COVID-19 may have changed many things about winter, but cold weather and certain seasonal foods remain a health and safety risk for pets. The problem is that many pet owners may not realize the risks, and this may be especially true in connection with the recent pet-adoption boom.
Spurred by the pandemic and more people staying at home, pet adoptions from shelters, rescue organizations, pet stores, and private breeders exploded. In a March 30th, 2020 story by the NBC news station TMJ4, for example, the Wisconsin Humane Society reported adopting out 159 pets in just five days, and Milwaukee Area Domestic Animal Control outreach coordinator Kathy Skillinglaw said that the low numbers of available pets in Wisconsin shelters “is definitely the lowest numbers we have seen in my experience in the last six years.” Similarly on August 12th, 2020, The Washington Post reported, “Shelters, non-profit rescues, private breeders, pet stores—all reported more consumer demand than there were dogs and puppies to fill it.”
Given the sheer number of new pet parents implied by such reports, it is not unreasonable to say that some new or soon-to-be clients of veterinary practices may not know about risks posed to pets from cold weather and foods common to the holidays.
Download our free Holiday Safety Kit with tools to help educate your clients about about the risks and how to avoid them.
Available for a limited time, our kit includes:
- Two educational handouts for clients that you can print or email:
- Preparing Your Pets for Winter: Synopsis of a ClientEd handout
- Holiday Safety Tips for Pet Owners: Synopsis of a ClientEd handout
- A printable poster for your clinic
- Two social media images that you can post on Facebook to further remind pet owners about the importance of pet safety during winter
