PERRYSBURG, Ohio — A toxic field of weeds off of Perrysburg's Eckel Junction Road nearby Costco is harmful to pets, having already sent two to the hospital.
So, Perrysburg Mayor Tom Mackin wrote a letter to the Ohio Department of Agriculture to list foxtail barley as a noxious weed.
The owners of the field said they weren't able to spray for the weeds earlier this year due to wet weather, but that decision has had a domino effect that has caused multiple problems for nearby residents.
"[It's] almost impossible to clean up, and it's very dangerous to animals, small children, or even big people," Eckel Junction resident Diane Rasure said. "They're barbed, so they get stuck in your lungs and nose."
Rasure says there's been enough foxtail to make piles in her yard, and her neighbor's dogs have already had to go to the hospital with foxtail in their throats.
"We're hoping to alleviate this field of this foxtail barley, whatever it takes, because we're still being affected by it," she said.
Mackin said mowing the foxtail down would only cause it to spread more.
And the field is on private farmland.
"We want to be mindful of those property rights, and we want to make sure those are protected, but we do have to do something to help the neighbors," Mackin said.
If the barley is listed as a noxious weed, it would give the city more control to take action against the harmful field and "eradicate the problem," Mackin said.
Rasure said she's happy to see the city take the situation seriously.
"We're really hoping this field will no longer exist," she said.
According to the Ohio Department of Agriculture, the proposal must go through the rule-making process defined by the Ohio Revised Code, which can take several months.
Perrysburg City Council held a meeting on Tuesday where locals were able to discuss the issue more.