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Glenn Shelton blames repellent spray for death of pets in his home

An animal lover is devastated after three of his pets died, shortly after he sprayed a liquid repellent product in his home.

Glenn Shelton, of Vale Road, Northfleet, bought the No Wet spray for £14.99 from online firm Wet Proof, which claims to utilise nanotechnology to create a waterproof sheen on fabrics, glass, wood, and other materials.

But the 42-year-old claims the spray killed his canary, Jaffa, and African grey parrot, Jack, as well as one of his three dogs, Gizzy.

Glenn Shelton is devastated after the death of his parrot Jack
Glenn Shelton is devastated after the death of his parrot Jack

Another dog, Gem, suffered breathing difficulties.

The company has said the situation was "absolutely dreadful" but does not believe Mr Shelton followed safety warnings.

Mr Shelton said he became interested in buying the product after seeing it advertised on Facebook with positive reviews.

“I wanted to use it on my shower, which is in a big bathroom with an extractor fan, and my birds and dogs were at the other side of the house,” he said.

“About an hour later my dog was foaming at the mouth and panting heavily and my birds were breathing heavily as well and as I took them out they died in my hands.

Pet dog Gizzy died
Pet dog Gizzy died

“I took the dog to the emergency vet but it died as well and another one of them has a lung problem.

“Both me and my partner went to hospital with shortness of breath. If it can do this to dogs what could it do to a newborn child?”

Mr Shelton, who described the spray as "smell-less", said that he read the can "word for word".

However, company director Magdalena Zyla insisted all Wet Proof products come with safety warnings.

On the can, there are warnings the product is highly flammable, to keep out of reach of children, not to inhale, to use in well-ventilated areas and to wear breathing and eye protection while applying.

The water repellent spray used by Mr Shelton
The water repellent spray used by Mr Shelton

She said they responded "quickly" and "extremely seriously" to Mr Shelton’s complaint and request for a list of ingredients in the spray.

After an initial investigation, they believed he had failed to follow the safety instructions and said he admitted he had not read them.

She added: “All our products come with safety warnings including fire and hazard pictograms and a safety leaflet is also provided.

“Mr Shelton did not use breathing protection which is highly recommended while applying the product and can be found on the product label as well as on the information leaflet included.

“As a small, family-run business, the safety of our customers and their loved ones is most important to us.

The warning on the can
The warning on the can

“The situation which has arisen is absolutely dreadful and we feel for Mr Shelton but there could have been a number of factors influencing the health of the animals.

“It is extremely important that anyone using any product placed on the market reads the safety labels and instructions provided before use.

“Failing to do so in any case can have unwanted consequences.”

The company shut down its Facebook page after Mr Shelton publicly posted his concerns, which Ms Zyla said led to a number of "harassing messages" from those who saw the post.

She added the firm would remain in touch with Mr Shelton to "try to resolve the situation".

Mr Shelton said he felt the warnings were insufficient.

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