January 2018 started out VERY cold, so all of us pet owners would do well to keep these pet-safety tips in mind:

• Feed well. Give your pet plenty of food and water, because keeping warm outdoors takes energy.
• Check paws. Wipe with a damp towel to remove salt, and check for ice accumulation and damage.
• Provide shelter. If your pet must be outside much of the day, it needs a dry, draft-free shelter.
• Discourage hitchhiking. Bang on the hood or honk the horn to ward off cats or wildlife attracted to a warm engine.
• Prevent poisoning. Ethylene glycol antifreeze is deadly, but has a sweet taste. Wipe up spills to protect animals and children.

Finally, when it’s unusually cold like this, please do whatever’s necessary to keep your pet inside. We’ve seen temperatures in the teens and single digits on multiple nights this year, even though the average daily low in January for Lancaster is 20.7 degrees F. Daytime highs have not been out of the twenties, compared to the average high for January of 37.5!