REGINA – When the weather is this cold, sometimes people forget that pets also need the same care and attention as their owners.
Animal Protection Officers with the Regina Humane Society have been busy responding to calls about dogs and cats found outside this week.
“What people don’t realize is that signs and symptoms can show up a day or two later. So, if it’s frostbite, items can start to fluff off or fall off of the animal,” said Diana Bishop, supervisor of animal and protection services.
The whereabouts of a small black dog had been a concern since Monday when the Humane Society began to receive reports that she had been running around outside. However on Wednesday, officers were finally able to catch her.
“The good news is she’s here, she’s safe and she’s under vet care,” said Bishop.
By the time they rescued the one dog, the Humane Society received another call of a cat tied up outside on a leash for two hours.
“The complainant just phoned back to say that they just got home and let the cat back in, but we’re still going to go visit and see why the cat was left outside,” said Tricia Zaphe, an animal protection officer.
When Zaphe confronted the owner about the cat, the owner said the pet was only outside a short time.
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Another call comes in within minutes and this time a neighbour is complaining about a dog being left out in the cold.
The owner brings the dog in when Zaphe knocks on the door, so there is no immediate need for concern. The owner is cordial but that’s not always the case.
“We do get yelled at a lot and people get very upset sometimes when we show up, but being able to talk with them and explain why we’re there is the biggest thing,” said Zaphe.
While there’s no law specifically against leaving an animal outdoors, owners can be charged under the Animal Protection Act of Saskatchewan if an animal is found to be in distress.
Animal protection officers in Regina are on-call 24/7 and can be reached at 306-777-7700 or via the Regina Police Service during after-hours.
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