During January’s polar vortex, temperatures in some parts of the country hit minus-30 degrees. In such extreme temperatures, shelters pets are incredibly vulnerable.
That’s why the Petfinder Foundation is introducing Winter Warming Grants (and, later, Summer Cooling Grants) as part of our longstanding Disaster Preparedness and Relief Program.
Our Disaster Grant helped the dogs at Oklahoma’s Perkins Animal Control. “Our shelter is partially open-air,” said Animal Welfare Supervisor Colleen Crummy. “In the worst of winter, our aging heating system could not even keep the shelter above freezing, and the dogs’ water would be frozen.” With our grant, the shelter purchased infrared heaters and had outlets installed to power them.
This was a blessing to dogs like Cody (pictured above), who was found roaming a field, skinny, cold, and scratched-up. “Despite his rough appearance, he was one of the sweetest dogs we have ever had,” Crummy says. “He enjoyed the warmth of the shelter, which was provided by our new heaters. Cody now lives nearby and is enjoying a very spoiled life.”
Another dog who benefited from a Petfinder Foundation grant was Diddy (pictured above). The 11-month-old boxer mix was abandoned in Illinois during a polar vortex and left in the cold to fend for himself until a good Samaritan took him to Hope Animal Rescues.
Unfortunately, the shelter’s pipes were damaged by the extreme cold, and it lost heat and running water. Our grant paid for repairs and insulation so the pipes will never freeze again, and the shelter was again livable for pets like Diddy, who’s since been adopted.
We don’t expect to see the end of extreme heat and cold any time soon, so these severe-weather grants are now a permanent part of our Disaster program. Your donation to our Disaster Fund will help us save lives.
