Nassau and Suffolk SPCAs on patrol for pets left out in freezing cold

SPCA officers are out in force this week on cold patrol, looking for dogs whining during walks, animals tethered outside in subzero wind chill temperatures and cats shooed out for the night.

Animals can freeze and get frostbite in the same amount of time as humans, said the heads of the Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals in Nassau and Suffolk counties.

But some pet owners don't care or are just plain uninformed when animals show signs of frostbite or hypothermia, even though it may appear their pets are having fun in the snow, officials said.

"If it's too cold for you, it's too cold for your pet to be outside," said Gary Rogers, head of the Nassau SPCA. "You have to remember that dogs specifically want to please their owners, so they'll stay there longer than they should and you think they're having fun."

The body heat of a dog or cat can melt snow on their fur, possibly leading to dangerous consequences, according to Rogers. "The fur gets wet and all of a sudden it gets windy and cold and they get hypothermia," he said.

Owners should limit outside activities with their pets this week, experts said. Gusts reached 45 mph Wednesday, the wind chill Thursday sank to 17 below zero and Friday's wind chill could fall to minus 5.

Pets can show signs of distress that humans don't recognize — a dog frequently lifting its paws during a walk may be saying it needs booties, Suffolk SPCA head Roy Gross said.

His agency responded to about 50 calls of animals outside Wednesday and Thursday, including two visits within three hours Thursday to check on two Yorkies in a yard with no visible shelter, Gross said. He was trying to decide Thursday night if the dogs should be seized.

Nassau's SPCA got at least 25 calls in the same period, with owners home in all the cases, Rogers said. "These people need to go stand outside with their dogs for a while and see how long they can stay," he said.

Owners may be charged with animal cruelty under state law, which allows the seizure of animals whose lives are in imminent danger. In Suffolk, it's a criminal misdemeanor to leave dogs out in temperatures below 32 degrees or above 90. 

"Even if they have an insulated shelter, it doesn't cut it," Gross said.

He said his agency has issued more than 100 warnings this winter over dogs.

Animal advocates have been trying to get a similar law passed in Nassau, Rogers said. A bill was introduced a few weeks ago and advocates are lobbying lawmakers, he said. 

Such a law makes it easier for authorities to educate and warn dog owners before the animals suffer, SPCA rescuers said, but other pets and farm animals are covered only by state animal cruelty laws.

"I still can't understand why people open their doors and tell their cats, 'Go ahead out,' " Rogers said. "You wouldn't do that to your 5-year-old child at 9 o'clock at night. 'Hey go out and come back in the morning.' It's irresponsible pet ownership."