Blog

Parker Recreation Center and Pool – Most Restrictions Lifted

March 16, 2022 By Chrissy

Aside from Day Camp, masks are not required in Parker Recreation facilities. If you feel more comfortable wearing a face covering, please continue to do so. Refer to the Colorado Department of Public Health & Environment (CDPHE) for further guidelines. Douglas County has eliminated reduced capacity limitations. Parker Parks and Recreation will continue to use thorough cleaning and sanitization procedures and ask that staff and patrons continue to follow good hygiene practices and stay home if feeling ill.

Recreation Center Hours

Monday – Friday
5 a.m. – 10 p.m.
The pool closes at 9 p.m.

Saturday – Sunday
7 a.m. – 5 p.m.
The pool closes at 4:30 p.m.

Recreation Facility Updates

For the foreseeable future, Group Fitness participants, including Aqua Aerobics, will continue to register for classes and all guests check-in with a valid ACTIVENet (Parker Rec) account and ID. Click here to create an account. If you have a Parker Recreation membership, passes, or have registered for an activity or league, you already have an account.

The Recreation Center Indoor Pool has a capacity limit and there may be wait times during peak hours.

Visit the Parker Recreation memberships and passes page for costs associated with daily, 10-visit, and 20-visit passes and memberships.

Child Care

Recreation Center Child Care hours are Monday through Saturday from 8:30 a.m. to noon and evening hours Monday through Thursday from 4:30 to 7 p.m. Daily time limits are 75 minutes for ages 3 to 18 months and two hours for children over 18 months. Child Care follows the Douglas County School District’s closure and delayed schedule policy. During DCSD delayed start or snow day, Child Care will open at 10 a.m. Click here for additional Child Care information.

Please adhere to the Patron Code of Conduct (PDF).

Saint Patrick’s Day things to do in Parker CO

March 11, 2022 By Chrissy

Town of Parker offering St. Patrick’s Day Activities

saint patricks day fun in parker colorado

The Town of Parker is excited to welcome Lucky the Leprechaun back to our community this year for his second annual appearance around St. Patrick’s Day!

Lucky will be strolling (and hiding) around Mainstreet the Saturdays before and after St. Patrick’s Day (March 12 and 19) from noon to 4 p.m. While Lucky is in Town, residents and visitors are invited to participate in a game of “Seek Out the Shamrocks,” as our favorite Leprechaun will be hiding 17 shamrocks throughout the community.

Can you spot Lucky and find the shamrocks? If so, you might win a prize! Just post a photo of either a hidden shamrock or Lucky himself on the Town’s Facebook page @TownOfParkerCO) by 10 a.m. Monday, March 21 to be entered into a drawing for a prize basket. Community members are eligible to enter multiple times as long as they spot Lucky the Leprechaun on different days and seek out multiple shamrocks!

For more information, about this fun St. Patrick’s Day activity, visit www.ParkerOnline.org/Events or call 303.805.3253.

There are a couple of local bars that are having green festivities in honor of St Paddy’s Day in Parker… take a look below!

Saint Patrick’s Weekend Bash at Barnett & Son Brewing Co.

18425 Pony Express Dr, Parker, CO 80134

March 17, 18 & 19 3-9 p.m.

St. Patrick’s Day falls on a Thursday this year, which was all the motivation Barnett & Son needed to host a 3-day celebration to showcase some of their favorite Irish and Scottish-inspired beer styles. Usual suspects Saoirse Irish Red, and Falling Skye Scottish Ale will join a batch of Mo Chroi Irish Black Ale made for the holiday, with a green beer on tap for good measure. The long weekend will include daily performances by the Celtic Steps dance group and Centennial’s Reed School of Irish Dance, and live music by Juice O’ The Barley on Friday and Saturday.

