INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — With an arctic blast heading toward Indiana, Indianapolis was preparing to have extra officers from Animal Care Services on the streets to respond to calls for pets left outside.

In a few days, temperatures were expected to plummet into the single digits and below zero, which can mean life or death for furry friends left outside too long. According to an Indianapolis city ordinance, dogs must be inside when the temperature is at or below 20 degrees F (-6 degrees Celsius).

Indianapolis Animal Care Services, a city government agency, enforces the city law. Deputy Director Katie Trennepohl said, “We’re going to have extra officers out on the street throughout the weekend and into next week to respond to complaints of animals being left outside.”

So, what if you find animals outside unsupervised?

“You can support them in getting back home by keeping them in the area where they were lost, posting on Indy Lost Pet Alert, and posting on social media sites to try to get the pet back home,” Trennepohl said. “The shelter should really be a last resort for those animals that don’t have any other options during the extreme weather.”

Among private animal shelters, IndyHumane encouraged pet owners to act responsibly. Chief Executive Office Donna Casamento said, “If you see an animal that’s out, step up try to help that animal.”

“They need to have adequate shelter and that means a safe, warm place to protect themselves from this weather,” Casamento said.

She added, “When it gets cold like this — I mean even if you’re taking your animals out, we know that dog needs to go out for potty breaks — try not to keep them out for any more than 10 minutes at a time and get them back inside where it’s warm. If you have animals that sometimes like to stay outside, encourage them to come in.”

Casamento offers some choices to pet owners to consider during the severe cold weather. “Perhaps a garage might be a good option for them, or if you know anyone that’s got community cats that are living outside.”

“Anything we can do to provide some warm shelter for those animals. It’s so important because these little things are so fragile.”

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