Following the recent temperature extremes, the Aggieland Humane Society is advising pet owners on how to best care for their furry friends.
Aggieland Humane Society, formerly named Brazos Valley Animal Shelter, was started in 1981 with the intent to promote animal welfare. Since then, it has grown with the community to meet the needs of both pets and pet owners. Today, the shelter is a strong advocate of spaying and neutering as well as responsible pet ownership.
The shelter’s mission is to “provide human care and placement for homeless and abandoned animals, to promote the human-animal bond and to enhance the quality of life for the people and animals in the community,” according to its website.
Communication coordinator Darby McKenzie said the shelter has contracts with College Station and Brazos County that allow them to take in pets from both jurisdictions.
“We also take in stray pets from the public that are found in those areas,” McKenzie said. “However, we are an independent nonprofit, which means that we function 100 percent based on donations from the community.”
According to the shelter’s Twitter account, the team recently took in more strays than usual during “puppy season,” finding a total of 22 puppies in 48 hours. With the drop in temperatures that led to days of snow and ice, the shelter tweeted that these puppies could have had much darker endings to their stories.
“It was one of those days where we were thinking, ‘This can’t get worse,’” McKenzie said. “This was a strange situation where we found multiple sets of puppies in different locations, each set a different breed.”
In such moments, McKenzie said, Aggieland Humane Society shines.
“It was one of those times where we were really thankful that we were able to be that service for the community to take those pets in,” McKenzie said. “Finding so many puppies can be a huge cost for people, which points to the importance of spaying and neutering your pets so these situations don’t occur.”
To prevent other pets from encountering dangerous situations due to the cold, animal care technician Brian Okosun said there are a few critical things pets require, the first being access to warmth.
“Keep in mind our beloved pets get cold just like we do, and dogs and cats are not impervious to heat loss, especially those with shorter fur,” Okosun said. “Bring them inside or provide them with an outdoor structure with adequate insulation and a heat source if possible.”
If there is a chance your pet may come in contact with ice or snow, Okosun said protective measures should be taken to ensure your pet doesn’t injure themselves.
“It would be best to consider protective footwear and overcoats for your pet to protect their delicate paw pads and keep their core heat from dissipating,” Okosun said.
With the change in weather, many pets have gone missing, but McKenzie said the shelter team wants to emphasize that there are resources owners can use to find and reconnect with their pets.
“A lot of people have kindly taken in those pets to get them out of the cold, so check out Brazos County Lost and Found as well as other similar groups on Facebook,” McKenzie said. “If you see a lost pet, you can always call Animal Control or contact an Aggieland Humane teammate, and we can help direct you as to where that pet will need to go to help them get home.”