Manitoba Animal Save

Call to Action: Another Opportunity to Appeal!

As we all now know, our Manitoba government has approved the City of Winnipeg’s application to use rodenticides on Richardson Ground Squirrels on athletic fields inside our city.

Despite much public outcry and expert opposition to this wildlife poisoning, the permit has already been granted for one year (March- October 2026).

Poisons do not discriminate. They move through ecosystems, harming our ground squirrels, poisoning predators like hawks, owls, foxes, and coyotes, and putting companion animals and children at risk.

Humane, non-lethal, and proactive alternatives exist, yet our city (as well as several other cities across Canada) have chosen lethal action. This is a disturbing trend.

👉 But we have another opportunity to appeal

The Minister’s letter confirms that public feedback was received and reviewed. That reinforces what we already know: our voices matter, and we must keep using them.

We are calling on advocates to:

• Email the Minister of Environment and Climate Change at [email protected] within the 30-day appeal window and also to [email protected]

• Share this post to help build public awareness
Safe, usable green spaces should not come at a cost of poisoning urban wildlife and destroying ecosystems.
This is about squirrels, and it is also about what kind of city we want to have.

Remember this at election time. The kind of leadership we expect, and elect, for our city.

This letter is dated May 13th so it's assumed the 30-day appeal period is from that date and would end on June 12, 2026.

The rodenticides permit was issued by the Minister of Environment and Climate Change on March 13th, so that appeal process has already closed.

This is a new appeal period.

Please send your submissions in to [email protected] and [email protected] by June 12th 2026 to ensure they are received in time.

* Reiterate the points made in your previous submissions, and I'll include some sample points in the comments

Huge thank you to everyone who came out for our Spring Clean at today!! We nailed, scooped, swept, tidied, and petted with the weather mostly holding out!

Immense gratitude to Free From Farm for hosting us and to .neufeld for feeding us!! You all are amazing and we are so thankful for all you do ✨️
This work you do isn't easy but it is so important 🙌

Free From Farm has a camping weekend coming up on May long, and an Open Sanctuary day the following weekend! Check out their page for more details and opportunities to get involved and support them. Manitoba only has TWO farmed animal sanctuaries (Free from Farm and Little Red Barn) so please support them any way you can 🫶🩷

Join us this Saturday afternoon for some sanctuary spring cleaning!!! May 9th 1pm-4pm at Free From Farm Sanctuary

Come dressed ready to get dirty and have fun
🐷🐄🐐🐰🐑❤️

Join us at Free From Farm Sanctuary on Saturday, May 9th 1pm-4pm for some spring cleaning!

To Do's:

Paint and decorate new house for Pepper and Peanut, the chicken couple

Remove cobwebs and sand chicken coop/workshop to prep for painting (if the weather is good we can also apply primer if warm enough for painting)

Yard cleanup

Come dressed for painting, scooping p**p, and general clean up! !

Join us at Free From Farm Sanctuary on Saturday, May 9th 1pm-4pm for some spring cleaning!

To Do's:

Paint and decorate new house for Pepper and Peanut, the chicken couple

Remove cobwebs and sand chicken coop/workshop to prep for painting (if the weather is good we can also apply primer if warm enough for painting)

Yard cleanup

Come dressed for painting, scooping p**p, and general clean up! !

Appeal process for the
City's use of rodenticides closes tomorrow, April 10th. Email @ [email protected] with your concerns. (Template below)

The province has confirmed treatment can continue during the appeal process, so Rozol and RoCon are being used now.

https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/breakingnews/2026/04/07/appeal-launched-to-halt-winnipeg-ground-squirrel-control

Last summer, Joyce and I took the below photo of our children playing with Richardson's Ground Squirrels at The Forks.

The same ground squirrels the city now has the approved permit to kill with anticoagulants and foam. We have until April 10th, about two more weeks, to appeal.

On March 19th we held a double protest at City Hall and the Legislative Building , and we are now seeking to flood the Minister of Environment, Mike Moyes, with appeals. You can find the template letter below and the contact info. Please comment below when you've sent your appeal in!

Please take a few minutes to send an email asking the Minister of Environment and Climate Change, Mike Moyes, to revoke this permit at [email protected]

You can include points such as:
• Opposition to the use of anticoagulant rodenticides in public spaces
• Risks of secondary poisoning to hawks, foxes, coyotes, and companion animals
• The importance of protecting native wildlife species
• The availability of humane, non-toxic alternatives
• The need for the Environmental Advisory Committee to explore solutions before poisons are used

Ask the Minister to revoke the permit and work with experts and the community to develop humane, ecological approaches to coexistence. This is an issue that comes up every year; the city and the province must have proactive strategies instead of reactive tactics.

Every message matters.
Public pressure can influence future decisions and protect wildlife in our city.

It did last year.

Your voices saved the ground squirrels, and allowed babies to grow up with their mothers and families.

Thank you for standing up for animals and the environment.