Mo Chroi Irish Black Ale gets its color and full body from the unplanned addition of Roast instead of Special Roast malt to a batch of wheat. The final beer struck a balance between deep malt flavor upfront and clean, subtle bitterness on the finish that characterizes many Irish-style ales, so it earned a place in the annual St. Patrick’s Day lineup.

Keep the specialty glass while supplies last, buy a special t-shirt made for the occasion, and come hungry for Irish-inspired eats prepared by three food trucks: The Family Meal will serve on Thursday, Schnitzelwirt on Friday, and Uncle Tapas on Saturday.

Celtic Pub Goes Green

The Celtic House Pub is located at 16522 Keystone Blvd., Parker, CO.
They don’t have any events listed on their socials or website but we assume they’ll have green beer & Guinness on St Paddy’s Day

Downhill Brewing

2022 DOWNHILL BREWING ST. PADDY’S DAY PARTY!

ood ole St. Paddy’s Day shenanigans!!! We will have all the green beer for your drinking pleasure, a 2022 Limited Edition T-shirt (while supplies last), and Irish Dancers at 2:00 pm. Gather up all your Irish drinking gear and get on down to the taproom, it’s going to be a good time……CHEERS!!

18921 Plaza Drive, Unit 104
Parker, CO 80134

Takoda Tavern

THU, MAR 176:00pm-7:00pm Celtic Steps Dancer

12365 Pine Bluffs Way
Parker, Colorado 80134
(720) 851-5302

Welcome Home Brewery

We’re celebrating a little early….

We are honored to host the Castlewood Lion Bag Pipe Band. Please come show some support and enjoy some traditional and not-so-traditional music.

Followed by Irish Dancers from Reeds School of Irish Dancing (around 4 pm)

We will have beer, snacks and plenty of entertainment. Wear your green and join us for a fun St Patty’s celebration!

Irish Recipes

Shepherds Pie

An Irish friend of mine (Lorna O’Brien) let it be known that Corned Beef and Cabbage is NOT a traditional Irish meal, but Shepherds Pie is.

These handheld individual shepherds pies look great and I love the Cilantro Clover accents on the top.

Cream Cheese Crust

Ingredients
4 oz. cold butter (1 stick)
4 oz. cream cheese
1 teaspoon salt
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon sugar
1/4 cup whole milk, plus 2-3 tablespoons

Shepherd’s Pie Filling

Ingredients
1 large onion, diced
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon sugar
1/2 lb. ground lamb
2 medium carrots, diced
1 medium Yukon gold potato, diced (or 1/2 cup leftover mashed potatoes)
1/2 cup frozen peas
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 sprigs fresh thyme
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 tablespoon flour
1 can dark beer (such as Guinness)
Splash heavy cream

CLICK FOR SHEPHERDS PIE DIRECTIONS

Gluten-Free Saint Patrick’s Day Recipes

Looking for traditional Saint Patrick’s Day fare? You’re in luck! Soda bread, corned beef, shepherds pie – oh my! See the full gluten-free menu below.

Irish Soda Bread
Authentic Irish Colcannon
Traditional Shepherd’s Pie
Slow Cooker Corned Beef & Cabbage
Irish Cream Macarons

Tips for Saint Patricks Day from the Parker PD

Saint Patrick’s Day in Denver

Denver’s Saint Patricks Day Parade is March 12, 2022

Free things to do in Denver Colorado

March 3, 2022 By Chrissy

free things to do in Denver Colorado Summer 2022 — Red Rocks is always open to enjoy.

Colorado has some great things to do for free throughout the year and some of our favorite Denver Bucket List destinations.

COLORADO FREE THINGS TO DO

The Scientific & Cultural Facilities District is a voter-approved special district in the seven-county metro area that provides a stable source of supplemental funding to more than 300 scientific and cultural organizations inside the district’s boundaries. The SCFD collects a one-tenth of 1 percent sales-and-use tax (or one penny on every $10 spent), providing approximately $40 million each year to area cultural attractions both small and large.

