MOREHEAD CITY, N.C. - It's no secret it's cold outside, so you probably want to get back inside as quick as you can, right? So the same thing should be true for your pets.
But some pet owners are leaving their four-legged friends outside.
Jamie Herres and her dog Jersey have a special bond. And when it's this cold outside, they're both warm, inside her apartment.
She says "When I go outside, I'm cold and I know they are cold too and they just want to be inside a warm house too".
But some other four-legged friends aren't so lucky. We found at least one dog who was spending some time outdoors on Monday evening. And with temperatures this cold, experts say that's just not a smart idea.
Dr. Libby Cash says "It's not safe to house your pet outside without some sort of shelter".
Dr. Cash works at the Arendell Animal Hospital in Morehead City. She says the real danger of leaving your pet outside is hypothermia. In the early stages, you'll notice extreme shivering. But if it gets worse, there could be extreme lethargy that can progress to coma and death."
Dr. Libby says if you have to take your pet outside, then make sure you give the animal plenty of food and water: "A dog or cat that's outside in the cold needs more food to keep it's body temperature up".
And while every pet is different,dog lovers like herres say the reason they don't leave their pets outside? Well that's simple...
Herres says "Mine are my family members and I can't imagine leaving my family members outside".
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