How To Keep Your Pets Safe During The Texas Ice Storm

(Mix 93-1) Texans are finishing up preparations for a significant icing event predicted for this weekend. For the past couple of days, Texans have been covering plants and pipes, preparing emergency kits, stocking non-perishable food, and making alternate plans.

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Municipalities and utility companies have been prepping for the winter storm as well.

Amid all the prep work, East Texans must remember their pets, too! Just as humans are susceptible to bitterly cold weather, pets and livestock are just as vulnerable to extreme weather conditions. Many 'outside' dogs and cats are not going to be used to the temperatures that are predicted. These animals need a clean, warm, and dry place to seek shelter from the storm.

Here are some cold-weather safety tips for your animals:

• If it's too cold for you to be outdoors, it's probably too cold for them, too.
• Limit potty breaks outside - make them brief.
• Wipe off excess water and debris from the coat and paws when they come back in.
• Use straw in shelters instead of blankets. Blankets will hold moisture.
• The water bowl should be heated so that the water doesn't freeze.

Legal Requirements for Outdoor Pets in Texas

In Texas, it is illegal to leave a pet outdoors in extreme weather conditions without access to adequate shelter, food, and water. The Safe Outdoor Dogs Act requires that pets must have:

• Protection from heat, cold, wind, rain, and snow
• Continuous access to clean, drinkable water
• Safe restraint and a shelter that blocks the elements

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What Makes Adequate Shelter

Adequate shelter for a dog means the shelter must be waterproof, windproof, and insulated with straw or dry bedding (not wet blankets). It must contain three solid sides and a roof, be elevated off the ground, the entrance turned away from prevailing wind, and the dog must have access to unfrozen, clean water at all times.

Protecting Pets When Indoors Isn’t an Option

If you can't bring your dog indoors, give them access to your garage, laundry room, or mud room during the most brutal portion of the winter weather
event.

These animals deserve the same living conditions as you and I have. Once temperatures reach 32 degrees and below, frostbite and hypothermia risks rise, just as they do in humans. Coats, booties, and shorter walks are essential.