El Paso Animal Services reminds you to protect pets during freezing temperatures
EL PASO, TX (KVIA) — The Borderland region is waking up to dangerously cold temperatures once again this morning and experts are reminding residents to take precautions to protect their pets from frostbite and hypothermia.
The current morning conditions are especially dangerous for small dogs and fall into the caution range for medium-sized dogs, according to experts.

ABC-7 spoke to Julieanne Newbold, public affairs coordinator for El Paso Animal Services, who says it’s best to keep pets indoors as much as possible.
“Even if you have a garage, a spare bathroom, a laundry room, you can even kennel them during this time frame as well, just to keep them safe from those conditions,” Newbold emphasized.
For dogs left outdoors, the Safe Outdoor Dogs Act requires adequate shelter, including four walls, a roof, and an elevated floor. Pets must also have access to clean, unfrozen water, and tethered dogs must have at least 10 feet of leash.
If your dog is excessively shivering, or if the tips of their ears, paws, or tails appear red or black, they could be experiencing frostbite or hypothermia.
“Bring them inside and try to warm them up gradually,” said Newbold. “ Don't immediately put them inside of, hot bath or anything like that. You want to slowly bring their temperature, up to normal ranges. So maybe with a blanket, a warm blanket, kind of covering them up, putting them near a heater.”
Newbold also suggest keeping walks short during early morning and late evening hours, which are the coldest parts of the day. You can also consider bundling up your pets with jackets and booties to help keep them warm.
The freezing conditions can also pose a significant risk to community cats. Outdoor cats often seek warm places to hide, such as under cars. To avoid injuring a hiding cat, make sure to knock on the hood of your car or honk the horn before starting the engine.
You can also help by creating a simple DIY shelter for outdoor cats. The shelter can be made using a plastic tote bin, a styrofoam cooler, straw (not hay), and basic tools like duct tape and a box cutter.
Click here for a step-by-step guide to create one.
Once it’s ready, place the shelter in a safe, quiet location, making sure the entrance faces away from the wind. You can add heavy rocks or bricks to keep it secure.