As the weather gets colder it’s important to keep everyone in the family warm, including the furry family members.

Staff at the Pearl River County SPCA highly recommend bringing outside dogs and other pets inside when it gets cold. But, if the pet has to stay outside it’s important to provide some sort of warmth and comfort for that animal.

“You can always fill it (a dog house) with blankets or even better than a blanket is hay, because it holds in the heat much better and it’s not going to get wet and saturated,” said Pearl River SPCA Manager Elizabeth Treadaway.

The same applies for cats since they also need a warm place to stay from the cold, such as inside the home.

Signs that a dog is cold including shivering and curling up in a fetal position. If a dog has any heart issues or is heartworm positive it’s best to bring them inside.

“Those guys really need to be inside and kept warm,” said Treadaway.  “Even if it’s just into a garage or if you have a shed, something that out of the weather.”

Even in cold weather pets still need exercise and dogs will especially have to go outside to do their business. When walking a dog in the cold consider dressing them in a dog jacket or booties to help keep them warm while outside.