Animal shelter offers tips on keeping pets warm in bitterly cold weather

With the cold temperatures, Columbus Animal Care Services is offering a reminder on the city’s ordinances regulating outdoor pets, and tips for keeping you pets warm and safe.

The city of Columbus requires that you bring your outside dog indoors into a temperature controlled building, when temperatures drop to 20 degrees or below.

If you have outdoor pets, you need to make sure you have adequate shelter and drinkable water. Water bowls can freeze quickly in extremely cold temperatures and if pets can’t get to their water, they are more likely to drink from puddles that contain antifreeze or other toxic chemicals.

Your dog house should keep your dog dry and help them maintain their body heat. It should only be big enough for the dog to turn around inside and not much bigger. You should place the opening to the south and cover the entrance with heavy plastic or cloth strips. Also, straw provides much better bedding material in the cold than blankets.

Columbus Animal Care Services does have several doghouses available. You can call the shelter to check on availability at 812-376-2505