A call to keep a pet’s safety in mind during the storm
(Photo: Tim Lambert/WITF)
(Undated) — Advocates are reminding pet owners to keep their animal’s well-being in mind during the upcoming winter storm.
The Pennsylvania State Animal Response Team say more dogs die during the winter months than any other time of the year.
Executive Director Joel Hersh says he often stays out in the yard with his own dog when he lets it out during the winter.
“When it gets below 40 degrees, we think…and this is our opinion…that you should minimize the amount of time that your animals are outside,” he says. “So certainly if you have a fenced-in backyard and you normally let the animals out to do their business outside, make sure they are not out there for several hours.”
Hersh also says it’s important for pets who are outside to have a clean, dry shelter to protect them from the wind, along with food and water.
He adds plastic bowls should be used so an animal’s tongue doesn’t stick to a metal dish in the cold.
If someone would have to leave their home for a weather emergency, they should make sure where to go and if pets are welcome.
A collection of interviews, photos, and music videos, featuring local musicians who have stopped by the WITF performance studio to share a little discussion and sound. Produced by WITF’s Joe Ulrich.
