It was in the single digits this morning in North Jersey. Much too cold for humans but also much to cold for our furry friends. I’ve heard people say, “oh dogs can stay out in cold weather, they have lots of fur!” This is completely FALSE. I was reading today about a teacher who spotted a dog running in and out of traffic. The dog walked up to the teacher who took it to the Board of Education offices. The dog was fine and checked out by a vet. The vet indicated that pets with furry coats and padded feet are not immune to the cold weather. This dog would have died if it wasn’t rescued by this very good Samaritan.  Any dog left out in this weather for more than 15 minutes has to have shelter right away.

Make sure that you are aware of this when walking your dog in this extremely cold weather. Get him out and take him right inside after he does his business. If he has short hair, make sure he is wearing a sweater or dog coat.