lied to my rheumy...now what? | Arthritis Information

Haley Ham and her Golden Retriever Sam were inseparable.

Lots of children are attached to their dogs, but this was different. Sam was ... well, like Haley's brother, not the family pet. The two of them explored the nearby creek. And then there were the shows. Sam was entered in almost every local pet show and usually won. It's hard to beat the sheer beauty of a long-haired, smiling Golden Retriever.
One night in March after Sam had spent some time outdoors, he began vomiting and experiencing diarrhea. The family rushed him to the veterinary clinic in Seymour, where everybody knew and loved Sam like the Hams did. After an examination the vet told the Hams that Sam had been poisoned with antifreeze. It appeared Sam ate antifreeze mixed with a stew. After two days of fighting to save Sam, the vet called the Hams and told them to come over to Seymour to say goodbye. Sam was put to sleep on April 1.
Haley was only 10 and not only crushed and saddened, but unaware of what antifreeze even was. But now she does. Haley has become a resident expert on the dangers of antifreeze. She wants a law passed in Tennessee that would require the makers of antifreeze to put a bittering agent in it, to make it less sweet tasting to pets and children who mistakenly drink it.
This is not some idle wish by a grieving child. This has become a true mission. The Sevierville fifth-grader has written letters to virtually every state legislator, the president and members of Congress. She created a poster for a 4-H exhibit at the Sevier County Fair, complete with a petition seeking support for the bill. And she has created an online petition that has begun to attract attention too.
"I want to help the animals," she said. "It was a bad thing that Sam had to go through. He died a terrible death. I want to do something to make sure other children's pets don't die the same way."
Most antifreeze is made colorful and sweet-tasting. Not only can pets and small children be attracted to it and get into it, it can be used by mean-spirited people trying to intentionally poison other animals. The Hams - mother Ginni, father Jim and 11-year-old only-child Haley - are convinced Sam and a neighborhood pet, Jessie the hound dog, were poisoned intentionally. It's become Haley Ham's mission to make sure her beloved Golden Retriever didn't die in vain. Three states have such a law: California, Oregon and New Mexico.
She wants antifreeze to be blended with denatonium benzoate, a bittering agent. Some antifreeze is made safe, carrying brand names like Sierra, Sta Clean and Prestone Low Tox. The law is aimed at the others. It costs pennies to add the ingredient.
Haley's letter-writing campaign drew the attention of State Sen. Raymond Finney, R-Maryville, who represents Sevier County. While most lawmakers she wrote sent back form letters that made no commitment, Finney's was different. The senator had filed a bill in 2006 to require the addition of the bittering agent, only to be visited by a representative of antifreeze makers. The lobbyist's clients favored a federal standard that would apply to all states, rather than seeing each state deal with it. Finney agreed to back off, but has since learned no such federal standard has been adopted. That, plus Haley's letter, made Finney pledge to introduce the bill next year if no federal standard has been adopted.
Haley, who is homeschooled, has had a sense of civic responsibility for a long time. At age 5 she saw a TV show about Locks for Love, the program in which people donate hair to make wigs for children with cancer. She did the same thing. Now she is pushing for a law to make antifreeze less tempting.
To sign her online petition go to www.ipetitions.com/petition/antifreezepoisoning.