It was supposed to clean her carpets, but a local woman said it also killed her pets. I-Team 10 is looking into a Greece woman's claims that her pets died from fumes after she steam cleaned her carpets. Was the label on the carpet cleaning solution misleading? I-Team 10 takes a closer look.
The empty cage is a painful reminder of the helplessness Rene Bulger felt.
"This is like a child to me, Bulger said. I was very close to my bird."
Her bird's name was Baby, a cockatiel she got four years ago and trained it to talk and whistle.
Bulger said, "He'd sit on my shoulder. Eat off me, liked to eat pasta. He was just a very different type of bird."
The cockatiel was in its cage Wednesday along with a companion bird, a parakeet. Just minutes after Bulger finished shampooing her carpets with a steam cleaner she noticed something was wrong with her favorite bird.
"His heart was racing really fast and he was gasping for air, and I grabbed him and was like, oh my God, what's wrong, what's wrong," Bulger said.
Her cockatiel died, and an hour later the parakeet was dead as well.
"I didn't know what to do for him. I was just holding him, said Bulger.
Bulger believes her birds died from the carpet cleaning solution's fumes.
Veterinarian Dr. Gerald Balonek said its not that unusual. The doctor said any strong fumes from air fresheners to paint to scented candles can be fatal to birds.
"The fumes will affect...they have lungs and they have these organs called air sacs and they become inflamed and they're part of the respiratory system and they just can't breath and they have a reaction to it, Dr. Balonek said.
Bulger bought the Great Value brand of carpet cleaner from Wal-Mart. It's the pet formula that says it's designed for homes with pets and their problems.
Bulger said, "First thing that comes to mind is, can't hurt your pets. I didn't think nothing of it."
She said she has used other cleaners in the past without problems and always checks for warning labels that state if a product is harmful to animals. The Great Value Carpet cleaner cautions only to keep out of reach of children.
Bulger called the Wal-Mart store where she got the carpet cleaner and was told she has to fill out a complaint form. I-Team contacted Wal-Mart headquarters in Arkansas about the product. A spokesperson tells I-Team 10 that product safety is a top priority and they are investigating Bulger's claims.
