You are not the only one who is cold …

Remember the health and safety of your pet during winter months. Pets need good shelter, nourishing food and plenty of clean drinking water to stay comfortable in cold weather.

It takes extra calories for your pet to stay warm in cold weather so offer extra food. Don’t feed the worms! Worms rob your pet of the nutrition needed to keep warm, and also affect your pets’ overall health. Deworm your dog and cat regularly.

A shelter must keep your pet dry and out of the wind. Add bedding such as dry straw to help trap his body heat.

Anti-freeze is very poisonous, even in tiny amounts. Keep containers well-sealed and away from pets.

If you see an animal suffering in this frigid weather you CAN do something. Please call Bladen Animal Control at 910-862-6918 and report what you see and the location. An officer will check on the well-being of the animal, who can’t call for help himself.

This is a great time to get your dog and cat spayed or neutered. Having your pet fixed now avoids roaming and fighting that will start in the spring and prevents unwanted litters.

Low-income families who want to get their pets spayed or neutered at A Shelter Friend’s monthly low-income clinic can call 645-2297 for information and sign-up. Sign up NOW before the spring rush and share this number with your friends and neighbors who are producing unwanted litters of puppies and kittens.

Krista Hansen

A Shelter Friend