Hilton Head Humane on Protecting Pets in Cold

A sudden change in weather can lead to danger if we're not careful. Since we're not accustomed to such cold temperatures around here, we don't always remember the ways we need to prepare. But if we start to shake or shiver, it's a no-brainer. We go inside, grab a blanket, and maybe bump up the heat. But our pets don't have it so easy and they count on us to take care of them.
"Come on baby girl,come on," Sarah Oberdier of Hilton Head Humane said.
It's the warm-hearted care-caretakers at Hilton Head Humane who make sure the animals here get the proper attention when it turns cold.
"Sometimes we'll insulate the house by putting a blanket on top of it, blankets on their beds, so- we make sure that they're nice and warm before we leave here," Oberdier said.
They know which dogs have enough hair and body-fat to withstand the kennels, which are sheltered by canvas and include a cozy house and blanket inside. The smaller animals stay indoors. But as a popular spot for adoptions, the staff also takes on the responsibility of teaching new pet-owners the risks that come with extreme weather.
"Well, I mean, think about how you feel when the temperatures drop and you need to put on the layers to keep yourself comfortable, I mean, the animals go through the same thing only they rely on us to take care of them," Executive Director Frannie Gerthoffer said. "So if you're a pet owner, it's your responsibility to make sure they're taken care of. And warmth is a big part of that," she said.
Keeping your animal sheltered from harmfully cold weather is more than a responsibility--it's the law. In Beaufort County, failure to provide proper shelter and protection from weather can put you in jeopardy of losing your pet. But the whole idea behind taking on an animal is companionship, so hopes are the ones who have homes will snuggle tight with their owners tonight and the ones left at the shelter luckily have someone looking out for them, too.
"I don't sleep at night unless I know that they're all warm," Oberdier said.