Protecting your pets during the cold weather months

BOWLING GREEN, Ky. – Temperatures are expected to kick back up into a tolerable range this week, but also this week we have our first real taste of the bitter cold that we could be experiencing this winter time.

And while you probably bundle yourself up with extra blankets or jackets, it’s important to think about our furry friends as well. Outdoor pets can especially suffer during the colder weather months, so providing them with adequate shelter to help them beat the cold is crucial when the temperature starts to drop.

“You want to make sure that your animal has shelter, especially if it’s an outdoor animal. You want to make sure that it has some sort of shelter that’s up, raised off of the ground, so that they don’t have to walk through any sort of mud or water. And you want to have some sort of insulation, generally something like straw that’s inside. You don’t really want bedding or, fabric, anything like that, because once it gets wet, then it actually is working against you and it can make the animal even colder,” said manager of the Bowling Green Animal Protection Division Brad Schargorodski.

Keeping animals in sheds or garages does help get them out of the elements but can also provide dangers by themselves. So be sure to keep chemicals like antifreeze, which has a sweet taste to our furry friends, out of their reach. And while you’re taking them on your holiday shopping spree, it’s also important to follow an age old rule that you use during the summertime.

“If you know the temperatures are really hot, then it can harm the animal. But the same is true in a thermal environment that is very cold, is just as quickly an animal that’s left inside of a vehicle, even when you run inside to do some errands or something and you think, ‘oh, it’ll be okay, it’s not that hot.’ Well, the cold weather can harm the animal just as quickly as the hot,” Schargorodski said.

If you need outdoor shelter for your animals, the Bowling Green Animal Protection Division can help you with that. They have ready made outdoor shelters for those who need them in.

If you would like more information, you can click here.