Protecting stray animals, pets & livestock from winter cold

LUBBOCK, Texas (KCBD) - Your pets should be indoors when temperatures go below 32 degrees and any time moisture has fallen.

Animal Services Director Steven Greene says their team saved 10 animals on Wednesday night.

If you find a stray animal, Greene recommends that people make an appointment at the animal shelter and try to find the owner in the meantime.

“Knock on doors, check the neighborhood, see if anybody knows where it belongs. Try to get it back home as quick as possible. You can always use social media. In Lubbock, there’s about 18 different pages on Facebook that are just dedicated to lost and found pets,” Greene said.

If you see any animals shivering, injured or apparently in need of immediate assistance, call Animal Services at 806-775-2057.

Remember to wipe your pets’ paws after being outside. Wipe off any salt or leaking antifreeze from their paws, since antifreeze can be poisonous to pets and salt can irritate their skin.

Try not to keep your pet outdoors with a blanket, as it can get damp and cause hypothermia. Instead, use straw or hay, which will keep your pet dry and warm.

This also applies to livestock. Greene said they should be indoors or with a wind block.

“They need that windbreak and they need a nice straw or hay bed to lay on to keep them warm. So that’s always something we recommend with livestock, try to get them out of the weather,” Greene said.

Copyright 2022 KCBD. All rights reserved.