With frigid temperatures, animal welfare advocates are urging pet owners to keep their furry friends warm today. 
Ontario SPCA Agent Ryan Sparks says the law requires any outdoor pets to have adequate shelter.
“We strongly recommend that you bring your dogs inside in this kind of weather and only take them out for short periods of time,” Sparks says. “With that being said, there are minimum standards of care to be met if they are to stay outside. A big thing is adequate shelter: every dog in Ontario needs to have access to adequate shelter if they are going to be outside for extended periods of time.”
Sparks says “adequate shelter” means a shelter that is kept off the ground, include a wind block to keep out the elements, and is just big enough for the dog to stand up and turn around.
He says the bigger a dog house is, the colder it will be.
Outdoor pets also need to have access to fresh, unfrozen water at all times.
If you ever have concerns about an animal’s welfare, you can call the OSPCA Cruelty Hotline at 310-SPCA (310-7722) or the Sarnia Humane Society at 519-384-3647.
For more tips on how to protect your pet, click here.
