We are cheering the Connecticut towns of Winchester and Bethel, which this week adopted policies to ban all anticoagulant rodenticides on municipal properties.
This uplifting news comes on the heels of Southbury banning ban second-generation anticoagulant rodenticides (SGARs) on town-owned properties on May 21 following a proposal by Animal Control Officer Kristin Cedor.
And Newtown made history April 20 when the Board of Selectman unanimously voted on a policy to ban anticoagulant rodenticides on municipal properties. This includes municipal buildings leased out to other entities, such as NewSylum Brewery and Parent Connection.
Over the last few years, Friends of Animals has been persistently advocating for state legislation to ban the sale and use of second-generation anticoagulants in Connecticut, like California, Rhode Island and British Columbia have done. And prohibiting anticoagulant rodenticides in municipalities strengthens FoA’s efforts to prohibit these ghastly poisons by state legislators, as a new state measure is being considered.
Anticoagulants work by preventing blood from clotting. So, hawks, owls, eagles, foxes, and other animals are dying a slow agonizing death from internal bleeding after consuming poisoned rodents who’ve taken the bait from those ubiquitous black boxes outside buildings. It makes no sense to be killing animals who naturally regulate rodents.
“This is a commonsense policy that allows us to effectively address rodent problems while being more thoughtful about the methods we use,” said Winchester Town Manager Paul Harrington. “Our goal is not to stop controlling rodents. It is to make sure we are doing it responsibly and using prevention and safer alternatives.”
Bethel and Winchester will emphasize integrated pest management, including improved sanitation, eliminating food and water sources, sealing entry points, habitat modification, monitoring, and effective non-anticoagulant control methods such as birth control.
These policies recognize the vital role that natural predators play in controlling rodent populations. “This is about finding a better balance,” Harrington added. “We have a responsibility to maintain safe municipal facilities, but we also have a responsibility to be good stewards of our parks, open spaces, wildlife, and natural environment. Winchester can do both.”
We couldn’t agree more. That’s why Friends of Animals and A Place Called Hope Raptor Rehabilitation Center started an educational awareness campaign about the dangers of anticoagulant rodenticides called Think Outside the Bait Box in the summer of 2024 alongside our efforts to get a statewide ban passed. We’ve been crisscrossing the state ever since, encouraging the public and local officials to stop using poisons and protect wildlife.
Our presentation to the Newtown Conservation Commission as well as other conservation commissions in October of 2025 was the catalyst that got the town to explore less toxic alternatives and eventually ban anticoagulant rodenticides. We also connected them with municipalities in Massachusetts that have adopted some sort of public lands ban on SGARs.
Before Newtown’s official vote, FoA spoke up in favor of the policy to the Board of Selectmen.
“Friends of Animals believe raptors, foxes and other animals dying slow, agonizing deaths simply from eating a meal is the definition of animal cruelty, so thank you to Newtown Conservation Commissioners Holly Kocet and Lisa Shirk for their unwavering efforts to stop this cruelty,” said Nicole Rivard, government relations manager for Friends of Animals. “And to the Board of Selectman, thank you for being open to learning about effective non-toxic rodent solutions. If you vote yes, you will create a blueprint for other municipalities evaluating alternatives to poisons.”
And that they did.
Nicole Rivard is the Editor-in-Chief and Media/Government Relations Manager for Friends of Animals