Museum Admission is free on the dates listed below. To add a temporary exhibit, IMAX or Planetarium show, purchase tickets at the Museum on the Free Day; upgrade rates apply. Reservations and amenities (lunchroom, coat and lunch storage, bus drop off, etc.) for school groups are not available on SCFD Community Free Days.

Due to COVID restrictions, most of the Free Days require tickets or sign-ups that must be secured prior to your visit. Please click on the venue name to check the ticket/sign-up requirements.

2022 SCFD Community Free Days

FREE DAYS AT THE DENVER MUSEUM OF NATURE & SCIENCE

Denver Museum of Nature & Science
2001 Colorado Blvd.
Denver, CO

Denver Museum of Nature & Science
2001 Colorado Blvd., Denver | (303) 370-6000
A special note: Families who receive Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits can visit the museum any time throughout the year and pay just $1 per person (up to 10 family members) when they show their EBT card. Admission can not be paid with the EBT card; it is simply proof of program participation.

The 2022 DMNS SCFD Free Days are
Sunday, May 1 – Children’s Day
Monday, May 23
Wednesday, June 29 (Free Night)
Wednesday, Aug. 17 (Free Night)
Wednesday, Sept. 7 (Free Night)
Monday, Sept. 19
Sunday, Oct. 9 – Out! at the Museum
Monday, Dec. 5

2022 SCFD Free Days

The Scientific & Cultural Facilities District is a voter-approved special district in the seven-county metro area that provides a stable source of supplemental funding to more than 300 scientific and cultural organizations within the district’s boundaries. The SCFD collects a one-tenth of 1 percent sales-and-use tax (or one penny on every $10 spent), providing approximately $40 million each year to area cultural attractions both small and large.

Satisfy your science curiosity in a safe environment during our SCFD Free Days. The Museum is currently operating under limited capacity for all guests as we follow local and state guidelines. We encourage you to check back before every free day for the latest recommendations and reserve your tickets in advance.

Denver Zoo

2300 Steele St., Denver | (720) 337-1400

Free Day tickets are only available through this system, they no longer accept walk-ins on Free Days.

Step 1: Check the chart below for lottery open dates.

Step 2: During the 5-day lottery registration period, click HERE to enter the lottery.

Step 3: Winners will be notified by email, so check your inbox daily for your vouchers.

Step 4: If you win, you MUST click the link in the email to reserve your tickets and entry time.

Step 5: On your designated Free Day, bring your tickets to the Zoo—and have a great day!

THE FINE PRINT: You may register to win (5) free tickets per transaction. Limit one registration per person, per Free Day. Vouchers and tickets are available ONLINE ONLY. No tickets will be available at the Zoo gate. All guests must have a timed ticket for entry, including children 2 and under. Tickets are valid only for the specific Free Day and entry time you reserved.

2022 DENVER ZOO FREE DAYS

Key Dates for Lottery + Winner Notification

FREE DAY	LOTTERY OPENS	LOTTERY CLOSES	WINNERS NOTIFIED
Friday, January 7	Sunday, December 26	Thursday, December 30	Friday, December 31
Saturday, January 22	Monday, January 10	Friday, January 14	Saturday, January 15
Sunday, February 6	Tuesday, January 25	Saturday, January 29	Sunday, January 30
Sunday, April 10	Tuesday, March 29	Saturday, April 2	Sunday, April 3
Saturday, October 8	Monday, September 26	Friday, September 30	Saturday, October 1
Tuesday, November 1	Thursday, October 20	Monday, October 24	Tuesday, October 25
Sunday, November 13	Tuesday, November 1	Saturday, November 5	Sunday, November 6

Watch the website for more.

REMINDER: Denver Zoo Share the Love Days vouchers and tickets are available ONLINE ONLY. No tickets will be available onsite. You must redeem your voucher for a timed ticket in order to enter the park. All guests must have a time ticket for entry, including children 2 and under.

