Video: Protecting Your Pets From The Cold Weather

COLUMBUS, Miss. (WCBI)-The cold weather is upon us, and no one likes to be left outside in these chilly temperatures, including pets.

“Everything we go through they can go through,” said Jason Nickles, manager at the Columbus Lowndes Humane Society.  “Their body temperatures do run a little higher than us and they can handle the cold a lot better than us, but still, if it’s cold and that win is blowing on the, there going to get the same thing we get.”

Nickles knows first hand what can happen if pets are left outside in the cold for too long.

“We’ve seen them frozen to the point of death almost,” he said.

So, to help prevent that from happening, Nickles has a few tips for pet owners to keep in mind this winter season.

“I would first say bring them inside, obviously, if it’s really cold, but if that’s not an option just make sure if they are outside that they have housing to get into, and you want to have it set up where the wind is blowing away from the opening of the dog house,” Nickles explained,

For pet owners choosing to leave pets in an outdoor home, Nickles said to make sure the home has some sort of heat ventilation.

For those who don’t have an outdoor home, Nickles said getting hay for them to bed down in is ideal.

“Just anything to get out of the elements, and if it’s a ground, I’ve seen people have them chained on fixed objects in a damp area, you definitely want to get them up high off something, not in a damp area,” he said.

Lastly, remember not leave the pets’ food outdoors for too long, that too can freeze, especially water.

“If you got water it’s probably going to freeze outside so just make sure it’s fresh in the mornings when you go out, put some put some water out there that you know is not going to freeze,” said Nickles.

If pets are left out in the cold for too long without properly being taking care of, it’s considered animal cruelty, and the owner can be fined.