HelpingAnimals.com >
They live under camper shells, upturned barrels and a few boards propped against the fence, or their doghouses are damp and leaky.
Small wonder, then, that although equipped with fur coats, dogs and other animals can still suffer from frostbite, exposure and even dehydration when water sources freeze. Cold weather spells extra hardship for “backyard dogs.”
“In nature, dogs would dig dens or otherwise find refuge from the elements,” says PETA cruelty caseworker Daphna Nachminovitch. “But chained dogs have no escape from the cold.” PETA has received reports of dogs with frostbitten ears and noses, as well as dying or even dead dogs found frozen to the ground.
Last winter, PETA provided hundreds of needy dogs with sturdy, weatherproof doghouses and bedding and convinced many owners to bring their dogs inside. During one cold spell, we loaded up trucks with straw and delivered it to low-income areas where many dogs were desperately in need of warm, dry bedding material. Additional truckloads of straw were stationed in supermarket parking lots and given away free to guardians of “outside” dogs. Please, get involved if you see a potentially neglected animal. Urges Daphna, “Concerned neighbors are often the only hope for these poor animals. Try to help, and if the situation is very bad, get the authorities involved.”
Please share the following cold-weather tips with everyone you know. You may save a life.
When the mercury plummets, animals need extra protection from the elements. Take the following precautions to ensure animals’ safety:
• Bring animals inside, particularly puppies and kittens, elderly animals, small animals, and dogs with short hair, including pointers, beagles, Rottweilers, pit bulls, and Dobermans. Short-haired animals will also benefit from a cozy sweater or coat.
• Provide dogs with proper shelter. Doghouses should be made of wood or plastic (metal conducts cold) and positioned in a sunny, sheltered location during cold weather. Raise the house off the ground several inches and put a flap (car doormat) over the door to keep out cold drafts. Use straw or cedar shavings for bedding—rugs and blankets hold the moisture and freeze up. Make sure the house is really weatherproof—a slit car floor mat at the entrance helps keep body heat inside,
while a lip keeps straw from spilling out.
Warm and cozy inside.
• Don’t allow your cat or dog to roam freely outdoors. During winter, cats sometimes climb up under the hoods of cars to be near warm engines and are killed or badly injured when the car is started. (To help prevent this, bang loudly on the hood of your car before starting the engine.) Animals can also become disoriented when there is snow or ice on the ground. More animals are lost during the winter than during any other season.
• Increase animals’ food rations during winter (they are burning more calories to keep warm). Also, be sure animals are free of internal parasites, which can rob them of vital nutrients.
• Buy antifreeze made with propylene glycol (brands include Sierra and Prestone Lowtox) instead of ethylene glycol, which is a deadly poison even in small doses. Animals are attracted to antifreeze because of its sweet taste, so be sure to promptly clean up spills.
• Clean off your dog’s or cat’s legs, feet and stomach after coming in from the snow. Salt and other chemicals can make an animal sick if they are ingested while the animal grooms himself or herself.
• Provide a source of water for outdoor animals and wildlife (break the ice at least twice a day). Keep an eye out for strays, too. Bring unidentified animals inside until you can find their guardian or take them to the animal shelter. If strays are wild or unapproachable, provide food, water and shelter (stray cats will appreciate a small doghouse filled with warm bedding) and call the local humane society for assistance in humanely trapping them and getting them safely indoors.
For more information, contact PETA.
• Buy bales of straw from your local “feed and seed” store. They will often give discounts on bulk orders. Bring along our “cold-weather tips” and post them.
• Borrow or rent a large truck. (We rent 14-footers.)
• Approach a local supermarket or discount department store and ask for permission to set aside a section of its parking lot for your straw giveaway. Put up posters.
• Send a media advisory to newspapers and radio and TV stations alerting them to the time, place and date of the giveaway.
• Bring along a tarpaulin to cover any leftover straw and leave it with a sign reading: “Free straw. Great bedding for dogs!”