MORE FREE DENVER EVENTS

Friday, March 4 and Friday, April 8: Friends of Dinosaur Ridge. Explore the home of the world’s first Stegosaurus discovery and see dozens of other fossils and prehistoric tracks at the top-rated dinosaur track site in the U.S.

Wednesday, March 16 and Saturday, March 19: Denver Botanic Gardens. Immerse yourselves in flora from every corner of the globe as your family enjoys acres of natural beauty.

Friday, March 11 and Friday, April 8: Four Mile Historic Park. Take a trip back to Colorado’s pioneer days as you walk through the park featuring historically accurate replicas, a working farm, and the site of Denver’s oldest standing structure. 715 S. Forest St., Denver | (720) 865-0800

Sunday, May 1 and Monday, May 23: Denver Museum of Nature & Science. Enjoy a full day of exploration as your family wanders through exhibits that take you through all aspects of the natural world from the days when dinosaurs walked the earth to modern space exploration.

Denver Art Museum Free Days 2022

Visit the Denver Art Museum and enjoy free general admission all day!

Please note: Free Days do not include admission to Whistler to Cassatt.

April 12, 2022
April 24, 2022

History Colorado Center
1200 Broadway, Denver | (303) 447-8679
A special note: Families who receive Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits can visit the Museum any time throughout the year and pay just $1 per person (up to 10 family members) when they show their EBT card. Admission can not be paid with the EBT card; it is simply proof of program participation. History Colorado Center offers free admission for all active duty, National Guard and Reserve military personnel and their families every day!

Dates TBA

Always Free: Aurora History Museum, Hudson Gardens, and Museum of Outdoor Arts.

Additionally, you can request free passes for a variety of area museums through the Culture Pass offered by your local library. Passes are for general admission for a specific day and are very limited in quantity.

Participating venues include Butterfly Pavilion, Clyfford Still Museum, Denver Firefighters Museum, Denver Museum of Nature & Science, History Colorado Center, Molly Brown House Museum, Museum of Contemporary Art Denver, and Wings Over the Rockies Air & Space Museum.

Denver Mint

Tours at the Denver Mint are free. Learn how to make reservations here.

Hudson Gardens

Hudson Gardens in Littleton offer free admission every day.

Aurora History Museum

The Aurora History Museum offers free admission every day.

FREE DAYS AT NATIONAL PARKS IN COLORADO

The National Park Service will have five entrance fee-free days in 2022. The free admission days are designed to encourage discovery and visitation of the country’s variety of national parks. With at least one in every state, national parks are accessible places to visit to refresh body, mind and spirit.

The free entrance dates for 2022 are:

Monday, January 17 – Martin Luther King, Jr. Day
Saturday, April 16 – First Day of National Park Week
Thursday, August 4 – Anniversary of the Great American Outdoors Act
Saturday, September 24 – National Public Lands Day
Friday, November 11 – Veterans Day

“Whether on an entrance fee-free day or throughout the year, we encourage everyone to discover their national parks and the benefits that come from spending time outdoors,” said National Park Service Director Chuck Sams. “National parks are for everyone and we are committed to increasing access and providing opportunities for all to experience the sense of wonder, awe and refreshment that comes with a visit to these treasured landscapes and sites.”

Participating Parks include:
Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park
Colorado National Monument
Dinosaur National Monument
Florissant Fossil Beds National Monument
Great Sand Dunes National Park & Preserve
Hovenweep National Monument
Mesa Verde National Park
Rocky Mountain National Park

PLAINS CONSERVATION CENTER

Plains Conservation Center
21901 E. Hampden Ave, Aurora
303-326-8380

CLYFFORD STILL MUSEUM

Clyfford Still Museum
1250 Bannock Street, Denver
720-354-4880

COLORADO RAILROAD MUSEUM

COLORADO RAILROAD MUSEUM
17155 W. 44th Avenue, Golden
303-279-4591

FOUR MILE HISTORIC PARK

FOUR MILE HISTORIC PARK
715 S. Forest St., Denver
720-865-0800
2nd Friday of every month (except holidays) from 12-4 pm

Red Rocks

You can visit the historic music venue most days to hike, walk the steps or just sit and enjoy a latte or read a book.

