MIDLAND, Texas (KOSA) – Temperatures are dropping and dogs like humans get cold too.
“We want to give animals a warm place at night especially so they don’t freeze to death,” said Executive Director of Fix West Texas Karen Patterson.
Fix West Texas offers a solution for people with outdoor dogs that don’t have shelter during the cold or for those who can’t bring their dogs inside during the winter months.
“It’s important for dogs to have shelter especially in backyards because they have nowhere to go and if they don’t have shelter they suffer and we just don’t want to see dogs suffering,” said Patterson.
“They get cold just like humans, when you’re getting down below 40 degrees they really need a place where they can stay dry and warm.”
They’re called dog barrels, 55 gallon drums the non-profit buys that have non-toxic liquid inside of them.
The volunteers rinse them out, cut them, put a board on so they can be laid flat and stuffed with hay.
“A lot of people will put blankets out for pets but they absorb the humidity that’s in the air and it can actually make the animal cold so that’s why we advocate for using straw or hay in the barrels,” said Patterson.
When you should provide shelter for your dog depends on the breed as dogs with a thicker coat may not need it until it’s 20 degrees out. Patterson recommends providing the shelter for all dogs so they have the option if they need it.
“We will give them away for free, in fact today we gave away three for free but if people do have them money we say a donation of $20 helps us build another barrel,” said Patterson.
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