SLINGER, Wis. — Dog owners and the Humane Society are bracing their pets for a bitterly cold weekend in Washington County.
Watch: Washington County pet owners prepare for bitter cold weekend
Washington County Humane Society staff members said pet parents at home should keep their furry family members inside and keep them active with things like pet puzzles.
Lisa Burns' dogs love going on walks, but in the cold temperatures, she keeps those walks short, sometimes only going out for 5 to 10 minutes.
"Temperature plays a really big part in how long we go for a walk," Burns said. "Stop when they need to. You can kind of tell when they're getting a little distressed. We'll cut the walk short and come back home."
When the temps dip into the negatives, she might only take them out for a quick bathroom break, then it's back in the warmth.
"If it's cold for us, it's cold for them," Kelli Jo Yogerst said. "They are more directly influenced by that because of their paw pads."
She is a canine enrichment specialist at the Washington County Humane Society. Her team hosts indoor activities for local pets and their owners. She hopes that during the cold weather, pet parents keep their pups active indoors.
"It helps them calm down," she said. "Tire their brains out, they're happier at the kennel, and it just really helps them."
Burns goes as far as using homemade paw balm to preserve her pet's feet, so while inspecting them for salt, snow and ice, she also moisturizes them. She recently started selling her balms and can be contacted for sales at press@ironvixenpress.com .
She's also part of the Friends of the Slinger Dog Park who will be holding an event on Sunday.
"When the paws get chapped in the winter, it's kind of like humans, when you put hand lotion on your hands in the winter," she said. "It smooths it out, helps their sores, plantain is healing and it's got a little bit of that healing herb in it."
Yogerst said if your pet manages to slip out of the house, report it to them immediately. They are closed on Friday but will be open on Saturday.
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