Dog gone, it's cold! Pets balk at the big chill, too
How cold is it? It's so cold, even dogs don't want to go outside.
The suburbs are in the throes of a polar vortex-like week of subzero temperatures and dangerous wind chills, making it tough for humans and domesticated animals to be outdoors.
Today's high is expected to hover around zero, but gusty winds will make it feel as bad as 35 below zero. Many schools are closed across the suburbs and temperatures aren't expected to be above 16 degrees until Sunday.
While people can stay indoors to avoid the arctic snap, dogs have to go outside — even if they don't want to.
Suburban dog walkers say they show up bundled up, ready to take dogs out, but some canines balk at the cold air. Or they'll hurry up and do their business and run back inside.
“I've literally had to carry dogs home from a walk. We'd get five to seven minutes into a walk and they'd just lay down, because it hurts for their paws to touch the ground,” said Mia Indovina, manager of Bentley's Corner Barkery in Arlington Heights. “They can handle the snow. They can't handle the sidewalks. The cement gets so cold, and the salt is bad.”
This week's temperatures rival last year's polar vortex, with lows tonight expected to be minus 12 and three days dipping below zero.
Double-digit temperatures Tuesday gave Pam Wetzel of Elgin and her dog Barney a chance for a stroll, with both bundled in warm overcoats.
“It's cold, but it's nice to get out when the sun is shining,” Wetzel said.
But dog walker Mary Daniel of Arlington Heights took care of a Bichon who didn't like being in the frigid weather any more than she did.
“He was running around for 30 seconds, and next thing you know he stops, looks at me, puts his paws up, and runs to the door and says, ‘OK, let's go in.' Like, ‘I'm done.'”
Jim Pierce, manager at Kriser's pet store in Glen Ellyn, reminded people to be mindful of the time their dogs spend outdoors this week, and not just open a sliding door and let them stand outside for half an hour.
“Dogs are a lot smarter than people give them credit for,” Pierce said. “It's like they think, ‘If you don't want to stand out there, why would I want to?'”
The weather is difficult and potentially dangerous for dogs and hypothermia can set in, said Burbank-based veterinarian Dr. Shannon Greeley, past president of the Chicago Veterinary Medicine Association.
“Certain breeds have more of an affinity for the cold, but most of our house pets prefer the climate-controlled indoors,” she said.