“Ohio woman arrested after dog dies in freezing temperature” read the headline of an article in the examiner recently. Apparently, a young woman kept her dog outside 24/7 and one of her dogs, a 2-3 yr old Shih Tzu was found frozen to death by an officer doing a welfare check after a neighbor had called concerned about the two dogs left outside. The surviving dog was removed from the property and taken to a rescue group.
If you think an animal cannot freeze to death in Arizona, you’re wrong. We recently experienced several nights below freezing and normally have several more nights of freezing weather to look forward to in February.
To keep your animals safe during freezing temperatures:
* Bring your dogs and cats indoors if possible
* If you must keep your dogs outside, provide a dog house and invest in a bag of cedar shavings for bedding
*Provide the dog with a place to escape the rain, such as a carport (same holds true during the intense summer months
*Always have plenty of water and food
*Don’t forget to cover certain plants and young trees from getting freezer burns, as well
Dogs have feelings and can experience pain, hunger, and thirst just like us humans. Remember, just because an animal cannot speak to us does not mean they don’t have feelings.
