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Recent Rain Brings Out Cane Toads, a Poisonous Threat to Pets

Leon County Judge John Cooper on June 30, 2022, in a screen grab from The Florida Channel.
Photos: Wikimedia Creative Commons
/
The Florida Channel
Leon County Judge John Cooper on June 30, 2022, in a screen grab from The Florida Channel.

While most of the complaints about Southwest Florida's recent rainy weather center on the comeback of the annoying mosquito, the rain brings out another animal that can pose a serious threat to dogs: the cane toad, whose poison glands can sicken pets. Even the tadpoles can be highly toxic if ingested. 

Dog trainer Tony Lampert from The Upbeat K-9 joins Gulf Coast Live to discuss a program he’s presenting along with Kevin Cafarelli from Wild Heart Ecojourneys. It’s called “Recall in the Wild,"and it's a safety seminar taking place this weekend for people planning to hike Florida’s trails with their dogs.

They'll offer a guided tour of Florida’s more unpredictable fauna and offer tips on ways to keep your pet, and yourself, safe.

Copyright 2020 WGCU. To see more, visit WGCU.

Matthew Smith is a reporter and producer of WGCU’s Gulf Coast Live.
Julie Glenn is the host of Gulf Coast Live. She has been working in southwest Florida as a freelance writer since 2007, most recently as a regular columnist for the Naples Daily News. She began her broadcasting career in 1993 as a reporter/anchor/producer for a local CBS affiliate in Quincy, Illinois. After also working for the NBC affiliate, she decided to move to Parma, Italy where she earned her Master’s degree in communication from the University of Gastronomic Sciences. Her undergraduate degree in Mass Communication is from the University of Missouri at Kansas City.