February 10, 2006

Humane Society Silicon Valley Offers Cold Weather Pet Tips

Donations of Blankets, Towels and Beds are needed for Shelter Animals

Brrrr…it’s getting cold outside! “Even though your pet sports a fur coat, it doesn’t mean he’s naturally protected from the rigors of winter,” said Beth Ward, vice president of Animal and Customer Care for Humane Society Silicon Valley (HSSV). “The wind, rain and cold reduces an animal’s resistance and it can become dangerously chilled if its fur is wet, because a wet coat can’t regulate body temperature.”

Ward says with all the colder, rainy weather, the shelter animals need lots of blankets, towels and soft beds to keep warm. Donations can be dropped off at HSSV, located at 2530 Lafayette Street in Santa Clara.

Ward offers the following guidelines to help pet owners protect their companion animals when the mercury dips:

1. Bring your animals indoors. Pets not only belong indoors as members of the family, but also are safer, warmer and happier inside. Outdoors, felines in particular, can freeze, become lost or be stolen, injured or killed. Cats that are allowed to stray are exposed to infectious diseases, including rabies, from other cats, dogs and wildlife.

2. During the winter, outdoor cats sometimes sleep under the hoods of cars. When the motor is started, the cat can be injured or killed by the fan belt. If there are outdoor cats in your area, bang loudly on the car hood before starting the engine to give the cat a chance to escape.

3. If you take your pooch to the snow country, never let your dog off the leash on snow or ice, especially during a snowstorm. Dogs can lose their scent and easily become lost. More dogs are lost during the winter than during any other season, so make sure yours always wears ID tags and is microchipped. HSSV offers affordable microchips for $40.

4. Thoroughly wipe off your dog’s legs and stomach when he comes in out of the sleet, snow or ice. He can ingest salt, antifreeze or other potentially dangerous chemicals while licking his paws, and his paw pads may also bleed from snow or encrusted ice.

5. Never shave your dog down to the skin in winter, as a longer coat will provide more warmth. When you bathe your dog in the colder months, be sure to completely dry him before taking him out for a walk. Own a shorthaired breed? Consider getting him a coat or sweater with a high collar or turtleneck with coverage from the base of the tail to the belly. For many dogs, this is regulation winter wear.

6. Never leave your dog or cat alone in a car during cold weather. A car can act as a refrigerator in the winter, holding in the cold and causing the animal to freeze to death.

7. Puppies do not tolerate the cold as well as adult dogs, and may be difficult to housebreak during the winter. If your puppy appears to be sensitive to the weather, you may opt to paper-train him inside. If your dog is sensitive to the cold due to age, illness or breed type, take him outdoors only to relieve himself.

8. Does your dog spend a lot of time engaged in outdoor activities?

Increase his supply of food, particularly protein, to keep him—and his fur—in tip-top shape.

9. Like coolant, antifreeze is a lethal poison for dogs and cats. Be sure to thoroughly clean up any spills from your vehicle, and consider using products that contain propylene glycol rather than ethylene glycol.

10. Make sure your companion animal has a warm place to sleep, off the floor and away from all drafts. A cozy dog or cat bed with a warm blanket or pillow is perfect.

Humane Society Silicon Valley (HSSV) is an independent, non-profit agency offering quality adoptions, medical care and education programs to enhance the human-animal bond. Established in 1929, HSSV has served Silicon Valley for 75 years and grown into one of the largest animal shelters on the West Coast, caring for nearly 20,000 animals in fiscal year 2004-2005. To date, HSSV has adopted more than 500,000 animals into permanent, loving homes. HSSV is an “open door” shelter and accepts animals 24-hours a day, seven days a week, regardless of any temperament or health-related problems. HSSV’s medical center offers affordable spaying/neutering, vaccinations and microchips to the public.

More information about HSSV can be found at our website at www.hssv.org.