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It is too cold outside for domestic animals!

 

ACTion Programs for Animals (APA) urges all pet guardians to bring pets indoors or provide better protection on nights when the temperatures are at or below freezing.  Domestic mammals left to fend for themselves in these low temperatures suffer miserably and could even die.  It’s a common misconception that dogs and cats won’t get cold because of their fur.  However, if you are cold, then your companion animal is cold, too.  Most domestic animals are not well-equipped for cold weather and can easily be susceptible to frost bite and hypothermia.  Signs of hypothermia include shivering followed by stillness, slow heart beat, lack of coordination, and pale or blue gums.

You can create a better winter shelter if it’s not possible to bring your pet indoors. Here’s some tips:

• The shelter should be tall enough for your pet to sit upright and turn around.  If it’s much bigger, the animal cannot retain body heat.
• Straw makes good insulation. Blankets or fabric are not good if they get damp because they freeze over.
• Face the shelter’s entrance to face away from the wind’s predominant direction and to maximize sun exposure.
• Attach a thick piece of rubber at the shelter’s entrance—a doormat or carpet scrap might work—to safeguard from rain/snow.
• Caulk any cracks in the roof and walls.
• Make sure the shelter is elevated a bit off the ground so it doesn’t get waterlogged.
• Don’t forget to provide fresh water each morning after the freezing temps subside.
  

APA accepts donated dog houses and crates/kennels to match with needy pets and will help families set up their enclosures and offer other advice on providing the best care possible for each circumstance.  We can also offer advice on providing warm enclosures for outdoor cats.

If you see an animal left outside without proper protection, report the situation to the Animal Control departments at 575-526-0795 (central dispatch),  You can also call Animal Protection of New Mexico’s statewide animal cruelty hotline at 1-877-5-HUMANE (1-877-548-6243) or the NM Attorney General’s Animal Cruelty Task Force at 505-506-4000.

For more information, contact APA at 575-644-0505 or visit us online at www.actionprogramsforanimals.org <http://www.actionprogramsforanimals.org>  and on Facebook at www.facebook.com/APALasCruces <http://www.facebook.com/APALasCruces> .  Please also contact us if you have dog houses or other items to donate or if you are in need of such items or advice to better safeguard your pets during severe cold fronts.

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