Winter evokes warm, cozy thoughts: hot chocolate, a fire on the hearth.
But for some outdoor dogs, winter can be a miserable time of drafty doghouses and frost-nipped ears. The Callaway County Humane Society is here to help those freezing Fidos.
"(At some of these places) the conditions are either no dog house - they're living under a porch or a car, generally tied up or chained to the front of a trailer," CCHS President Sandy Corbet said. "Or, people have those metal or plastic barrels, and they lay it on the side and call it a dog house. One dog had a couch cushion under a tree. When it's below zero, you're cold no matter how much fur you have on."
The Humane Society's Home for the Holidays giveaway begins in December. It targets dogs who appear to have insufficient warmth available to them.
"If you're taking good care of your dog we aren't targeting people who have outside dogs like Great Pyrenees or huskies," Corbet said. "It's the ones that are chained to trees and don't have a choice."
Corbet said CCHS unfortunately doesn't have the budget to offer straw and doghouses more broadly. They're saving them for dogs who are reported as neglected.
"We don't go out looking for it," Corbet said. "People call because they get concerned, seeing a dog laying out in the snow. We're not out to take your dog, we're just trying to get the situation better."
Dogs in need may be reported confidentially at cognitoforms.com/CallawayCountyHumaneSociety/ReportAbuseAndNeglect.
When the Humane Society visits a home with an outdoor dog, they'll first encourage the owner to bring the dog inside.
"If that's not possible, a garage or basement is better than outdoors for extreme cold at night," Corbet said.
But if that isn't an option, CCHS will assess the dog's needs.
"What the state requires for a dog outside is proper accommodations," Corbet explained. "They have to have a dog house - it can't be a barrel, or what we saw at one house, which just had a mattress leaned against the side of the house - with sides, a roof and a bottom. There should be bedding in there, like straw or hay and they have to have fresh water. They put a big bucket of water out there and overnight it freezes."
Heated water dishes are ideal, but swapping out water frequently works, too. Blankets don't make good bedding, Corbet added, because they freeze hard when the dog tracks slush into the doghouse. Dogs also need a steady supply of food because they shiver to keep warm, which burns through a lot of calories.
For tethered dogs, Corbet recommends using a cable instead of a chain. Chains tend to get caked with ice and freeze stiff. This can prevent the dog from reaching its shelter.
CCHS can offer a bale of straw to help insulate the dog house - or even an entirely new, warmer dog house, if the current one isn't suitable. Corbet also has cables available.
"Last year, we distributed about 12 bales of straw and five or six dog houses," Corbet said. "There's a house we worked with last summer with six dogs in two dog houses in a small pen. We gave them an extra dog house and four bales of straw."
If the owner still feels unable to provide for the dog, CCHS is also glad to help the animal find a new home.
Aside from reporting needy or neglected dogs, the public can help by paying for a bale or two of straw at Kingdom Feed (2110 N. Bluff St., Fulton) - just mention the Humane Society while paying. As of Tuesday, straw cost $6.99 per bale.
"We had a couple calls about that this morning," Kingdom Feed owner Darrel Wilmsmeyer said. "Last year, people donated about $300 of straw."
He added he feels CCHS's cause is a worthwhile one.
Anyone with a spare igloo-type doghouse to donate may contact CCHS through its Facebook page, by email ([email protected]) or by phone at 573-826-5656. Donations of heated water dishes are welcome as well.
If your own home has room for a pup, visit the CCHS Facebook page or search "Callaway County Humane Society" on Petfinder.com to view adoptable animals.
Santa Paws
On Dec. 8, 10 a.m.-2 p.m., the Humane Society will have its annual Santa Paws event at John C. Harris Community Center (350 Sycamore in Fulton). Pets and children can pose for a photo with Santa Claus, while parents shop at a variety of vendors and bid on a lottery ticket tree.
Pet microchipping is also available for $25.