Share the warmth

The weather has been so cold here lately (I'm sayin' cold for certain parts of Texas, not  frigid regions north, east and west of us), my thoughts have turned to all of the pets who live outdoors. I want to go out at night and find them all and bring them inside. Even Sam, lover of the great outdoors, prefers artificially heated air when the temps outside crash into the teens. How can I tell? 1. He waits by the door to get in after the briefest sojourn and 2. His floppy ears are cold.

Isn't being warm one of the basic needs of every living creature?

So, all of you folks who have outdoor pets -- what do you do for them when it's cold? Do you give them blankets and beds and make sure there is a warm light to sleep under or a shed somewhere for them to curl up in? Do they have a buddy to snuggle with? Do you race outside regularly and crack the layer of ice on top of their water pans so their tongues don't get stuck? Even watchdogs need a break.

Keeping animals safe and warm seems like such a simple thing to do, and yet we can't seem to get everyone on the same page about humane treatment of animals. Seeing how some animals live reminds me of extremely poor countries, which our country claims not to be. How do we expect to solve the rather more complicated problems of people if we can't even meet the basic needs of dogs and cats?

One place to start is by adopting a shelter dog or cat if you feel equipped to take on a companion animal. If you can't subject yourself to all the beings that need homes at the shelter, check out the classified ads in the local newspaper. Ours features several shelter dog and cat ads daily, including a dog in today's paper offering to help his new potential adopter lose weight (no, not by stealing food or counting calories...at least I don't think so).

Yes, it's a crapshoot when you adopt a shelter dog. Who knows what treatment such a dog has seen? But that's the way life is. You will never get a 100 percent perfect animal, child or spouse, even if you get the papers. If perfection is your goal, good luck with all of that frustration and unhappiness and please stay single, childless and petless.

If adopting a pet is not on your radar, what about fostering adult or baby dogs or cats? Or volunteering at a shelter, if you have the time? Our local shelters regularly seek foster homes for their animals, and both accept volunteers. Don't be insulted by the background checks. They want to make sure they aren't sending the animals into a worse environment than the street. 

Shelters also need blankets and other supplies, if anyone's in the donating mood.

I am closing today with a picture of Sam in his Christmas bandanna. He is not being standoffish by avoiding the camera lens. He rarely looks us in the eye, either. I gather it's not polite.