If it’s too cold for you, it’s too cold for pets; Reminder to keep animals safe this winter storm

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) -- The Arctic cold front bringing extreme cold temperatures poses a threat to not just people, but animals too.

According to the National Weather Service, the cold beginning Wednesday night through Friday could bring wind chills down to -50°. Those conditions could be life-threatening, with NWS saying frostbite could happen in only ten minutes.

KRDO previously spoke with the Humane Society of the Pikes Peak Region on the dangers cold weather brings to pets and livestock.

“Frostbite that can really affect their paws whether that’s from the cold or the ice just sticking to their fur and obviously keeping their fur a little too cold,” said Cody Costra with the Humane Society of the Pikes Peak Region.

Below are tips from the HSPPR and NWS on keeping pets safe during winter weather:

• Keep your pets inside whenever possible
• Provide outdoor animals with a warm, waterproof shelter that's raised a few inches off the ground to keep them warm
• Take dogs on walks or let them outside for brief windows of time, ten to 15 minutes
• Always keep identifying tags on your dog while on walks because snow masks scents, so a dog might have a harder time finding its way back home if it gets lost
• Never shave a dog to the skin in colder months, consider getting a warm dog-specific sweater
• Bang on the hood of vehicles to make sure no cats or other wildlife have climbed into your engine during the night
• Avoid antifreeze spills, which are poisonous to cats, dogs, and wildlife
• Thoroughly wipe off your dog's legs and stomach when it comes out of the sleet, snow, or ice to avoid them from ingesting any salt, antifreeze, or other dangerous chemicals. Their paw pads could bleed from snow or encrusted ice left on
• Never leave your pet or animal alone in a car during cold weather
• Never let a dog off-leash, the NWS said more dogs are lost during the winter than any other season

If you have concerns about the conditions a pet is being kept in, please call Animal Law Enforcement at 719-302-