In This Weather, Please Be Extra Kind to Our Furry Friends

Leslie Harris here, and that is my dog, Remus Lupin.

Remus loves to go for walks, even in this cold weather. As you can see, I have a little coat for him, and when it gets colder, I will add his Christmas sweater,boots, and even a little scarf around this ears. If you don’t have a dog, you can still help to make them more comfortable during these harsh months.

Please please PLEASE buy pet friendly sidewalk salt, and when you do, be sure that it really is pet friendly. Last year, I went into one of those big box stores, you know the type that has everything for fixing up your HOME? I went to look for pet friendly salt. The only salt they had was not labeled as such. The smarmy salesman looked me right in the eye and told me that the salt they sold was safe for pets. I could tell this guy was lying, just to make a sale. I stared at him for a few seconds and then slowly said, “Yeah, I’m going to go someplace else.” And I walked out. I then went Ace Hardware, where they had pet friendly salt, CLEARLY labeled. (and it was definitely a different chemical than the one that other guy tried to sell me)

Why is this so important? Well I’ll tell you, my friend Remus here, when he get the harsh salt on his paws, he whimpers, and holds one foot in the air until I wipe it off. I have seen pictures of dogs paws that are cracked and bleeding from this harsh chemical, and it is also toxic, and as you know, dogs lick their paws.

So when you’re buying sidewalk salt, be absolutely certain that it actually is pet friendly. The dogs will never know your kindness, but their owners will.