ALVA Woodpeckers build home in Alva woman’s house You may have heard of squatters, but this woman is dealing with squawkers. Who needs a rooster to wake up when you have woodpeckers?
FORT MYERS Man claims he was trapped in a high-rise for 5 days A 77-year-old man wants justice after he claims he spent days trapped on the 24th floor of a high-rise apartment building.
PUNTA GORDA Charlotte Correctional prisoner arrested for death of another inmate State Attorney Amira Fox convened a grand jury, which decided to move forward with a case against a Charlotte Correctional inmate.
SANIBEL Construction near Dairy Queen eagle nest on Sanibel raises concerns While many eagle nests may be a bit difficult to see, one nest has always been a favorite for Sanibel residents and tourists.
The environmental effects of artificial sweeteners Experts are studying how the foods we eat affect the environment, especially after we flush our waste down the toilet.
Victim reacts to man exposing himself to her Ring camera You get a notification on your phone from your ring camera app that someone is at the door, only to find out it is someone exposing themselves. It’s the last thing victim Maria Kivi wanted or expected to see last week.
LEE COUNTY The art of capturing your eye and drawing you in How do you capture young, hip, trendy, fun, movers and shakers, all in a pose? We take you behind the scenes of a Gulfshore Life cover shoot.
FORT MYERS The lives of two SJC Boxers changed in the ring Two SJC Boxers, Mario Nunez and Arbon Kurtishi, help each other in the ring as each of them had their lives changed because of boxing.
FORT MYERS Chlamydia cases rising sharply in Lee County If you think about a crowded space- something with more than 250 people- if it’s in Lee county, statistically one person has chlamydia.
SANIBEL Sanibel resort day passes hope to get more business on the island A pass will allow vacationers to hang out at a Sanibel beach club for a day in hopes of drumming up some business.
Voting equipment tested ahead of Lee County elections Voting equipment is being tested in Lee County. This is to ensure all ballots are printed and counted correctly for the upcoming election.
Collier County teen assaulted after leaving party The teen has been charged and the sheriff’s office said they’re aware that many believe felony charges are in order, but under Florida law, there are very specific criteria that must be met for felony charges to be filed.
WINK weather team watching tropical wave over Atlantic Ocean The Weather Authority is watching a tropical disturbance over the Central Atlantic Ocean.
CAPE CORAL Cape Coral drug bust leads investigators to fake fentanyl, cash and guns Cape Coral man arrest on drug charges. Investigators said they found, guns, drugs, and more than $32,000 in Richard Riley’s home.
NAPLES Naples youth flag football team to compete in Ohio tournament This weekend, the Naples Lunatics Green will compete in the Superhero Sports tournament in Canton, Ohio.
ALVA Woodpeckers build home in Alva woman’s house You may have heard of squatters, but this woman is dealing with squawkers. Who needs a rooster to wake up when you have woodpeckers?
FORT MYERS Man claims he was trapped in a high-rise for 5 days A 77-year-old man wants justice after he claims he spent days trapped on the 24th floor of a high-rise apartment building.
PUNTA GORDA Charlotte Correctional prisoner arrested for death of another inmate State Attorney Amira Fox convened a grand jury, which decided to move forward with a case against a Charlotte Correctional inmate.
SANIBEL Construction near Dairy Queen eagle nest on Sanibel raises concerns While many eagle nests may be a bit difficult to see, one nest has always been a favorite for Sanibel residents and tourists.
The environmental effects of artificial sweeteners Experts are studying how the foods we eat affect the environment, especially after we flush our waste down the toilet.
Victim reacts to man exposing himself to her Ring camera You get a notification on your phone from your ring camera app that someone is at the door, only to find out it is someone exposing themselves. It’s the last thing victim Maria Kivi wanted or expected to see last week.
LEE COUNTY The art of capturing your eye and drawing you in How do you capture young, hip, trendy, fun, movers and shakers, all in a pose? We take you behind the scenes of a Gulfshore Life cover shoot.
FORT MYERS The lives of two SJC Boxers changed in the ring Two SJC Boxers, Mario Nunez and Arbon Kurtishi, help each other in the ring as each of them had their lives changed because of boxing.
