OK Humane Society Hits The Streets To Help Freezing Strays

As the temperatures Sunday night were set to plunge below freezing, officials with a metro animal shelter encouraged pet owners to bring their animals inside.

The President/CEO of the Oklahoma Humane Society said she always worries about stray animals when it gets this cold.

“When we have these types of conditions, when you see a stray cat or dog on the street and you know what it's going to be experiencing overnight, when it gets really cold, it's very hard not to do anything about it, or try at least,” Susana DellaMaddelena said.

Sunday afternoon she tried to catch a shivering pit bull stray, but was unsuccessful. So she set up a place to help him to get through the night.

“She was very cold already today and when it drops into the 20's tonight it's going to be pretty brutal for her,” she said.

Sunday night's brutal conditions could be deadly for any animal without shelter, DellaMaddelena added.

“If a dog or cat doesn't have an adequate space to go to to stay warm or dry, potentially they could freeze overnight. If they're in the condition where they are not overall healthy, then this might just be the thing that ends their life,” she explained.

Susana said she hopes pet owners will be able to bring their animals inside and out of the cold tonight. But if not, at least give them something to wear, and create a dry, insulated space.

“Literally a big blue Tupperware container lined with straw with a hole cut in it is a totally functional shelter for a dog or cat and it will cost you about $5.”

Food and water will likely freeze Sunday night as well, so pet owners were encouraged to change them frequently.