Source: The Leader Corning, New York USA
Outdoor Dogs Need TLC in Winter
BY DERRICK EK
Published: Friday, December 14, 2007 11:38 PM CST
Over the years, Susan Bertelsen has seen some horrible things during the winter in her job as an animal cruelty officer with the Chemung County Humane Society and SPCA.
She's seen dogs frozen to death, or nearly frozen to death, with frostbitten paws and ears. She's encountered dogs that are tied up outside 24-7, with little more to protect them from the elements than a few boards slapped together with rusty nails.
"I don't know how people can be so ignorant about animals sometimes," said Bertelsen, chief humane officer with the SPCA, located on Route 352
in Big Flats. "I've never quite figured it out."
She investigates about 250 complaints a year, all over Chemung County. Calls from concerned neighbors about "outside dogs" having inadequate shelter
make up a large percentage of those complaints, she said.
The state's Agriculture and Markets Law now has a special section dealing with providing adequate shelter, and it gives her the power to seize dogs and
bring them to the SPCA, at least until the dog's owners buy or build a proper shelter.
First though, she usually issues a notice to comply, and most folks do, Bertelsen said.
In extreme cases, though, pet owners can be charged under animal cruelty laws, usually a misdemeanor punishable by up to a $1,000 fine and a year in jail.
Some might think leaving a dog outside in winter is cruel. But there's nothing illegal about keeping a dog outside. In fact, Bertelsen herself does it.
Some folks like to have a watchdog for home security. Some just don't want dog hair or dander in the house. Some were just raised to believe that
animals are meant to be kept outdoors, Bertelsen said.
Many pet owners are good about making sure their outdoor dogs are treated well, Bertelsen pointed out. They build them a warm kennel and take them for walks
and play with them, and bring them inside during bitterly cold nights.
But sadly, that's often not the case.
"Maybe the dog was cute when it was a puppy," she said. "But now it's grown up, and it's never been trained, so it gets tied up out
back and forgotten about. It's become an inconvenience, and there it sits, lucky to get food and water."
Tom Greven, an officer with the Finger Lakes SPCA in Bath, agrees.
"We get a lot of complaints this time of year about dogs being left out in the cold," said Greven, who's responsible for monitoring Steuben
County.
An adequate shelter for a dog should be waterproof, elevated off the ground, sufficiently block wind, and be insulated against the cold, according to
Greven.
It should be big enough for the dog to stretch out comfortably, yet small enough to preserve the dog's body heat.
Some other tips, provided by Greven and Bertelsen:
- Make sure the shelter has clean and dry bedding. Straw makes a good bedding. Blankets don't, because they tend to get wet and freeze.
- Water put outside in a dish often freezes quickly, and dogs can't eat enough snow to prevent dehydration. Also, outdoor dogs need to be fed more, so they
can generate enough body heat to deal with frigid temperatures.
- Be more careful with short-haired breeds - such as pit bulls, Labradors and beagles - than with thick-coated breeds such as huskies and German shepherds.
Puppies should never be kept outside.
- Watch for the signs of frostbite, which include reddened, white or grayish tissue, evidence of shock, and shedding of dead skin. Also, owners should do
"paw checks" to remove ice and snow. Salt and de-icers on roads or sidewalks can cause irritation and bleeding.
- Be careful where antifreeze is stored. Dogs love it because it has a sweet taste, but it's highly toxic to them.
