MassDEP Issues Lower Air Quality Warning

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The Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (MassDEP) issued a yellow-level air quality warning for Berkshire County until at least 12:00 p.m. Tuesday, July 27.
 
According to a press release: Due to a significant smoke plume from western United States and Canadian wildfires moving over the New England region, the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (MassDEP) is issuing an air quality alert effective immediately until at least 12:00 PM today, July 27, 2021 for all Massachusetts counties, as the air is expected to be Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups. 
 
While much of the smoke is aloft, some of the plume is mixing down to the surface and increasing fine particle levels. Sensitive groups include people with heart or lung disease such as asthma, older adults, children, teenagers, and people who are active outdoors. People with either lung disease or heart disease are at greater risk from exposure to particle pollution.
 
MassDEP is advising that people in sensitive groups should reduce prolonged or heavy outdoor exertion; take more breaks and do less intense activities and follow asthma action plans and keep quick relief medicine handy. Watch for symptoms such as coughing or shortness of breath.
 
A yellow alert, or moderate, represents acceptable air quality. However, for some pollutants there may be a moderate health concern for a very small number of people. Unusually sensitive people should consider reducing prolonged or heavy exertion outdoors.
 
A red level, or unhealthy, warning was issued Monday. According to MassDEP a red alerts means everyone may begin to experience health effects. People in sensitive groups should avoid prolonged or heavy outdoor exertion and consider moving indoors or rescheduling. Those with asthma should keep quick relief medicine handy. Everyone else should reduce prolonged or heavy outdoor exertion and take more breaks and do less intense activities.
 
More details are available, including forecasts and real-time data, at MassDEP’s MassAir Online site here.
 
 
 

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ADOPTED! Companion Corner: Cali and Kyzer at Berkshire Humane Society

By Breanna SteeleiBerkshires Staff

Great news, Kyzer and Cali found a home for Christmas already! Still looking for a new friend for the holidays? There are plenty of dogs and cats and small animals at Berkshire Humane who would love to go home with you.

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — There's a bonded dog pair awaiting a new family at the Berkshire Humane Society.

Kyzer and Cali are both poodles. Kyzer is the male and is 7 years old, a quite a bit bigger than his sister Cali, who is a miniature of Kyzer and 8 years old.

Canine adoption counselor Rhonda Cyr introduced us to the two.

"They came from a household that couldn't hold on to them, and it sounds like they may have been abandoned by their previous owner with somebody else, and so they came to us looking for a new home," she said.

The two love to be around you and snuggle. But both are very happy dogs.

"Kyzer is 7 years old, and his personality is that he kind of wants to be in everything. He's very loving, very snuggly, as you can tell. And Callie here, she's 8 years old, and she is kind of like the life of the party," said Cyr. "She wants to tell you everything about her day, and she's a little bit of a little ham."

The two are considered seniors and really like soft treats as Cali just had a few teeth removed and Kyzer has a tooth procedure coming up.

"Currently, they really like soft treats, because they are both on the senior side of things. So they have had some dental work, so they are really in need of something softer. They are not big chewers at this age, really, their main focus right now is just really socializing and cuddling," Cyr said.

The two would love a quiet home with someone who wants to snuggle. They shouldn't go to a home with bigger dogs but if you have a dog, you can bring them in for a visitation with the poodles to see if they will get along. Cats will be fine and the preference is for older and more responsible children so that the pups don't get hurt, as they are senior citizens.

"The perfect home for them would be a quiet home that's not too active. Like I said, they're very social, so they could handle some visitors," she said. "They're very friendly, but I don't think that they would really enjoy any other dogs in the home."

Poodles need to be regularly groomed, and the prospective adopter will have to keep an eye on their health. Kyzer has a heart murmur that needs to be monitored. This doesn't mean he is in bad health, as he could live a perfectly normal life, but he will need to be checked by a veterinary specialist routinely.

"Ideally, he would go to a home that could provide further health care with a specialist in cardiac care. And you know, he could very well live out the rest of his life comfortably and happy," Cyr said. "We just don't have all that information at the moment, but I think that you know the way he's going right now. He's got a good spirit, and he seems to be pretty happy."

The shelter is hoping the to get them a home for the holidays.

"We would love to get them a home in time for the holidays. They've been here since the eighth of November, and they're really, really looking as much as the staff loves them here, we're really looking to get them into a home and somewhere nice and cozy so they can spend the rest of their life together," she said.

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