Keeping Animals Safe In Freezing Temperatures

TCAC photo

Jamestown, CA — As the cold blast continues, a Mother Lode animal shelter is warning of the dangerous outside temperatures for pets and livestock while also making another plea.

Tuolumne County Animal Control cautions owners to keep critters warm, provide shelter, use heat lamps properly, and check that water sources are not frozen over. The latter is key for livestock owners. In addition, make sure to blanket horses while also making sure the material is dry to prevent fungal or bacterial growth infections. Also, check on vulnerable livestock while temperatures are freezing.

For pets, shelter officials provided these tips on how to keep your pets safe this winter:

• Keep pets dry and warm indoors.
• When outside, bundle up pets.
• Keep paws and legs clean.
• Provide plenty of food and water.

The shelter is also currently overcapacity for dogs. Over the last weekend, five dogs were placed in the shelter’s night drop. Shelter officials noted that all were owned animals.

“We are not a place to leave behind your pets, and we are a shelter for strays. When animals are dumped, we have to scramble to find places for them to go, and sometimes euthanasia of animals that have been here the longest is the only choice,” advised shelter officials.

Noting that it is an ongoing issue, animal control officials remind the public that owning a pet is a lifelong commitment. Owners can help alleviate the situation by making arrangements to surrender a pet, as shelter officials say it should be the last option. Additionally, another way to control the pet population is to spay and neuter them.