Summer Events in Parker

February 24, 2022 By Chrissy

Annual Favorites for Locals

These events are planned by various organizations. If you would like to participate or volunteer, please contact them directly.

Parker Farmers Market

Held weekly Mother’s Day through October, the 60-booth Parker Farmers Market fills Mainstreet on Summer Sundays from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. The market sells fresh produce, bakery goods, and other food products along with many handcrafted items and ready-to-eat food. Venture out and enjoy the atmosphere of downtown Parker, local shops, and the great Farmer’s market fare. Mainstreet will be closed on Sundays during the market.

Parker Wine Walk

On the last Friday of each month you can join the Parker Chamber on Mainstreet for a fun evening of wine sampling, meeting the shopkeepers on Mainstreet and getting to know your neighbors.

Movies in the Park

The Parker Chamber’s FREE Movies in the Park series kicks off in July at O’Brien Park. Movies are rated G and open to the public. Entertainment begins at 6:30 p.m., with the movie beginning at dusk.

Free Concerts at Discovery Park

A new venue for the free summer concerts sponsored by Parker Arts. This new park located at the Library is host to the concerts in the park this year. Parking is available at the library and across the street at the PACE Center.

Parker Days Festival

Parker Days runs Thursday sneak-peek through Sunday the 2nd weekend of June.

July 4th Stars & Stripes Celebration

Celebrate Independence Day with the Town of Parker at Salisbury Park on July 4 from 6 to 10 p.m. Come and enjoy family fun including live music and free children’s games and activities. Live music and festive concessions will be available and the grand fireworks display will begin at 9:30 p.m. The event is free and on-site parking will be available for $5, cash only. For more information about the event, parking, maps, event programs and suggestions on fireworks-viewing locations

Parker Brewfest SATURDAY, AUGUST 13, 2022 AT 1 PM – 5 PM

Downtown Parker, Colorado
O’Brien Park

Hosted by the Cherry Creek Valley Rotary Club of Parker, this is their largest fundraiser where 100% proceeds go to various charities.

With admission, you enjoy unlimited sample-sized pours!

Disclaimers:

* This is a 21+ Event only; no children are allowed
* No Smoking Please
* No Pets Please
* This is a rain or shine event and all sales are final
* Tickets most likely going on sale June 3rd 2022.

Art in the Park

Come downtown to O’Brien Park for the Parker Artists Guild’s Art in the Park event in August 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. At Art in the Park, you’ll enjoy entries from more than 100 local and regional artists with a variety of works, including photography, pottery, glass, wood, jewelry, all painting media and much more. Admission is free and there will be an art station for kids, food, and entertainment. More information on the guild can be found here.

Fun Runs Year Round

No-Kill Animal Shelters in Colorado

February 10, 2022 By Chrissy

There really is no such thing as a no-kill shelter because sometimes by the time an animal is brought to the shelter, it’s health is too bad and the shelter has to put the animal down. However several shelters in Colorado have a 90% or above save rate. Those are listed below.

ARAPAHOE COUNTY COLORADO

Arapahoe County’s shelter is run by the Humane Society of the South Platte Valley. It serves Englewood, Littleton, as well as South Platte County and Cherry Hills Village, approximately 78,000 people. In 2013, the shelter had a 96% save rate.

ARCHULETA COUNTY COLORADO

The county shelter in Archuleta County has a partnership with the Humane Society of Pagosa Springs. They serve 12,000 people. In 2013, they had a combined 97% save rate.

