Fenitrothion caused huge mortality in the songbird populations of New Brunswick. In some areas, pesticide contamination, coupled with other toxic pollution, has created a chemical soup with far-reaching implications. Years ago, gulls' eggs in the Great Lakes region were found to contain dioxin, a deadly substance contaminating phenoxy herbicides. Evidence indicates that even the family dog is a victim of pesticides. Dogs from homes with lawns that have been sprayed with pesticides have a higher than average rate of the canine equivalent of lymphoma.
Cancer is now the number one cause of death in dogs.
Linkages have also been identified between home and garden pesticide use and leukemia and brain cancer in children. A National Cancer Institute study in the U.S. indicates that children are as much as six times more likely to get childhood leukemia when pesticides are used in the home and garden. They found a particularly high correlation in homes where dichlorovos pest strips were used. These receive less testing and are often not even listed on the product label. Some have been shown to be more toxic than the active ingredient.