Dog Owners Urged To Protect Pets From Bitter Cold

While some dogs seem to despise the snow, some canines actually enjoy winter and the opportunity to frolic outdoors.

But animal experts advise owners to be certain their dogs are protected from extreme weather conditions.

Representatives of the Binghamton Animal Clinic in Johnson City and the Owego Veterinary Hospital say they've experienced no significant increase in patient maladies directly related to the record cold.

But some area dog owners are neglecting their pets during the frigid conditions.

Laurie Hubik, shelter manager for The Humane Society on Binghamton's South Side, says the agency's answering machine has been filled with plenty of messages on recent mornings from people reporting possible neglect cases.

Hubik says 12 reports were received over the past two days. She says each case is checked out by The Humane Society cruelty investigator.

The shelter manager says all complaints are investigated but it sometimes may take more than a day because of the volume of reports the agency receives.

Hubik says New York state law sets very minimal requirements to protect dogs from the cold. She says the law mandates that the pet have a dog house of some sort and access to food and water.

Hubik notes in this week's brutally-cold conditions, dogs can easily be harmed by frostbite to their ears, toes and feet pads. Frostbite can cause permanent damage to dogs.