By WHITNEE ICESt. Joseph PostWith bitter cold temperatures forecast all weekend, it's important to bring your pets indoors.Humane Educator Aubrey Silvey for St. Joseph Animal Control and Rescue says it's important to bring animals inside during these frigid temperatures."We really recommend that if you're able to bring your pet inside even if it's in the basement or even if you have to crate your dog when you bring it inside," Silvey tells St. Joseph Post. "If you could just do that through these really frigid temperatures, that's the best thing you can do." Silvey says if you can't bring your pets indoors, make sure you provide adequate shelter for them outside. "For dog houses, you want to make sure that the floor of the doghouse is off of the ground because the ground can take the heat away from the dog house," says Silvey. "You want the door of the doghouse to be facing away from the wind and a flap on that dog house is preferable."Silvey says if you have an animal living outdoors through the winter months, it's important to remember they are going to need a high quality diet. "Keeping their bodies warm depletes their energy so they do require more food to stay healthy weight and to be able to keep warm," says Silvey. If you see an animal in city limits outside for a long time, contact animal control.

Keep your pets safe on these bitterly cold days