BOULDER COUNTY

The Boulder County Humane Society is a leader in the Denver Metro area has this mission:

In August 2004, a group of animal welfare industry leaders from across the nation met at the Asilomar Convention Center in Pacific Grove, California. Their purpose was to build bridges across varying philosophies among those involved in animal welfare, to develop relationships and create goals focused on significantly reducing the euthanasia of healthy and treatable companion animals in the U.S.

A common vision for the future was adopted – the Asilomar Accords. The Accords set forth guiding principles for animal welfare organizations to work together to save the lives of all healthy and treatable companion animals. The document aims to cut through the rhetoric of ‘no kill’ vs. ‘open admission’ shelters and to dispel the murkiness of what defines adoptable animals. To achieve this, there is a national effort for all organizations that shelter animals to utilize the same statistical record keeping. Having standard language that all shelters can use will help us to compare the work that we do at the Humane Society of Boulder Valley with other shelters here locally and nationally as well.

For the past several years, we have collected and reported our statistics according to a nationally recognized formula, the Asilomar Accords. Aimed at providing a consistent and transparent way of understanding the outcomes of the animals coming through our front doors, we measure our success through the number and percentage of lives saved. The live release rate represents the percentage of animals who leave our building alive through reunification if they are lost or stray or through adoption into a new home. In 2013, we achieved a 92% live release rate.

Working with the Metro Denver Shelter Alliance, we track the statistics of more than 20 animal welfare agencies in our area. Through the Alliance, we look for trends and emerging needs so collaboratively we can identify ways to save more animals’ lives.

BRUSH COLORADO

The Brush Animal Shelter serves 5,000 people, but it does not accept animals surrendered by their families. In 2013, it reported a save rate of 91%. (Because the shelter does not publish comprehensive statistics, this listing is unconfirmed.)

CEDAREDGE COLORADO

Cedaredge and Orchard City are served by two organizations: Cedaredge animal control which takes in dogs and Friends of Cedaredge Animal Control which takes in cats. They serve 5,000 people. In 2013, the save rate was 94% for animal control and 97% for the Friends group.

CHAFFEE COUNTY

Chaffee County’s two shelters are run by the Ark Valley Humane Society. They serve 18,000 people. In 2013, the save rate was 98% in one shelter and 96% in the other. For more information, click here.

CLEAR CREEK COLORADO

Clear Creek and Gilpin County have a joint shelte r. Together, they serve 15,000 people. In 2013, their combined save rate was 99%. For more information, click here.

CRIPPLE CREEK COLORADO

Teller County is served by two shelters: Teller County Regional Animal Shelter and the City of Cripple Creek’s animal shelter. They serve a combined 23,000 people. TCRAS, which does not accept cats, saved 98%. The Cripple Creek Animal Shelter saved 100% in 2013.

EAGLE COUNTY COLORADO

Eagle County Animal Services serves the unincorporated county and the cities of Avon, Basalt, Eagle, Gypsum, and Vail. They serve 52,000 people. In 2013, the save rate was 90%.

FREDERICK COLORADO

Frederick’s shelter is run by the Longmont Humane Society. It serves 9,000 people. LHS also provides sheltering services for Longmont County, an additional 86.000 people. In 2013, the combined save rate was 93%.

GARFIELD COUNTY COLORADO

Garfield County and Glenwood Springs both contract with Colorado Animal Rescue to run their shelter. The shelter serves roughly 66,000 people. In 2013, the combined save rate was 96%.

GILPIN COUNTY COLORADO

Clear Creek and Gilpin County have a joint shelte r. Together, they serve 15,000 people. In 2013, their combined save rate was 99%.

GLENWOOD SPRINGS COLORADO

Garfield County and Glenwood Springs both contract with Colorado Animal Rescue to run their shelter. The shelter serves roughly 66,000 people. In 2013, the combined save rate was 96%.

GRAND COUNTY COLORADO

The Grand County Animal Shelter serves 15,000 people. In 2013, the combined save rate was 99%.

