She was a girl who loved her family deeply…
…and warmed a room with her eyes.
A girl who loved the peace and solitude…
…of her bucolic mountain garden.
A highly sensitive girl,
this was her home
and her safe place.
She lived a happy, tranquil and secluded life, far from the bustling world beyond.
But this is also a story of tragedy.
An avoidable tragedy that took Hera away from her peaceful garden.
And took her away from her family that she loved.
A tragedy that was avoidable.
A tragedy that exposed ugly truths…
…about the pest fumigation industry.
An irresponsible, absentee neighbor.
A vacant building with holes and unsecured areas.
No warning to the community of what’s to come…
A careless fumigation operator ignores obvious signs, disregards safety protocols and fails to follow instructions and regulations.
And then seals the tent.
And turns on the poison.
A beautiful friend and companion animal, scared by the strangers, hiding, frightened, hoping they’ll leave soon.
Watching from just under the broken step, desperate to get out, to get home…
Ignored and sealed up in the poison tent.
Her family searched for her for days, unsure what had happened to her.
Hera was discovered by her family shortly after the fumigators left, just under this broken step, inches from the opening.
Killed by a reckless, negligent industry that operates with impunity in our communities.
Nothing can bring Hera back…
…to her garden…
…to her family.
But, in Hera’s memory, we can fix the broken laws and regulations and hold these dangerous companies accountable…
What can we do?
Property Owners and Fumigant Customers
Be a good neighbor and notify your neighbors of your planned tenting at least 48 hours in advance
Be a responsible property owner and seal up unsecured entry points into your homes and structures
Be an active participant in your neighborhood and be aware of who and what lives and roams your community’s streets and back yards
Fumigation Operators
Require your company to notify neighbors 48 hours ahead of a tenting (if not already law in your area)
Require that customers secure all open access points on their structures before a tenting can begin
Mandate a supervisor personally sign off on a final walk through of all parts of the structure include sub-areas to ensure no non-target animals are found within the fumigation zone prior to sealing the tent
Are you operating in an unfamiliar remote or rural community? Are you aware of human (children) and animal roaming patterns in and around the structure(s) you plan to tent? Pay extra special attention in unfamiliar communities.
Neighbors
Be aware of what’s going on in your neighborhoods and communities
If you are surprised to see a fumigation tent in your neighborhood
Call the company on the signage and ask them their policies and if they do a thorough search of the structure prior to tenting
Talk to the owner of the property who ordered the tenting and ask if they notified neighbors ahead of time
For more information about heraslaw.org and the impact of pesticides on public health and safety in our communities, follow the links below.