Appeal template:
Subject: Appeal of Permit for Ground Squirrel Poisoning in Winnipeg

Dear Minister Moyes,

I am writing to appeal the decision to grant the City of Winnipeg a permit to use the rodenticides Rozol RTU Field Rodent Bait and RoCon Concentrate Rodenticide to kill Richardson's ground squirrels in Winnipeg from March to October 2026.

This anticoagulant poison and foam cause prolonged suffering and pose serious risks of secondary poisoning to owls, hawks, foxes, coyotes, and companion animals. Poisoning native wildlife is not an ethical or environmentally responsible solution when humane, non-toxic alternatives exist.

I urge you to revoke this permit and work with the City of Winnipeg and experts to develop humane and ecological approaches to managing ground squirrels on public land.

Sincerely,
(Your name)
Winnipeg

Along with appeals, here are three petitions you can sign and share to help our furry friends:
https://www.change.org/p/do-not-permit-city-of-winnipeg-to-poison-ground-squirrels?signed=true

https://www.ourcommons.ca/petitions/en/Petition/Details?Petition=e-7000&fbclid=IwY2xjawQ4_VxleHRuA2FlbQIxMABicmlkETFyMEpEdkllenk1Wlp2M05Lc3J0YwZhcHBfaWQQMjIyMDM5MTc4ODIwMDg5MgABHqRsZPg0XFqGQw36sxPLH6Gyo7haEtP9y8PteKSrxUV4RtDe8_rHvH9b8v38_aem_Kpr4mgBKNy-rdHDA3AFBQA

https://www.change.org/p/stop-the-inhumane-killing-of-ground-squirrels-in-winnipeg?signed=true

Our next Activist & Vegan Support Group ✨️

Saturday, April 11th, 1pm -3pm St Vital Park (Winnipeg) by the duck pond 💜

Last summer, Joyce and I took the below photo of our children playing with Richardson's Ground Squirrels at The Forks.

The same ground squirrels the city now has the approved permit to kill with anticoagulants and foam. We have until April 10th, about two more weeks, to appeal.

On March 19th we held a double protest at City Hall and the Legislative Building , and we are now seeking to flood the Minister of Environment, Mike Moyes, with appeals. You can find the template letter below and the contact info. Please comment below when you've sent your appeal in!

Please take a few minutes to send an email asking the Minister of Environment and Climate Change, Mike Moyes, to revoke this permit at [email protected]

You can include points such as:
• Opposition to the use of anticoagulant rodenticides in public spaces
• Risks of secondary poisoning to hawks, foxes, coyotes, and companion animals
• The importance of protecting native wildlife species
• The availability of humane, non-toxic alternatives
• The need for the Environmental Advisory Committee to explore solutions before poisons are used

Ask the Minister to revoke the permit and work with experts and the community to develop humane, ecological approaches to coexistence. This is an issue that comes up every year; the city and the province must have proactive strategies instead of reactive tactics.

Every message matters.
Public pressure can influence future decisions and protect wildlife in our city.

It did last year.

Your voices saved the ground squirrels, and allowed babies to grow up with their mothers and families.

Thank you for standing up for animals and the environment.

Appeal template:
Subject: Appeal of Permit for Ground Squirrel Poisoning in Winnipeg

Dear Minister Moyes,

I am writing to appeal the decision to grant the City of Winnipeg a permit to use the rodenticides Rozol RTU Field Rodent Bait and RoCon Concentrate Rodenticide to kill Richardson's ground squirrels in Winnipeg from March to October 2026.

This anticoagulant poison and foam cause prolonged suffering and pose serious risks of secondary poisoning to owls, hawks, foxes, coyotes, and companion animals. Poisoning native wildlife is not an ethical or environmentally responsible solution when humane, non-toxic alternatives exist.

I urge you to revoke this permit and work with the City of Winnipeg and experts to develop humane and ecological approaches to managing ground squirrels on public land.

Sincerely,
(Your name)
Winnipeg

Along with appeals, here are three petitions you can sign and share to help our furry friends:
https://www.change.org/p/do-not-permit-city-of-winnipeg-to-poison-ground-squirrels?signed=true

https://www.ourcommons.ca/petitions/en/Petition/Details?Petition=e-7000&fbclid=IwY2xjawQ4_VxleHRuA2FlbQIxMABicmlkETFyMEpEdkllenk1Wlp2M05Lc3J0YwZhcHBfaWQQMjIyMDM5MTc4ODIwMDg5MgABHqRsZPg0XFqGQw36sxPLH6Gyo7haEtP9y8PteKSrxUV4RtDe8_rHvH9b8v38_aem_Kpr4mgBKNy-rdHDA3AFBQA

https://www.change.org/p/stop-the-inhumane-killing-of-ground-squirrels-in-winnipeg?signed=true

Bravo to the activists who gave out 50 vegan hams this afternoon! We had adults and kiddos volunteer to hand out plant-based Tofurkey hams for animals and the environment 💚🌱 It was alot of fun and we had excellent weather ✨️

Huge thank you to our friends for sponsoring this giveaway! 🙌🙌🙌 This is the first time PETA has partnered with activists to do a vegan ham giveaway for Easter ❤️

We had some good conversations with students, families, and pedestrians, and several people thanked us for doing this.

