The Silicon Valley resident didn't let the death of her beloved pet fade from memory, however. After discovering that antifreeze has a sweet taste despite its toxicity, she contacted local politicians, looking to make a change. She finally entered her proposal into the "There Oughta Be a Law" contest sponsored by California Assemblyman Joe Simitian and won. Due to her actions, most antifreeze in the state must now carry a bittering agent—a bittersweet victory for Ward.

In 2000, Ward took Angus to the vet, where he licked a green stain in the parking lot. "I generally don't allow my dogs to move around, but it happened just in the time it took me to find my purse and shut the door," she says. Within hours he was sick, but days later, Angus was on dialysis and going blind in the care of a veterinarian at UC Davis.

Sunnyvale veterinarian Ken Sawyer, with the Murphy Avenue Pet Clinic, doesn't see too many cases of antifreeze poisoning, but those that do come through his doors can't always be helped. "Unfortunately, we don't see them until it's too late," he says, citing neurological problems and kidney failure as the chief effects of ethylene glycol toxicosis, which often require putting the animal to sleep.

The Ward family made the choice to euthanize their puppy, and when specialists listed the probable causes of Angus' condition, Ward could immediately pinpoint the culprit. "We tend to think of it in terms of big spills, but all it takes is a little drip," she says. Simitian's office quotes manufacturer Sierra Antifreeze, which estimated that 90,000 pets and animals die each year in the United States from ethylene glycol-based antifreeze ingestion.

"I went online and looked up statistics, and I was aghast when I read things like [the fact that] a quarter of a teaspoon of antifreeze kills a cat," Ward says. "I couldn't believe there weren't regulations against something so poisonous." She began calling around to the offices of various elected officials, including then-Gov. Gray Davis.

Her only lead came when she spoke to Simitian's staff, who encouraged Ward to enter the assemblyman's inaugural "There Oughta Be a Law" contest in 2000. "Lauren had a very thorough package," Simitian says. "The bill had a lot to recommend it—it was a high-impact proposition that could save the lives of pets, wildlife and children." Simitian chose Ward's proposal also because it would have minimal financial impact on the state and because the state of Oregon has already implemented similar regulations for the past 10 years with proven effects.

"It has the potential to create a ripple effect in other states in the country if the program is successful in a state as large as California," Simitian says.

Originally, Ward's bill had a farther reach, but she discovered the reality of politics with her several trips to Sacramento to support the legislation. "When I spoke in front of the assembly, I held up vials of Gatorade and antifreeze—they look the same," she says.

Still, this didn't persuade the assembly to ignore lobbyists. Ward's original proposal required manufacturers to switch to the less toxic propylene glycol. "If there's an alternative, we should use it," Ward says.

Her bill eventually passed, but rather than switching to propylene glycol, the law requires manufacturers to add a bittering agent to antifreeze sold and used in California. Out-of-state vehicles and 55-gallon barrels are exempt from the regulations. Ward's bill became law in 2002, but manufacturers were given a year to comply with the standards, hence the Jan. 1 date of effectiveness.

"It'll help some," Sawyer says. "Cats won't go for it, but some dogs will just eat up anything. But if it saves the lives of a few pets, and kids as well, then it's worth it." Sawyer agrees with Ward's stricter ecological stance, and says he'd like to see regulations eventually tightened. "What would really help is if we'd stop using ethylene glycol. I'd prefer to see that instead."

The bureaucracy and politicking that stalled her original proposal has jaded Ward. "Now I know how the government works, and it's somewhat self-defeating," she says. Ward still hopes to use the experience to push for further antifreeze controls as well as address similar problems. She says chemicals like Windex resemble consumables, but she's hoping not to be as easily deterred next time she pushes for a change. "You have to keep chipping away," she says.