Wilton Animal Control's Advice on Care of Dogs in Cold Weather

Third in a series of conversations with Wilton Animal Control officer Bob Napoleon

From time to time Wilton Police receive calls from residents concerned about dogs left out in the cold, in a dog house or left inside a car when temperatures drop.

Patch asked Napoleon if there were any rules of thumb about when to keep the dog indoors when it's cold outside.

"A car is not insulated. It's basically a metal box. Even after a car is warmed up from driving, it won't take long before it turns into an ice box once the engine is off," Napoleon said, adding that a doghouse is a different story.

An insulated dog house with a flap can be a cozy place for a dog when it's cold out, according to Napoleon. 

"But the doghouse shouldn't be much bigger than the dog, so its body heat can keep him warm inside," Napoleon said. 

As for bringing your dog along in the car on a cold day, Napoleon says there is no hard and fast cutoff minimum temperature or maximum length of time.

Napoleon said that most people love their dogs and that's why they bring them along in the car and they aren't happy when the police are called over concern for the dog being either too hot or too cold.

"But you know how cold your car is on a winter morning when you first get in?" Napoleon asked. "Imagine how your dog feels in that. You can't allow your dog to be exposed to too much cold."

Wilton Animal Control is located at 238 Danbury Rd in Wilton. Tel. (203) 563-0150.

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