Peterson Children injured in Pesticide Exposure Legal Fund

Hello friends ,

On Sunday August 31st 2025 our 3 young children were fogged with pesticides by the City of Belle Fourche while they were doing evening chores on our property line. As Harolynn ( 11) Vilora (7) and their little sister Marilla (3) were gathering up their goats to bring back to the house from grazing they were caught by surprise by the fogger . I was all the way up at the house and heard a loud noise I thought was a swather and turned to yell at the kids to not walk on the road when to my horror I saw a fogging truck full blast. I yelled at my children to drop the goats and start running for the house. My children were scared , trying to drag goats and a toddler up the bar ditch quite a ways a way to the house. At one point they even tried getting under a piece of tarp to hide and get away from it when I yelled at them to get out of there. The city employee continued to fog them with pesticides and before they could all three get into the driveway and out of the drift he came back down and fogged again . My daughter's immediately suffered skin irritation , sore throats and burning nasal passages. Upon going to urgent care for chest x rays we found out that our toddlers pediatrician has now diagnosed her with Reactive Airway Disease and is having to use a nebulizer and being sent to an Asthma and Allergy specialist to pursue a formal Asthma diagnosis . After fighting tooth and nail we were informed by the States Attorney it is not a crime to recklessly expose fog and endanger children at close range without consent or prior notification of spraying said pesticides and that we need to pursue Civil Recouse with a Civil Attorney . We would not be asking for help getting started with the Civil attorney fees if we had not been told there is a statute of limitations . We have an open investigation going with the SD Department of Agriculure with no timeline as the investigator is out on a medical emergency . We will continue to fight for our kids , for accountability for injuring our children and for responsibility when using pesticides and herbicides. We prayerfully and thankfully ask you to consider joining our fight by donating to our cause for legal fees and medical costs as well as calling Butte County Comissioners , City of Belle Fourche governments , Congressman & representatives, SD Department of Ag , Attorney General and beyond . As always prayer is so powerful . Please share our posts and spread the word !Thank you in advance - Zach & Lacy Peterson Family