages the local animal shelter, and has worked in developing countries around the world to advance the cause of democracy.
He says campaigning in January is hard going. "When you go knocking on doors, people are not inclined to open their door six inches, because they don't want the temperature of the kitchen to drop down."
Carty won just 17 per cent of the vote in the 2004 election, a distant third behind Scott and the Conservative candidate. He's hoping this time the NDP draws support from people who can't stomach voting for either the government or the official Opposition leader.
"Voting NDP is a safe vote. People are concerned about the Liberals, they're concerned about the Conservatives. An NDP vote is a safe vote. And that's what we want to promote," said Carty.
Philip Duchastel is a retired university educator and longtime outdoor sculpture enthusiast. When the snow clears, he's opening a backyard sculpture gallery for walkers on the hiking trail next door. These days, he's breaking trail for the Green Party.
"The reason to vote Green is to restore some trust into politics. Because, basically we're going for a new politics, a new style of politics, which moves away from the old politics – there are different ways to go to that new politics – but one is to clean up politics."
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·Full-time
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·Full-time Fredericton, New Brunswick, Canada
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Fredericton and Moncton New Brunswick
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1992 to May 2003 · 11 yrs 5 mos
Education
Residents of Belleisle area grateful to volunteers who battled out-of-control wildfire
Lessons learned, needed equipment identified after last week's fire
Around the same time a giant wildfire started near Saint Andrews on May 28, one began in the woods in the hills above Belleisle Bay, located roughly west of Hampton, north of Saint John.
In both fires, a local fire department of volunteers answered the call. Both departments dealt with similar conditions — a fire in the woods being driven by very strong winds toward people's homes.
When the call first came in around 1 p.m., Belleisle Valley Fire Department Capt. Mike Sherwood couldn't even see the smoke from across Belleisle Bay at his family's camp.
Within hours, however, heavy smoke was driven into the area by very strong winds, said Sherwood, forcing some people to leave that area on the opposite side of the bay.
Sherwood
said they've received so many inquiries about how to make donations to
the volunteer fire department that they've set up a new email address
for direct deposits. (Submitted by Mike Sherwood)
Closer to the fire, homeowners were convinced it was right on top of them because of the way the smoke blew close to the ground and far out ahead of the fire.
"The smoke was being carried so far, so fast, that people thought the fire was in their backyard, when in fact it was still roughly three-quarters of a kilometre from many homes along the bay, up on top of the hill," said Sherwood.
Fire department flies drone to assess forest fire with no water bombers availableThe close call was enough for residents to want to express their gratitude for the volunteers who answer the calls in the community.
In a post on the community's social media page, Sherwood said they've received so many inquiries about how to make donations to the department that they've set up a new email address for direct deposits to the department.
He also said he's hoping to use those funds to buy a drone for the fire department since "more and more the DNR [Department of Natural Resources] is relying on local departments to fight the fires."
It was his personal drone that he used, and it sustained some damage because of the heat. He said he'd like to buy a drone equipped with thermal imaging, which means it wouldn't have to fly as close to identify hot spots.
The fire began after strong winds pushed trees into power lines, causing the power to arc to the ground and catch fire. (Submitted by BVFD)
He said the information provided by the drone was invaluable in directing firefighters and resources in the fire zone.
Sherwood said he was given clearance and approval by the Department of Natural Resources and Energy to use the drone to create a plan of attack because they weren't able to acquire any water bombers — otherwise, it's illegal to fly a drone in the area of a forest or wildfire.
With the help of the drone, Sherwood said they were "able to direct the crews who were lugging 500 feet of hose through the woods from the truck that was actually pumping the water."
The drone was able to direct those on the ground to the easiest route through the woods.
"On the ground, there could be a roadway 10 feet away from you, and you'd never see it. That drone gave us a birds-eye view and allowed us to fight that fire a lot easier."
Provincial resources during wildfires
The Department of Natural Resources and Energy Development "does not offer direct financial support, the department provides training to fire departments on an annual basis," according to the department when asked about funding for volunteer departments.
In an email, a spokesperson said expenses are covered when "assistance is required" from fire departments.
