by Peter Luedke
Let’s all make a push to make Tuxedo Park dog-friendly and foxtail barley free!
You may have seen the wispy seed pods of foxtail barley around the city recently. Foxtail barley is a native grass known for its potential hazards to pets, particularly dogs. The City of Calgary has recently updated its Community Standards Bylaw to better manage this plant. Previously, control measures were enforced when the grass reached 15 cm, but the new amendment mandates intervention at 8 cm. This change aims to prevent the plant from seeding and posing risks to animals, and the bylaw comes with a potential $500 penalty if the foxtail barley is not managed on a property. Residents of Tuxedo Park are encouraged to maintain their properties and adhere to these guidelines to ensure the safety of the community’s pets.
What You Can Do
On your property and in your garden:
• Cut foxtails short to prevent them going to seed
• Pull them out by hand
• Pour boiling water on plants to kill them
Tip: Property owners are accountable for maintaining the area next to their property, including boulevards up to the middle of the alley and the street.
For Your Dog
• Avoid walking through areas with foxtail barley if possible and reduce the risk by keeping your dog on a leash.
• Keep dog hair/fur short around paws, toes, and armpits.
• After walking: check dog for any foxtail awns, especially in ears, crevices or folds of skin, paws, and mouths.
• Remove awns with tweezers.
• If your dog is sneezing, shaking their head, scratching, rubbing, or chewing right after a walk, take them to a vet immediately to be safe.
More information is available on the City of Calgary website: https://www.calgary.ca/parks/natural-areas/foxtail-barley.html.
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