Choose plant-based this Easter 💚🐷🐑🐰🐄🐤🩷

THANK YOU for standing up for ground squirrels today!! Amazing turnout 🙌

We protested at city hall and the province. Thank you to and for covering our action. BIG thank you to our co-organizer, , and to for attending in solidarity. We were honored to have Dr. James Hare, Professor Emeritus of Biological Sciences attend. Dr Hare is an expert and powerful advocate for squirrels. Thank you Dr Hare. Also thank you to everyone who joined - we are proud to stand with you on the right side of animal protection and environmental responsibility. Three students joined us today - the next generation is bold and kind ❤️🙏🏽

Please keep sending in your appeals to the Minister of Environment at [email protected] to revoke the permit.

‼️ ACTION ALERT ‼️
Appeal the Province’s Decision to Permit Poisoning of Ground Squirrels in Winnipeg

We need YOUR help.

The Province of Manitoba has approved the City of Winnipeg’s application to use the rodenticides Rozol RTU Field Rodent Bait and RoCon Concentrate Rodenticide to kill Richardson’s ground squirrels on city fields.
Despite strong public opposition, the permit has now been issued for one year.

Rozol is an anticoagulant rodenticide, which cause animals to die slowly from internal bleeding. Rocon is a foaming liquid that quickly expands in the burrow, causing death by suffocation or by the animal's drowning in the foam. These rodenticides also pose serious risks to other wildlife. Hawks, owls, foxes, coyotes, dogs, and other animals can be poisoned when they consume poisoned squirrels.

While the province states that conditions have been added to “mitigate risks,” we know that rodenticides used outdoors inevitably harm non-target wildlife and disrupt urban ecosystems. Ground squirrels are a native species that play an important ecological role, including aerating soil and supporting predators that help maintain balance in our urban environment.

There are humane and non-toxic alternatives to managing burrows on athletic fields, including habitat modification, exclusion strategies, and soil management practices. The city and province has had an entire year to come up with a better strategy since last years permit for poisoning was denied.

Poisoning wildlife should not be the default solution. Suffering is not a solution.

The province claims this decision balances safe athletic fields with environmental protection, but recreation should not come at the cost of poisoning wildlife and exposing ecosystems to toxic chemicals.

We have 30 days to appeal this decision.
Anyone can submit an appeal to the Minister of Environment and Climate Change.

Please take a few minutes to send an email asking the Minister of Environment and Climate Change, Mike Moyes, to overturn this permit.

Email: [email protected]

You can include points such as:
• Opposition to the use of anticoagulant rodenticides in public spaces
• Risks of secondary poisoning to hawks, foxes, coyotes, and companion animals
• The importance of protecting native wildlife species
• The availability of humane, non-toxic alternatives
• The need for the Environmental Advisory Committee to explore solutions before poisons are used

Ask the Minister to revoke the permit and work with experts and the community to develop humane, ecological approaches to coexistence.

Every message matters. Public pressure can influence future decisions and protect wildlife in our city. It did last year.

Thank you for standing up for animals and the environment.

Appeal template:

Subject: Appeal of Permit for Ground Squirrel Poisoning in Winnipeg

Dear Minister Moyes,

I am writing to appeal the decision to grant the City of Winnipeg a permit to use the rodenticides Rozol RTU Field Rodent Bait and RoCon Concentrate Rodenticide to kill Richardson's ground squirrels in Winnipeg from March to October 2026.

This anticoagulant poison and foam cause prolonged suffering and pose serious risks of secondary poisoning to owls, hawks, foxes, coyotes, and companion animals. Poisoning native wildlife is not an ethical or environmentally responsible solution when humane, non-toxic alternatives exist.

I urge you to revoke this permit and work with the City of Winnipeg and experts to develop humane and ecological approaches to managing ground squirrels on public land.

Sincerely,
(Your name)
Winnipeg

Photo of our children with ground squirrels at The Forks, July 2025

*time has been edited to allow for transport time between City Hall to the Legislative Building

Join Project Artemis Advocates Winnipeg and Manitoba Animal Save to protest the City of Winnipeg’s plan to use Rozol (an anticoagulant rodenticide) and
RoCon (a liquid foam) to kill Richardson's ground squirrels from March to October 2026.

Protest Thursday, March 19th, 2026

12pm: Winnipeg City Hall (on Main Street sidewalk)
1:15pm: Manitoba Legislative Building (on front steps)

We will meet at City Hall at 12pm to protest the city's proposal of these methods, then at 1pm move over to the Legislative Building to protest the province approving the permit.

Bring your signs! We will leave City Hall at 1pm and meet up at 1:15 at the Legislative Building.

Media will be invited.