Best Friends Animal Society Offers Top 10 Safety Tips to Follow During the Cold Front
A cold weather warning has been issued that will likely affect 14 million people across the country this week.
Best Friends Animal Society, a leading animal welfare organization working to end the killing of cats and dogs in America’s shelters by 2025, wants pet owners to be prepared as the cold front moves in. Best Friends released the below top 10 tips to help people and their pets stay as safe as possible:
- Keep your pets inside during extreme temperatures. Once the temperature drops below 20 degrees Fahrenheit, pets are at risk of developinghypothermia or frostbite.
- Dogs and cats’ paws, ears, and tails are the most common areas that pets can develop frostbite – this increases if those areas are wet.
- If a pet needs to spend time outside during extreme temperatures, keep both walks and potty breaks short.
- Use plastic water bowls for outdoors. A pet’s tongue may stick to metal, and they could injure themselves when trying to pull away.
- Chemicalsused to melt snow and ice can injure or irritate the pads of pet’s feet. Look for pet-friendly ice melt products and steer clear of anti-freeze which is toxic to pets.
- Gently wipe their feet with a damp towel once they are back inside to avoid a trip to the veterinarian. Wearing boots can protect paws from irritating salt on the street.
- Many dogs, particularly those with short coats, will be more comfortable if they have a sweater or coat on. If a dog frequently lifts their paws, whines or stops during walks, it is probably because their feet are cold.
- Be particularly careful when taking older, arthritic animals and small pets outside. They may become stiff and tender quickly and often find it difficult to walk on the snow or ice.
- Don’t let dogs off the leash during a snowstorm. No matter how much they want to play in the snow, they can easily lose their scent and become lost.
- Always make sure dogs are wearing ID tags and are microchipped before you take them out.
- Always check under the hood of a car’s engine – a favorite hiding spacefor community cats. Check underneath a car, bang on the hood, and honk the horn before starting the engine to make sure a cat hasn’t taken up temporary housing there.
Don’t have a pet? Now is the perfect time to adopt or foster a pet in need. Shelters across the country are at capacity due to less people choosing the adoption option. Every time you adopt, you are saving two lives: the life of the pet you are bringing home, as well as opening space for another homeless dog or cat to be taken in by shelters and rescue groups. To learn more, visit bestfriends.org.
About Best Friends Animal Society
Best Friends Animal Society is a leading animal welfare organization working to end the killing of dogs and cats in America’s shelters by 2025. Founded in 1984, Best Friends is a pioneer in the no-kill movement and has helped reduce the number of animals killed in shelters from an estimated 17 million per year to around 378,000. Best Friends runs lifesaving programs across the country, as well as the nation’s largest no-kill animal sanctuary. Working collaboratively with a network of more than 4,400 animal welfare and shelter partners, and community members nationwide, Best Friends is working to Save Them All®. For more information, visit bestfriends.org.