Oliver - photo courtesy of PAWS and More

Temperatures are expected to be below freezing the next few days with the thermometer dropping below zero, with that take extra care of your pets. If a pet is outdoors, make sure it has adequate shelter with insulation. Director of PAWS and More Amber Talbot reminds pet owners to make sure that their outdoor animals are safe, “They are not invincible, in that, you know, if it’s too cold for us, it really is too cold for them. Their paw pads, and their skin, and their fur, isn’t invincible at all. You just need to really need to limit the time that they are outdoors. And if your animal is an outdoor animal and has built up that appropriate winter coat and used to those conditions, I mean, just making sure you have proper insulation that really consists of straw-type bedding. A lot of people will throw a blanket out there in the dog house and that provides no insulation for them at all.” Once blankets get wet and freeze they will not help keep your pet warm.

Talbot also recommends heated water dishes to keep the water from freezing so your animal always has access to drinking water. Temperatures are expected to remain in the single digits through Monday. Listen to KCII for weather updates.