TULSA -- The Tulsa SPCA is asking for help collecting dog houses for wintertime.
The nonprofit wants to be able to set up shelters for pets who do not have a place to hide from the cold.
"If we can shelter the animal, then we will certainly probably save its life," Tim Geen, the animal cruelty investigator for the SPCA said.
Geen said it is inevitable that he will respond to a call this winter about a pet left outside. He wants to go prepared to those calls this winter.
"I'll take the house and we will set it up, put some straw and blankets in it to make it more comfortable and leave it for the winter months and that dog will survive," Geen said.
He said it is heartbreaking when he goes out on a call and finds a dog that does not have shelter.
"They look pitiful," Geen said. "They'll break your heart and what's worse is when these animals actually freeze. I've seen a number of them that has happened to and it's not a pleasant thing. I keep falling back on dog houses. We can prevent that."
The SPCA is asking the public to donate dog houses. The houses need to have three solid sides and a floor. They will set the shelters up facing away from the wind so the dogs have a place to retreat.
Last year, the SPCA passed them out as well. They ended up running out and had to ask for donations from the public and ended up collecting 50.
"That's why we are putting this message out now to the public to get early support on donated dog houses if we can. That way we will be prepared when it really gets cold and icy and bad," Geen said.
People can drop the dog houses off at the Tulsa location at 2910 Mohawk Blvd. or call the SPCA at 918-422-7722 and someone will pick it up.
"People will know that they have saved an animal's life by doing that," Geen said.
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