Strong call from the Ministry of the Environment for pesticide use in Bogotá; Pets are most affected

Given the serious effects that the inappropriate use of pesticide products in public spaces in Bogotá can have on flora, wildlife and pets, the Regional Environment Department has launched the ‘Bogotá is responsible for pesticides’ campaign.

“As the Ministry of Environment, we call on all our citizens to pay attention to the use of pesticides and not to use them in public or private areas. Pesticides can have an impact on the health of people, pets and wildlife.said Environment Minister Carolina Urrutia.

According to the official: “We have received complaints of harm, including from pets that may have ingested such substances in public places, before the relevant authorities have implemented them. This call is very important.”

Through this campaign, the Ministry of Environment strongly states that pest control agents should only be used by those registered with the Ministry of Health in public areas or private areas affected by them, such as front yards, roofs and facades. “practitioners”, Persons who need to be properly trained and know the appropriate technical conditions for the application of this product.

This initiative aims to protect the more than 220 wild vertebrate species living in Bogotá. as well as pets and all invertebrates that may be at risk due to improper use of pesticides.

According to the Regional Institute for Animal Protection and Welfare, Improper use of these substances can affect wildlife, causing dizziness, vomiting, abdominal pain, diarrhoea, tremors, coma and even death.

Some of the recommendations made by the Environmental sector are wearing a collar, keeping their vaccinations up to date and not walking unaccompanied, among other measures to prevent pets from being affected.

Likewise, this campaign provides citizens with information on available alternatives to report potential impacts on wild or domestic animals.

Within the framework of the campaign “Bogota, responsible con los plaguicidas” (Bogotá, responsible con los plaguicidas), the Ministry of Environment will sensitize the public to other actions that may have a negative impact on the protection of the environment and the public. health, such as inadequate waste disposal.

In this sense, the Ministry of Environment recommends that citizens correctly dispose of containers containing these substances at collection points that can be found in the Environmental Geographical Imager.

The Ministry of Environment has asked the general public to participate in this strategy and to be properly informed about the correct use of these substances to contribute to the protection of the environment and the preservation of our biodiversity region.

Even dogs are not safe in Bogotá: foreign hands are killing them with poison in the parks

Habana and Miel, two Creole dogs who were adopted by a family six months ago in the Rosales neighborhood in northern Bogotá, died on August 28. The youngest entered the apartment sadly, looking for a way to tell the owner that she was in excruciating pain, the woman who gave them the house “was screaming and crying as she returned,” explains. Honey began to squirm, and was immediately taken to the veterinary clinic. No matter how hard they ran, his pet came dead.

They were devastated, they broke the news to their daughter, and at that moment the scene with Havana was repeated. Although he came to the clinic alive, his efforts were insufficient and he died the same night. Why did they both die on the same day and with similar symptoms? The only explanation is that they both ingested food that poisoned them.

It all happened on a Sunday afternoon at four o’clock in the afternoon while playing in Gustavo Uribe park in the town of Chapinero. They were released to run freely in the green field. An hour later they returned home and before dark the pets wanted to go outside again. They opened the door for them to be in the garden of the site where they lived. A few minutes passed when the story they had told the authorities and veterinarians repeatedly came to light.

Apparently this scene was experienced by several families taking their dogs for a walk in different parks of the city, according to the same veterinarians. “Maximum warning, El Virrey park is again full of poison and intoxicating the puppies (…) In one of the messages that started to circulate on social networks, it was stated that one of our patients was in serious condition and one of our patients unfortunately passed away yesterday. However, there is no official figure. The Prosecutor’s Office and the Police assure that there are no complaints of poisoning. In reality, to be able to identify them, you have to make sure they died from that cause, and this can only be obtained through an autopsy, and pet owners don’t want to experience that pain.

The head of the Bogotá Environmental Police, Mayor Yuri Piamba, and investigators from the Directorate of Conservation and Special Services, determined that the deaths of pets in similar circumstances were due to multiple causes. These substances coagulate the blood in seconds when intolerant people see that animals, some of which are roaming, go to the toilet near their homes and leave food contaminated with rat poison. Others break the glass and mix it with food, which causes intestinal destruction and the dog suffers severe pain.