Humane police officers remind people to keep animals safe in cold
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) — While you're staying inside as much as possible to stay warm, it's important to keep animals safe from the cold.
"If the animal is shivering, you're probably breaking the law," Armstrong County volunteer humane police officer Chris Jirak O'Donnell said.
O'Donnell is expecting a great deal of calls for animals in the frigid cold this week. Under Pennsylvania's Libre's Law, dogs cannot be tied outside for more than 30 minutes when it's colder than 32 degrees.
O'Donnell says all animals, from man's best friend to farm animals, need access to warmth, water and food. She also said outdoor animals need dry and draft-free shelters.
"They need to be able to maintain body temperature. So, regardless of whether it's a farm animal, a companion animal, they still have the need of adequate shelter, adequate substance and unfrozen water too," O'Donnell said.
It can get rough for four-legged friends very quickly. Like people, cats and dogs can start experiencing frostbite and hypothermia symptoms in minutes.
"Animals, even if they have a good fur coat, their extremities can become frostbitten, noses and ears. And in fact, I saw that just last week on a very fluffy dog, it was a border collie mix, and the dog did not have adequate shelter and the dog had frostbite on the tips of its ears," said O'Donnell.
KDKA-TV asked her what people should do if they see an animal suffering outside in the cold.
"The best thing is to try to talk to the person. If it's your neighbor and you have a good relationship, go to them first and just talk to them a little bit about it. If you're very concerned, you would want to call your local or state police or humane officer that serves that area," O'Donnell said.
She also said after your pets go outside, wash and dry their paws with a wet towel to remove ice, salt and chemicals, and always keep them away from antifreeze.
Also, before starting your vehicle, knock on the hood because sometimes small animals like cats can try to get warm near the engine.