Florida Shelter Saves Dogs from Cold Night

Florida isn't known for frigid temperatures, even in the dead of winter, but in the early morning, cold wind put some dogs in Manatee County at serious risk.

Shelter workers help pooches avoid a cold night 

The Palmetto Animal Shelter was overcrowded this week. There wasn't enough room inside to house all of the dogs that needed a home. Typically, this means that the excess pooches spend the night outdoors in the shelter's outdoor area. However, with the wind chill expected to dip into the low 30s, Manatee County Animal Services had to do something, according to the Bradenton Herald.The employees decided that the only option was to have the dogs double up. The shelter only has enough space indoors for about 30 dogs, but they had 60 at the facility. On Wednesday and Thursday night, these pooches shared their spaces with one another so that they could all have a warm night's sleep.While overcrowding the shelter is a temporary solution, it's also an uncomfortable one. Instead, the shelter hopes to have some of these pooches adopted and is holding events to help the process along. They'll be holding an adoption event from Feb. 21 through March 1, the Herald reported.The facility could definitely use a little more room to hold dogs inside, the shelter employees told the newspaper. However, as volunteer coordinator Samantha Wolfe said, they'll do what they need to with or without space."If we are ahead of the game, it will be better," Wolfe told the Herald. "We are definitely moving forward with saving animals' lives, but we are still full."Wolfe also told the paper that they'll do whatever it takes to rescue dogs and keep them warm in the chilly temperatures.

Feed your dog

The employees at the Palmetto shelter told the newspaper that they hoped the dogs would get adopted, but even if they did get adopted the employees didn't want the dogs to be left outside and get cold. If you're similarly concerned about your canine becoming too cold and getting uncomfortable, you may want to change their feeding habits.As the American Veterinary Medical Association explained, dogs who are outside frequently in the winter need more calories in their diet. The cold air makes dogs burn more calories, because not only is your dog using energy to run or walk, but also to regulate their body temperature and stay warm.You can use your

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and keep your dog filled with enough calories to stay warm while playing in the cold.