FORT MYERS Chlamydia cases rising sharply in Lee County If you think about a crowded space- something with more than 250 people- if it’s in Lee county, statistically one person has chlamydia.
SANIBEL Sanibel resort day passes hope to get more business on the island A pass will allow vacationers to hang out at a Sanibel beach club for a day in hopes of drumming up some business.
Voting equipment tested ahead of Lee County elections Voting equipment is being tested in Lee County. This is to ensure all ballots are printed and counted correctly for the upcoming election.
Collier County teen assaulted after leaving party The teen has been charged and the sheriff’s office said they’re aware that many believe felony charges are in order, but under Florida law, there are very specific criteria that must be met for felony charges to be filed.
WINK weather team watching tropical wave over Atlantic Ocean The Weather Authority is watching a tropical disturbance over the Central Atlantic Ocean.
CAPE CORAL Cape Coral drug bust leads investigators to fake fentanyl, cash and guns Cape Coral man arrest on drug charges. Investigators said they found, guns, drugs, and more than $32,000 in Richard Riley’s home.
NAPLES Naples youth flag football team to compete in Ohio tournament This weekend, the Naples Lunatics Green will compete in the Superhero Sports tournament in Canton, Ohio.
12-year-old Buddah. Credit: WINK News. A Southwest Florida pet owner has a warning for others about possible side effects from a popular flea and tick medication. The local dog owner says people’s dogs could end up with lost mobility and limping. We also spoke to a veterinarian about the commonality of these side effects. Pet owner Joe Brewster says his dog, 12-year-old Buddha, is getting around a little slower these days. “She gets tired,” Brewster said. “She had a better walk; she walked a little bit farther because she wants to do it.” Brewster believes it’s not from her old age. He said Buddha had a seizure and then lost mobility in her back legs. So he took her to the vet and a neurologist. “They asked me if I changed flea and tick medication,” Brewster said. “And I thought for a minute, and I go, ‘Yeah, three days before.’” Brewster told us, days before Buddha’s episode, he treated her with PetArmor Plus for Dogs. “As far as a normal, healthy dog, there is no research to suggest that it causes neurological activity,” said Dr. Wendy Mandese, a veterinarian and a professor at UF. Mandese explained side effects like Buddha’s are rare. “We may see an animal that has an issue one or two times a year,” Mandese said. “It’s very uncommon. I would say the diseases we see that are caused from a disease carried by fleas and ticks is much more common than side effects you may see from the product itself.” The EPA told us the agency received more than 1,300 reports of “unreasonable adverse side effects” from PetArmor since 2011. The EPA terms that as “very small” compared to the volume of PetArmor Plus sold annually. We asked the makers of PetArmor Plus to respond to Brewster’s claim, but we have not received a response. Brewster said, at the very least, the package should warn users there is a risk of seizure. “This isn’t right. This is animal abuse, basically,” Brewster said. “They shouldn’t be using this in flea and tick medication if it’s bad for pets.” Environmental Protection Agency statement During the period Jan. 1, 2011, until Mar. 31, 2020, there have been a total of 67 human (either minor or symptoms unknown or unspecified) and 1,380 domestic animal incidents reported under section 6(a)(2) of the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide and Rodenticide Act, which states the following: “If at any time after the registration of a pesticide the registrant has additional factual information regarding unreasonable adverse effects on the environment of the pesticide, the registrant shall submit such information to the Administrator.” EPA uses these data in its regulation of pesticides to help determine whether additional regulatory action is necessary. When considering the above data, one must weigh the number of adverse incidents against the number of doses of the product sold. While sales numbers are confidential business information, EPA does have access to sales figures. The number of adverse reactions is very small in comparison to product sales. In 2009, EPA took numerous actions to improve the safety of spot-on flea and tick products like PetArmor. The FDA has put out warnings to owners about adverse side effects on other flea and tick medication products that contain Isoxazoline. MORE: EPA Evaluation of Pet Spot-on Products: Analysis and Plans for Reducing Harmful Effects Fact Sheet for Pet Owners and Veterinarians about Potential Adverse Events Associated with Isoxazoline Flea and Tick Products