BUFFALO, N.Y. (WKBW) — The SPCA Serving Erie County has released some winter safety tips to help keep your pets safe in the blizzard-like conditions impacting Western New York.
- Keep a Tight Leash: Never let your dog off the leash on snow or ice, especially during a snowstorm. Pets can lose their scent on snow and ice, especially if snow is falling at a fast rate, and your pet can easily lose their sense of direction. Pets may also panic during a snowstorm and run away; many pets are lost during the winter months. Remember to keep current identification on your pet at all times!
- Keep Pets at Home: Never leave your pet alone in a car during cold weather. A car can act as a refrigerator in the winter, holding in the cold. Your pet could literally freeze to death.
- Always Dry Pet's Wet Feet: Thoroughly wipe off your pet's legs and stomach when they come in and out of the rain, snow, or ice. Check sensitive foot pads, which may be bleeding from snow or ice encrusted in them. Your pet may also pick up salt and other chemicals on their feet accidentally. These chemicals could hurt them if they swallow them while licking their feet.
- Lay Straw for Dogs' Visits Outdoors: Can't get your dog to wear booties? Lay straw on top of snow for trips outdoors by dogs reluctant to step out onto a freezing surface to relieve themselves.
- Check Cars for Cats: During the winter, stray or neglected cats outdoors sometimes sleep under the hood of the car where it's warm and comfortable. If you start the motor, cats could get caught in or flung about by the fan belt, causing serious injury or death. To prevent this, bang loudly on the hood and sides of your car before turning on the ignition to give the cat a chance to escape.
- Keep Outdoor Sessions Short: Take your dog outside only for as long as it takes for them to relieve themselves. Dogs, particularly small, short-haired breeds like Chihuahuas and terriers, suffer from the cold despite their seemingly warm fur coats. Live within Buffalo city limits? Don’t forget Buffalo’s new laws pertaining to tethering dogs in inclement weather.
- Bathe Pets Only When Necessary: Your pet runs the chance of catching a cold when wet, especially in cold weather. If you absolutely must bathe your pet, consult a professional groomer or veterinarian.
- Keep Pets Warm: Limit the clipping of your pet's hair in the cold winter months, keeping your pet as warm as possible. Brush your pet daily in lieu of clipping to keep your pet's coat healthy, shiny, clean, and mat-free. Make sure your pet has a warm place to sleep far away from outside drafts.
- Hungry Pets: Speak to your veterinarian about increasing your pet’s supply of food, particularly protein, to keep their fur thick and healthy through the winter months. Inquire about vitamin and oil supplements.
- Antifreeze is Poison to Pets: Antifreeze, even in small doses, is a lethal poison for dogs and cats! Because of its sweet taste, animals are attracted to it. Be sure to clean up spills thoroughly, and consider switching to an animal-friendly antifreeze. Ensure that, if you store Antifreeze in a garage, shed, or other places accessible to your pets, it is well out of pets' reach.
- Outdoor Animal Shelters Must be Suitable for Inclement Weather: If it's not, animal welfare officers can rescue the pet even before he or she shows signs of suffering, thanks to New York State's Shelter Law that went into effect in 2003. Thanks to a legislative push in late 2018 that led to stronger laws concerning the tethering of dogs within Buffalo city limits, the SPCA and other law enforcement organizations can now take even more steps to ensure dogs are protected from the elements.
Additional safety tips and recommendations for lost pets can be found online here.
