Winter is coming to Northeast Ohio in full force this coming weekend, and with that, some precautions need to be taken for outdoor pets.
Shannon Harvey with the Cleveland Animal Protective League said that while taking pets inside is the best thing to do in cold weather, it may not always be an option.
“We know that there are people who keep their dogs outside and cats that are living in the community,” Harvey said. “So, for people who do have dogs outside, they need to make sure that they are being provided with adequate shelter, and that means a secure enclosure that's big enough for the dog to get into the stand-up to turn around.”
Harvey said an ideal enclosure should be raised, insulated and have a door flap for the animal. Additionally, the shelter should not be too big, or else it will not stay insulated.
“We don't want it to be too big because if it is too big, then it doesn't have the same insulating quality as an enclosure that is big enough for the dog but not overly big. Their body heat can help them out. But preferably that, to me, is a last resort,” Harvey said. “Preferably people should bring those outdoor dogs in either into a sheltered garage or into their house, at least during the time that the weather is this bad and the temperatures are low and it's snowing.”
For insulation, Harvey recommends using straw rather than blankets; that way, if the enclosure gets wet, the blankets won't freeze.
The costs of these enclosures can vary, but Harvey said that for people who are more handy, making one can be pretty easy.
“There are very elaborate outdoor enclosures for both dogs and cats. But then people who are handy can very easily you know, construct a shelter themselves,” Harvey said. “Additionally, like especially for cats, there are lots of websites people can go online and check out websites for how to make an outdoor cat warm insulated enclosure using things as inexpensive and accessible as those old Styrofoam coolers.”
Harvey said that there are risks to having outdoor-only pets, not only in the winter. With the extreme weather Cleveland has year-round, any season can be harmful to outdoor pets.
Typically, in the winter, there is a risk of frostbite and other illnesses for dogs. But in the summer, pets can experience heat exhaustion and heat stroke, amongst other things, if left outside.
“From the standpoint of being in Cleveland, where we have weather extremes, obviously in the winter, we go through periods like this where the temperatures drop precipitously, and there's snow,” Harvey said. “And outdoor dogs, especially if they are not bred to tolerate cold temperatures, if they have short hair, if they're older, if they're very young, if they have an illness, are not going to fare well and could suffer hypothermia and be at risk of either significant illness or death or frostbite.”
Harvey said these risks are mainly toward dogs because outdoor or stray cats typically freely roam communities and are able to find adequate shelter from harsh conditions.
“We're very grateful to the people and the neighborhoods and community [stray] cat caregivers who are providing them with this care, and with that, they should be okay during these weather snaps, but dogs that are living, you know, on chains, we really hope and want and ask I'm going to say we really ask that people get those dogs inside,” Harvey said.
