Cold can kill

I was prompted to write this after finding a dog loose in a lane. I know this dog, so returned it to it’s house – the gate had been left open.  A knock on the door elicited no response.

This dog is often in the garden when I walk by with my pup, I usually stop, have a chat and give her a little biscuit. So far, so good.

However, this morning the outside temperature (without wind chill) is -5C.  That, is cold.  Prolonged exposure to these kinds of temperature will result in hypothermia, both for humans and dogs.  Stating the obvious – hypothermia kills.

Now, this dog spends quite a bit of time in the garden, she is in good condition so no real problems there.  However, it is NOT acceptable to keep doing the same things with a dog, irrespective of changing conditions. Regardless as to whether this dog has some sort of shelter to retreat to – it is, clearly, wrong to expose a dog in this way.   Some temperature guidelines can be found here –  https://www.gopetplan.com/blogpost/cold-weather-and-dogs

The bottom line here, is use common sense and be aware of the potential problems changing condition present to your dog. Be responsible and take the right steps to care for your dog.