LA PLATA COUNTY COLORADO

La Plata County’s animal shelter is run by the La Plata County Humane Society. It serves 51,000 people. In 2013, the save rate was 91%.

LAKE COUNTY COLORADO

The Leadville – Lake County Animal Shelter serves 7,300 people. In 2013, the save rate was 96%.

LAMAR COLORADO

The Lamar Animal Shelter serves 7,800 people. Their save rate was 99%. The Lamar Animal Sanctuary is a private shelter that also takes in animals, with a saving rate of 98%.

LAS ANIMAS COUNTY COLORADO

Animals in Las Animas County are taken to Noah’s Ark. The county has 16,000 residents. In 2013, the save rate was 90%.

LONGMONT COLORADO

Longmont’s shelter is run by the Longmont Humane Society. It serves 86,000 people. It also serves Frederick which has an additional 9,000 people. In 2013, the combined save rate was 93%.

MORGAN COUNTY COLORADO

Morgan County’s animal shelter is run by the Fort Morgan Humane Society. It also serves Fort Morgan, Log Lane, and Wiggins. It pulls animals from Brush as well. It serves 28,000 people. In 2013, the save rate was 93%.

OURAY COUNTY COLORADO

The Second Chance Humane Society provides sheltering services for San Miguel County and Ouray County with the exception of Telluride, which has its own shelter. They serve a combined 12,000 people. In 2013, the save rates were 99% and 100% respectively.

PITKIN COUNTY COLORADO

The Pitkin County animal shelter is run by Animal Animal Shelter. They serve 17,000 people. In 2013, the save rate was 95%.

RIFLE COLORADO

The Rifle Animal Shelter serves 9,000 people. In 2013, the save rate was 97%.

RIO BLANCO COUNTY COLORADO

Rio Blanco County is served by two shelters and has a population of 6,700 people. The Rangely Animal Shelter reported a save rate of 99% The Meeker Animal Shelter had a 100% save rate but does not accept cats.

ROUTT COUNTY COLORADO

Routt County has a population of 24,000 people. It is served by the Steamboat Springs Animal Shelter. In 2013, it reported a 99% save rate. For more information, click here.

SAN MIGUEL COUNTY COLORADO

SOUTH PLATTE COUNTY COLORADO

South Platte County’s shelter is run by the Humane Society of the South Platte Valley. It serves Englewood, Littleton, as well as Arapohoe County and Cherry Hills Village, approximately 78,000 people. In 2013, the shelter had a 96% save rate. For more information, click here.

SUMMIT COUNTY COLORADO

Summit County Animal Control & Shelter serves 28,000 people. In 2013, the shelter had a 97% save rate. For more information, click here.

TELLER COUNTY COLORADO

TELLURIDE COLORADO

The Second Chance Humane Society provides sheltering services for San Miguel County with the exception of Telluride, which has its own shelter. They serve a combined 7,600 people. In 2013, the save rates were 99% and 100% respectively. For more information, click here. The source of this information is the Saving 90 website whose goal is to encourage the pet-loving community to support this idea. specific information for 2013 in Colorado for each shelter can be found here. This data hasn’t been posted on Colorado.gov since 2013 so there could be more shelters that have now reached the 90% mark.

THESE SHELTERS IN COLORADO ARE AT 80% SAVE RATE

LARIMER COUNTY
MONTROSE COUNTY

Cat Care Society Cage Free Shelter

The Cat Care Society operates a limited-admission cage-free shelter for homeless and abused cats while providing community outreach programs to enrich the lives of people and cats. Cat Care Society is 100% funded by private donations, from people just like you.

CAT CARE SOCIETY PHILOSOPHY

Cat Care Society (CCS) was founded in 1981 by Linda East, DVM and Lynn Rowe. CCS is a nonprofit organization that was established in order to improve the quality of life for homeless, injured and abused cats in the Denver metropolitan area. The Society’s goals are:

To sponsor educational programs that promote responsible pet ownership, humane treatment of all animals, and the elimination of pet overpopulation;
To shelter cats in a healthy, cage-free environment and to find compatible and responsible families for every cat;
To provide community outreach programs that improve the quality of life for cats and people;
To be a friend to all cats.

