Posts tagged pets
Boulder Open Space and Mountain Parks to host photo contest
Jul 15th
Categories include:
• People and Recreation – may include shots of people and pets enjoying OSMP;
• Flora and Fauna – any plant or wild animal on OSMP lands;
• Scenic – landscapes that may include wildlife, flora or other elements of OSMP;
• Cultural Resources and History – images containing cultural and historic pieces;
• Under 18 years old – photographers younger than 18 years may enter photographs from any of the above categories; and
• Staff – for City of Boulder employees and their families.
There are both color and black and white subcategories.
Winning photographs will be on display at the Ranger Cottage at Chautauqua Trailhead, 900 Baseline Road in Boulder, beginning Saturday, Oct. 1, 2011. Winning photos will also be displayed in an online photo gallery on the OSMP website.
Prizes from local merchants will be awarded to the two “Best of Show” winners and to first, second and third place in each category.
Please visit www.bouldercolorado.gov/osmp/photocontest for more information, rules and entry forms.
Plague identified in City of Boulder
Jun 3rd
Boulder, CO – A domestic cat living in the 2500 block of 6th Street has tested positive for plague. Additionally, a dead squirrel found at the intersection of 8th and Maxwell Avenue has tested positive for plague. As a result, the Mapleton Hill neighborhood has been posted with signs listing precautionary measures to avoid plague.
This is the first time plague activity has been confirmed in Boulder County this season, and public health officials want to remind residents about how to protect themselves against plague.
“We want people to understand what steps they should take to protect themselves, their family members, and their pets,” said Boulder County Public Health (BCPH) Environmental Health Division Manager Joe Malinowski. “Because plague is most commonly transmitted by fleas, taking steps to avoid flea exposure will be most helpful in preventing this disease.”
Public health officials recommend the following precautions to reduce the likelihood of being exposed to plague:
· AVOID FLEAS! Protect pets with flea powder, and keep pets on a leash and out of wild rodent habitats.
· STAY OUT of areas that wild rodents inhabit. If you enter areas with wild rodents, wear insect repellent and tuck your pants cuffs into your socks to prevent flea bites.
· AVOID all contact with wild rodents, including squirrels; do not feed or handle them.
· NEVER TOUCH sick or dead animals with your bare hands. Use a long-handled shovel to place dead animals in a garbage bag, and then place the bag in an outdoor garbage can.
· PREVENT rodent infestations around your house. Clear plants and materials away from outside walls, reduce access to food items, and set traps.
· TREAT known rodent sites around your home with flea powder or a suitable insecticide.
Plague occurs naturally in Colorado and is an infectious disease spread by fleas to wild rodents and other small mammals, such as squirrels, rats, prairie dogs, and rabbits. Bubonic plague is the most common form of plague and occurs after a bite from an infected flea. Plague can spread to humans when infected fleas from squirrels, prairie dogs, and other wild rodents bite a human.
Household pets, such as dogs and especially cats, can either get plague or carry infected fleas home to their owners. In rare instances, plague can be transmitted to people from cats sick with plague. “Keeping cats indoors is the best way to protect them from getting plague,” said Malinowski. “In addition, pet owners should discuss with their veterinarians the best way to protect pets from fleas.”
Symptoms of plague infection include high fever, extreme fatigue, and painful swollen lymph nodes (called bubos). If you observe these symptoms in a person or pet, it is important to contact your health care provider or veterinarian immediately. Plague can be treated with antibiotics, but this treatment is most successful when the disease can be diagnosed quickly.
For more information about plague, please visit the BCPH web site at www.BoulderCountyHealth.org, or call the Health Alert Hotline at 303-441-1460.