Left out in the cold?
This photo of an emaciated dog was taken when the Humane Society responded to a call about a mistreated animal last year.
Carpet scraps are a poor choice for dog bedding because they can freeze. This photo was taken when the Humane Society responded last year to a report of a mistreated animal.
Lynette Vybiral, director of development, marketing and events at Washington Area Humane Society, joined county commissioners Thursday in a discussion about caring for animals in extreme weather.
Pittsburgh Councilwoman Darlene Harris took the lead in the city’s recently enacted ordinance against tethering dogs outdoors for more than 30 minutes in inclement weather.
Although Washington County officials did not enact an ordinance Thursday morning when the temperature was hovering around zero with an even more frigid wind chill, they issued a proclamation in hopes of raising awareness about animal safety during extreme weather.
Humane officer Logan Wade was scheduled to attend the meeting, but was investigating complaints related to pets lacking proper shelter in this week’s bitter cold, said Lynette Vybiral, director of development, marketing and events at Washington Area Humane Society, who substituted for him.
During last year’s long winter, rescuers reported pets frozen to the ground.
The humane society alone received 1,000 calls last year, 300 during the wintry blasts lasting nearly nonstop from November to March, with a peak in January.
The coldest night last year was Jan. 7, when the mercury dipped to minus 9. There were five nights below zero that month, coupled with 22 days when snow fell.
“Eighty percent of the time, it’s a matter of educating the owner,” Vybiral said. “Use common sense.”
A dog that lives outdoors needs straw bedding rather than a piece of carpet or blanket, which could freeze.
Commission Vice Chairman Diana Irey Vaughan, whose purse-sized Cavalier King Charles spaniel, Daisy Darling, was last year named Washington County mascot due to her and her owner’s ability to collect the most cash donations for the humane society, presented the proclamation, which admonishes owners to keep their pets’ food and water thawed and also cautioned folks to keep animals from ingesting antifreeze, the sweet taste of which masks its toxicity.
Pampered pet Daisy, by the way, braves the cold while clad in a fabric coat in addition to her natural fur.
“We love animals,” Irey Vaughan said after the meeting. “It’s so cold. We just want people to think about animals that are outside.”
In Pittsburgh, an owner found guilty of abusing a pet by failing to supervise it during bad weather can be fined $500 plus costs. The Pittsburgh ordinance applies not only to raw conditions, but also to severe heat when the temperature rises above 90 degrees.