Keeping your pets safe in cold weather

TERRE HAUTE, Ind. (WTHI) - Terre Haute Code Enforcement says calls on animal neglect just keep coming in.

Only in the winter, they're more pressing, as consequences could be deadly.

"The majority of the calls we get are the animals tethered outside, no food, no water, no shelter," Terre Haute Code Enforcement Officer Tim Manley said.

That was the reason for the first call Wednesday.

The owner was a repeat offender.

"If there is a violation, then I'll just go ahead and site them. There's no reasoning to give them a verbal warning when I've been there before," Manley said.

Code Enforcement once again reminds you that if your pet can't stay inside, make sure that it has a warm bed, shelter and water always.

Permanently tethering is against state law.

Code Enforcement says if owners are in violation, they will be cited.

If conditions are bad enough, animals will be taken.

The issue is humane shelters are usually full.

"They'll always take emergencies, but as far as the stray factors goes I mean there's only so much room," he said.

On average, officers try to take no more than three a day.

"They give us a count day to day."

Parke-Vermillion Humane Society says while other shelters turn animals away, it finds room.

Often times, it will charge a surrender fee to residents.

"Even if they can't, we don't ever refuse anything just because we figure they're better off here in a warm place being fed on a regular basis than somebody going and dumping them or then being thrown out in a the backyard and forgot about," Parke-Vermillion County Humane Society Director and Registered Veterinary Technician Dareth Stonebraker said.

It's an ongoing problem.

"We're out here to help the animals. Some people think we're picking on them but if you don't take care of your animals, you're going to see us," Manley said.

Experts work overtime to protect our animal community.

Code Enforcement plans on being more strict with licensing your animals this year.

Under Terre Haute city ordinance, your cat or dog needs to be registered after it's up to date on its rabies shot.