Animal Owners Warned about Dangers of Cold Weather

Extreme cold can be dangerous not only for humans, but also for farm animals and pets kept outdoors, according to the Orpheus Animal Protection Association, which has issued recommendations to animal owners.

In a statement, the association called on animal owners to ensure that their pets kept outside in the cold are provided with energy-rich food, to set up a wind-protected “hut” for the animals, and to check their drinking bowls several times during the day.

Cold weather does not reduce pets’ need for exercise, thus owners should set aside time every day to walk and play with them, the statement said.

The head of the association, Zoltán Seres, also emphasized that pets that spend the winter outdoors should not be bathed under any circumstances, as this washes away their natural protective layer of fat, which reduces the natural insulating capacity of their fur.

The Hungarian Chamber of Agriculture (NAK) also announced in a statement that, under the coordination of Péter Ovádi, the government commissioner responsible for the development and implementation of the animal protection action plan, farmers across the country are helping stray animals living in domestic animal shelters with straw donations.

Due to the prolonged cold weather, many animal shelters across the country are facing problems in ensuring the most suitable conditions for the animals living there. Straw is ideal for keeping stray animals warm in shelters even in freezing, record-breaking cold weather, they wrote.

The NAK announced that Péter Ovádi had consulted with Zsolt Papp, president of the chamber. The chamber, which has a nationwide network and is in direct contact with farmers, first asked farmers if they could offer straw to shelters.

Numerous offers were received within a day, and the chamber is coordinating with the government commissioner responsible for animal welfare, who is also assessing the needs, and the Animal Welfare Foundation to ensure that the offers reach the shelters concerned as soon as possible.

Via MTI; Featured image: Pixabay

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