Make sure your pets are weather ready

January 9, 2025 – Temperatures across Alabama were in the low 20s across much of Alabama this morning and conditions are looking very wintery in the next few days. The Elmore County Humane Society reminds pet owners all over to please bring your pets inside and for those that must stay outside please make sure they have shelter and protection from the cold, wind and rain.

Rea Cord is the Executive Director of the Elmore County Humane Society.

"Your pets not only need shelter from wind & precipitation they need to be able to stay warm as well," Director Cord said in a statement. "A dog house (meaning sides, top and a floor) needs to be located so the wind doesn't blast straight into it and also sized for the dog so that the dog's body heat can build inside to keep your pet even warmer. DRY bedding is essential so please check the bedding often to make sure it isn't wet, or even missing. How would you like to sleep on a wet blanket, or moldy pile of hay, or a hard piece of plastic with no cushion? If you do not have bedding, make sure to use straw (better at repelling moisture), NOT hay – yes they are different!"

"Cold air is also very dry (just think of your chapped lips) and livestock and pets need more water than you think in the winter," Cord continued. "If the water for your outside pets/livestock is frozen that is easy to fix. Just go to your local feed store, pet store or on-line where you can get in-tank water heaters or heated water buckets pretty inexpensively. They do need to be plugged in to an electrical source, work great and are quite safe. If you need to run a long outdoor extension cord, there are waterproof extension cord safety boxes to protect the connections from the weather. This can save your muscles from hauling water and your pets/livestock will have clear fresh water no matter how low the temps go. Of course, if pipes are frozen you won't be able to get water, so make sure to take measures to protect your faucets and pipes."

"Please also take your pet's age and health into account as young, healthy animals can handle inclement weather a lot better than older animals," Cord added. "An older horse might need to be blanketed in cold weather and an older dog with arthritis may need much thicker bedding to cushion aching joints and tired muscles. More frequent brushing to remove dead hair & dirt will also help your pet stay warm as a clean coat will provide better insulation against the weather."

"Please also check your vehicle motor before starting it, for any stray or feral cats that may have crawled up in it when the engine was still warm and stayed since they are sheltered under the hood," Cord advised.

The weather this time of the year means that animal shelters have greater needs for bedding.

"We have over 200 pets in our care and every one of them is sleeping on a blanket or comforter because of the wonderful generosity of so many pet loving people – thank you all so very much!" Cord wrote. "We will need a continuous influx of 'bedding' as some dogs destroy their beds and some just reach a point of no return so thank you ahead to all who bring us their old comforters and blankets to help our pets. And the doors are lowered and the heat is cranking during this cold snap to keep them all as comfortable as possible while in our care because we care!"

The Elmore County Humane Society has a number of pets that are available for adoption.