It's springtime in the Rockies, and we need to protect our pets from heartworm disease.

Heartworm disease is transmitted between dogs (and outdoor cats) by mosquitoes. Heartworms are entirely preventable, and prevention is simple with a once-a-month pill.

If a dog contracts heartworm disease the treatment is to kill the heartworms living inside the dog with poison. The treatment (poison), unfortunately, adversely affects the dog, but without treatment an infected dog will eventually die.

Please provide heartworm preventive/medication on a monthly basis to eliminate any chance he or she might become infected. It really is a matter of life or death.

For more information, please visit the American Heartworm Society webpage, http://www.heartwormsociety.org/pet-.../heartworm.htm.