During the cold season it is important to think about how to protect our pets. Here we will share tips to help your pets enjoy winter safely.
Dogs need to exercise and can go for walks for short periods. To prevent the dog from slipping, sticking to the ice, hurting its paws, or having adverse reactions to salt, you can use doggie booties or put petroleum jelly on them.
If your dog is used to being outside the house, you should make sure you have a shelter that protects it from inclement weather, fresh water at all times and put straw to keep it warm. Do not use hay or sheets outside, as these accumulate moisture and can become colder.
In the City of Reading, Code Blue prohibits dogs from being outside unsupervised in temperatures below 20 degrees or temperatures below 32 accompanied by snow or ice. When the Animal Rescue League issues this advisory, all dogs must be indoors.
Cats should be kept indoors and always have fresh water accessible. If you install area heaters, you must make sure there are no objects nearby that the cat could knock over and start a fire.
To help stray cats, you can build small wooden or plastic shelters and put straw on them to protect the cats from cold temperatures.
For more information on strategies to protect your pets from the cold, visit www.berksarl.org/cold-weather.
By Anna Miller, ARL’s Animal Care Manager &
Alex Pelkowski, ARL’s Pet Help Center Manager