The message said the department can also "provide trained wildland firefighters as well as logistical, operation and planning resources" and aerial support.
"Emergency Measures Organization provides logistics related to evacuations and community support. We also would like to mention others agencies including the forest industry, N.B. Power, the Red Cross and all other groups who help provide assistance during these times."
From clear skies to thick smoke
When Sherwood reached the fire department to gear up on the afternoon of May 28, the response was "pretty sparse," he said, which isn't unusual for a Sunday afternoon. Later that day, though, as smoke and word about the fire spread, they had 29 firefighters on the scene. They also had help from Norton and Wickham fire departments.
Sherwood said the fire started on Valley Road when a tree rubbed on the power lines because of the strong winds and resulted in "arcing" to the ground.
"By the time we headed out with the trucks, it was obvious that we had something big going on," said Sherwood.
Valley Road is located over the hill from Belleisle Bay, upriver from the ferry on the Kars side. Heavy winds pushed the smoke over the hill and across the bay to the southeast.
The fire itself burned in that direction for about three kilometres, toward homes and cottages along the bay.
But unlike the Stein Lake fire in Chamcook, a twist of fate and wind direction helped prevent disaster in Belleisle.
The fire started around 1 p.m. on May 28 on Valley Road in Kars, and strong winds blew it over the hill toward Belleisle Bay. (Submitted by BVFD)
"In most cases you can say it always could have been worse, but Mother Nature helped us out in this one for sure," said Sherwood.
The winds turned about 180 degrees and drove the fire back along the same path it had already burned.
That, said Sherwood, is what prevented the situation from being a disaster. Without it being driven by the winds, firefighters were able to stop the fire from advancing further toward the bay and the structures along its shores.
Sherwood estimates the fire came to within three-quarters of a kilometre of the nearest home.
He said no homes were officially evacuated, although the residents of the house that was considered closest to the fire's path had packed a few things and left — with four family members joining the fire department's efforts to fight the blaze.
Having gotten lucky by the change of wind direction, Sherwood said the fire, although out of control, wasn't deemed serious enough to warrant diverting water bombers from the fire in the Saint Andrews area, which started around the same time.
Eventually the fire was brought under control, but it still wasn't declared officially "out" by Sunday night.
A grateful community responds
Like the firefighters who worked around the clock to battle the out-of-control forest fire in Chamcook and Bocabec, the efforts of the Belleisle Valley Fire Department were immediately on the minds of Belleisle-area residents.
Sherwood said the local food truck cooked up 50 hamburgers while an across-the-road-neighbour from the fire station made 50 hotdogs.
Sherwood said they often receive donations from those who have been helped by the department. It's often used to buy new equipment or water for the firefighters, which can be significant.
The
fire tore through the woods toward houses and cottages on the Kars side
of Belleisle Bay before the winds turned 180 degrees and pushed it back
along its original path. (Submmited by BVFD)
"I have no idea how much water we drank that day, but it was in the hundreds of gallons. That all has to come from somewhere and that's typically what the donations are for."
The severity of this fire, however, seems to have hit residents close to home and the appreciation seems to be "deeper," said Sherwood.
"There was a lot of uncertainty with the way the wind was blowing because if you were running through the woods, I don't think you could have kept ahead of that fire," he said.
"Things were happening and changing that fast and that fluidly. So yes, people were scared and I think they're very appreciative that we were able to deal with that situation and stop it."
Lightening the load
Sherwood also hopes to buy forestry hoses for the department with any extra money donated by residents. Forestry hoses are smaller and lighter than regular hoses and make trekking through heavy terrain far from the trucks a lot easier on firefighters.
"That firefighter is going to last four or five times longer before he's completely and utterly exhausted," said Sherwood
"It's just like carrying a garden hose versus carrying about 50 pounds of rubber-wrapped firefighting hose."
With the way the climate is changing, Sherwood anticipates that fire departments will be dealing with more forest fires in the future.
"And the better equipped we are to deal with it, the faster that's going to be put out."
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
David Amos
Maritime Connection with Preston Mulligan,
June 4, 2023: What are you doing to help others affected by the wildfires in our region?
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