LOOK: How Far People Will Go to Keep Pets Warm in Idaho

The weather over the last couple of weeks in Idaho has been as unpredictable as ever. It has been as low as negative six, and as high as the mid-40s, and there has been a blizzard, wind, and rain. The temperatures have been all over the place, but have mostly remained above freezing until recently. With how cold it got outside, nobody wanted to be outside unless they had to, or to escape their family whom they were stuck inside with. While most of us were warm and toasty with the heater on or by a fire, some pets were left outside and had to deal with the conditions. No living creature wanted to be outside during that storm and cold weather, but with so many residents having large animals or wild animals as pets, where do you draw the line of what is brought in, and what is left outside?

Lady Let's Horses Inside Home During Winter Storm

The story above actually took place in Nebraska when they had a heavy winter storm come through, similar to what hit this past weekend in the Magic Valley. The temperatures were cold outside and to keep her animals warm and safe, she let her horses into her home as you can see above. This is a situation that many found themselves in this past week in Idaho, and is fair to ask, at what point is it survival of the fittest, and how far are you willing to go to accommodate your animals?

Keeping Animals Warm During Idaho Winter

Letting a dog that is in the backyard in during a winter storm isn't a big deal. Letting a cat that roams the neighborhood in, is easy to accommodate. Allowing a horse, a cow, goats, and other animals inside is a different story. The hope is that they have a safe place to go into such as a barn, a pin, a garage or shed, or some structure that is insolated that they can escape the conditions, but if not, where should someone draw the line? Not everyone has to space to let a horse or cow into their home like the woman above, and depending on how many you have, it likely isn't an option either. Many residents in the Magic Valley love their animals, but is there a point where you pray and hope the animal stays warm and makes it through the storm, instead of letting them into your home? 

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The next time a winter storm comes through or the conditions drop into single digits or below, how will you handle your animals? Some are fine in the conditions but others require more care. If you need to find a way to help your bigger animals stay warm, do you let them in the house, or let nature take its course? Hopefully, you won't have to find out and the winter will be better going forward, but where is your line when it comes to keeping your animals warm this winter?