Good Samaritan rescues dog left in frigid cold

Veterinarians say animals can suffer the effects of this weather in just minutes. And for one local puppy, she’s lucky a Good Samaritan found her before it was too late.

“She was found the other night, it was minus 10 degrees, she was tied to a bus bench,” said Maura Nelson of Secondhand Hounds, the Minnetonka-based animal rescue group.

“She was shivering, of course, but frostbite hadn’t set in so we think that the finder found her pretty quickly after she was tied outside. By morning she would’ve been frozen.”

Norah’s story is a sad reminder of what some people are capable of doing. But it’s also a good reminder that pet owners need to be extra cautious right now.

“They’re very vulnerable at temperatures like these,” said Dr. Melanie Sharpe, a veterinarian at Mission Animal Hospital in Minnetonka.

Dr. Sharpe says caring for animals in this cold mostly requires common sense.

“A really good gauge of how long your dog should be outside is how long you’re comfortable being outside,” she said. But certain types of animals do fare better than others.

“Animals with short coats or hairless breeds are the most at risk.”

When a dog’s outside, it’s important to read its body language.

“A lot of times animals will try to make themselves as small as possible to conserve heat, so being hunched down and shivering, head down, are signs than an animal is cold,” said Dr. Sharpe. And a sign that that animal needs to come inside.

Fortunately for little Norah, someone was there to do just that. She’s now living with a temporary foster family until she can find her forever home. If you’re interested in adopting Norah or any of the other available animals through Secondhand Hounds, visit their website at www.secondhandhounds.org.

Cassie Bonstrom, reporting

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