Hi, my name is Ahana, and I’m 11 years old.
I’m writing this because I lost my best friend, Loki, my husky, to xylitol poisoning and it made him sick. We rushed him to the vet, but it was too late. His liver couldn’t take anymore, and we had to let him go. I miss him so much every day. But enough about me, let’s talk about xylitol.
Xylitol (or birch sugar) is found in things like gum, candy, toothpaste, regular vitamins and even some foods. It’s safe for people, but super dangerous for dogs. Just a little can make them severely sick, or even kill them. Most people don’t know this, and there are no warning labels or pet-proof caps to keep our pets safe.
Fortunately, the government has introduced a solution. A bill called the PAWS Off Act (Schweikert Introduces Bipartisan Paws Off Act to Warn Pet Owners of Common Deadly Ingredient – Congressman Schweikert)was introduced by Congressman David Schweikert along with Brian Fitzpatrick, Chris Smith, Lloyd Smucker, Michael Waltz, Raúl Grijalva, Raja Krishnamoorthi, Greg Stanton, and Dina Titus on January 30, 2023, which is a great start. This bill will mandate warning labels on products with xylitol when it is introduced, but I think we need to do even more to protect our pets. That’s why this petition stands for introducing the PAWS Off Act, and also adding requirements.
The things I’m asking for are:
- Pet-proof caps on all products with xylitol, so dogs can’t accidentally get into them.
- Big, clear warning labels to tell people xylitol is dangerous for pets.
- More ways to let people know about how deadly xylitol can be for animals like Loki.
We also need to spread the word.
If you would like to share awareness and spread the word, please feel free to print out QR codes that lead to this page on Change.org and put them in veterinary clinics, shelters and pet stores. This will ensure that everyone who goes to those places knows about the dangers of xylitol.
In conclusion, xylitol is very dangerous to dogs, and we need to make others aware.
So please sign this petition to ask Congress to strengthen the PAWS Off Act so that no other families have to lose their pets the way I lost mine.
We can save so many pets by making these changes!
Thank you for reading my story and for helping protect pets like Loki.
Sincerely,
Ahana Kameshwar
11 Years Old
David Schweikert’s response
David Schweikert
US House of Representatives – Arizona-6
Jan 17, 2025
From the Office of Congressman David Schweikert:
Congressman David Schweikert introduced the Paws Off Act of 2025, bipartisan legislation designed to promote safe labeling requirements for pet safety. The bill would amend the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act to initiate rule-making that would require foods containing the chemical xylitol to be considered mislabeled unless the product has a warning label specifying its toxic effects on pets if ingested.
Xylitol is increasingly found in foods like mints, baked goods, desserts, vitamins, and gum. A lack of proper labeling can often make it difficult for pet owners to determine which products, including those ingested by mistake, could be deadly to their pets.
In a petition put forth by 11-year-old Ahana Kameshwar, we read the gut-wrenching story of how her loyal companion, Loki, passed away due to the lack of proper labeling on such products containing this lethal substance. Congressman Schweikert had the opportunity to sit down with Ahana virtually and listen to her experience.
“We had we had Loki for about five years. One day, after we got back from our summer trip, he got into a bottle of melatonin pills that we forgot to put away while [un]packing,” Ahana said. “Those pills, they had 250 milligrams of xylitol in each tablet. Here’s the problem; the xylitol was listed, but the dosage wasn’t. Loki [ingested] about 85 tablets. His liver started failing and ultimately, we had to put him down.”
It’s evident that millions of Americans are unaware of just how dangerous xylitol can be to their dogs. In fact, according to the Poison Pet Helpline, xylitol exposures are not limited to food and often involve medication, supplements, dental products, and skin care products.
“Xylitol is very dangerous to dogs, and we need to make others aware,” Ahana writes in her petition. “[I] ask Congress to strengthen the PAWS Off Act so that no other families have to lose their pets the way I lost mine. We can save so many pets by making these changes!”
“The legislation is super important, as we don’t pay attention to animal welfare as much as we probably should. This is so subtle, but the number of pets that get poisoned due to just xylitol, [Loki] is just one of them, right?” Ahana’s mother, Bhaavna Kameshwar said. “Having clear cut labels is very, very important to ensure.”
“We have been working tirelessly to move this simple, yet impactful piece of legislation through Congress. The damage of these sugar alcohols is truly lethal for our pets and furry companions,” said Rep. Schweikert. “All it takes is a simple labeling fix to prevent more people from enduring the heartache that Ahana went through, and better yet, to save the lives of animals across America.”
“More than 83 million American homes include at least one pet. We are a nation of animal lovers and often our first connections with animals are the pets we share our homes with,” said Humane Society Legislative Fund President, Sara Amundson. “This is why the Humane Society Legislative Fund strives to preserve this special bond by supporting key legislation to ensure our pet’s food and treats are safer. We salute Rep. Schweikert and his bipartisan cosponsors for providing better guardrails against toxic reactions through the Paws Off Act.”
Background on the Paws Off Act:
According to veterinary toxicology experts at Pet Poison Helpline, between 2015 and 2020, calls regarding xylitol poisoning increased 108 percent.
The biggest one-year increase was in 2019, when calls were up 47.2 percent from 2018.
Interestingly, in 2020 xylitol poisoning calls to the Helpline were second only to regular chocolate poisoning calls.
Xylitol was the 4th most common exposure call to the Pet Poison Helpline in 2023.
You can read the full bill text here: https://schweikert.house.gov/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/Paws-OFF-2024.pdf
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