I didn't find Sparky. He found me.

I was walking toward my shop one morning last July when I spotted a white cat standing by the door. As I came nearer I realized he wasn't white; he was a flame point Siamese.

He was half grown, with peach-colored markings on his face, paws and tail. I expected him to run away as I drew closer but instead he looked up at me, pressed against my leg and meowed. That's all it took.

I brought Sparky home to three geriatric cats who were less than thrilled with the new addition. There was a rocky adjustment period during which all of his attempts at play were quickly and soundly rebuffed.

We soldiered on. He had not been neutered, and once that was taken care of, he settled down considerably and seemed to find a comfortable place in the cat hierarchy. He has that quirky Siamese wiring that leads him to cuddle one moment and dash madly through the house the next. There's never a dull moment with ol' Sparky around.

On Christmas Eve, I knew something was wrong. Sparky is always the first at the breakfast bowl but that day there was no sign of him. I looked outside and called. No Sparky.

At midmorning, he came staggering out of a closet. His gait was stiff-legged and he seemed confused. I knew immediately what had happened. Antifreeze poisoning.

The main ingredient in antifreeze is ethylene glycol, which has a sweet taste and smell. As little as a teaspoon can kill a pet or small child. A small spill on a driveway can spell death for not just domestic pets but wild birds and animals as well.

I don't know where Sparky ingested the poison. It must have been just a tiny bit because he survived. There was a touch-and-go week spent watching him struggle to walk and eat. He eventually made what appears to be a full recovery. No doubt about it, we were very, very lucky.

Yearly, as many as 10,000 pets are killed due to antifreeze ingestion. The sad thing is, it's easily preventable. All you have to do is take away the allure of the sweet taste and smell. The addition of a bittering agent costs about 3 cents per gallon.

Two years ago, Becky Davis of Jefferson lost her dog, Chief, to what appeared to be intentional antifreeze poisoning. Another dog, Rebel, survived the poisoning but has lasting health problems.

Thank the Lord for people like Becky Davis. She didn't just mourn the loss of her treasured pet. She acted. She contacted her state representative, Tommy Benton of Jefferson. She had done her homework. Her research led to Benton's introduction of House Bill 219, "Chief's Law," which requires antifreeze to include denatonium benzoate, a bitter-tasting substance that would help prevent people and animals from ingesting it.

It's a crying shame that legislation is even necessary. If there's such an easy solution available, why haven't antifreeze manufacturers simply added the bittering agent voluntarily? There is certainly no benefit to producing a tasty toxin. I suppose it's that pesky extra 3 cents that would have to be subtracted from the bottom line.

In February, HB 219 passed the House by a 143-25 vote. It now goes to the Senate.

Locally, two of the dissenting votes came from 8th District Rep. Stephen Allison and Hall County's own Carl Rogers. I'm sure they had what they considered good reason to vote against the welfare of children and animals. I just can't imagine what it could be.

Those dissenting votes show that even no-brainer legislation is never a sure thing. Now is the time for everyone to contact their state senators and make their opinions known.

Death by ethylene glycol poisoning is slow and agonizing. Losing a beloved cat or dog or, heaven forbid, child because of an easily preventable ingestion is unthinkable. It doesn't have to happen.

Teressa Glazer is a Gainesville businesswoman. Her column appears regularly on alternate Fridays and on gainesvilletimes.com.