The shelter provides a temporary refuge for up to 45 adult cats until an appropriate and permanent home can be found for each. Veterinary care, premium diet and human interaction are lovingly provided.

A large number of phone calls received each day from people who have found abandoned, abused or injured cats needing good homes indicates a strong community need for our services. CCS receives an average of 70 phone calls for assistance daily. Sadly, more than half of these are from owners needing to give up their cats. For these cats, they provide information about placing the cat and referrals to other area shelters. They also provide this same information to people who have found a cat when we are at or over our capacity and cannot take the cat. Many calls involve behavioral problems or questions about feral (wild) cats. Behavior counseling and printed articles on a wide variety of topics are available. Humane traps are also available for rent.

Cat Care Society is supported by a number of loyal members and contributors, without whom we could not operate. We receive no government funding. In addition, our volunteers assist with many fundraising activities each year such as book sales, Meow Mart, Cajun’s Closet Thrift Store, our holiday gift and bake sale and much more.

HERE’S HOW DONATIONS HELP THE CAT CARE SOCIETY:

$1,000 cares for 30 kittens, including shots, spays/neuters, microchips, food and litter.
$500 provides medical care for one geriatric cat for one year.
$400 covers the cost of a significant surgery, such as Kitty’s leg amputation
$125 purchases one month’s worth of kitty litter.
$50 provides antibiotics for a sick cat.
$25 buys one kitten two weeks’ worth of food.

The other way to help is to adopt one of the beautiful loving cats that are housed at the Lakewood center.

Cat Care Society
5787 W. 6th Ave.
Lakewood, CO 80214
(303) 239-9680

More information on the Cat Care Society website here

Easter Fun in Parker Colorado

February 5, 2022 By Chrissy

Easter Egg Hunt in the Pool!

That’s what’s happening this year at the Parker Recreation Center.

Egg Splash and Dash

This year, the Easter Bunny is going swimmin’! Enjoy this twist on the traditional egg hunt as kiddos splash and dash for tons of plastic, fun-filled eggs in the Activity Pool. There may even be an appearance by a special some-bunny!

Date: Sat., April 8, 2023
Time: 9, 10 or 11 a.m.
Location: Parker Recreation Center, 17301 E. Lincoln Dr.
Ages: 15 years and younger
Cost: $24 per Parker resident child, $26 per non-resident child*; register each child in attendance

*Space is limited. Walk-up registrations will be taken on a space-available basis and will cost an additional $5 per participant.

Egg hunts will take place at the beginning of each 50-minute session. Children of all swimming abilities are welcome. Each child 5 and under and non-swimmers must be accompanied by a parent or guardian in the water.

Click here to Register

BEST EASTER BRUNCH SPOTS

Both Parker Garage & Black Haus have a fabulous Easter Brunch. If you know of others contact us to add them to this post.

For Easter Breakfast/Brunch

Bunny Tail Cinnamon Twists — Bunny Tail Cinnamon Twist Buns

Bunny Tail Buns, a playful cinnamon and sugar bread twisted up into a bunny shape with a cottontail

For Easter Lunch/Dinner

For a playful twist on the standard dinner roll, they could also shape bread dough into festive flowers with this Flower Buns recipe

To give dinner guests a unique sweet treat at each table setting, here is a recipe for edible Easter Basket Cookies. Fill with jelly beans and shredded coconut with a touch of neon food coloring.

As a snack for any younger dinner guests, your readers could create these Cheesy Easter Shapes, baked fast with refrigerated pizza dough.

Easter Leftovers

Using any leftover ham from Easter dinner you and the kids could make:

Fun and Easy!