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Volunteers sleep in doghouses to warn pet owners

Posted at 10:04 PM, Dec 30, 2014
and last updated 2014-12-30 23:17:12-05

COLDWATER, Mich. -- As the temperatures continue to drop, volunteers at the Humane Society of Branch County are staging a reminder to make sure your pets are taken care of.
Saturday they'll spend the entire night sleeping inside a doghouse with nothing but the clothes on their back and straw.
“We're going to be sleeping in these doghouses,” Jordan Oiler said. “To raise awareness about outside dogs in the winter months and to help educate people to provide proper shelter.”
The volunteers are a lively bunch who are brought together by their shared love for their four-legged friends.
“We're very passionate about helping animals. We go on rescue calls in the middle of the night if we have to, but this is something we know we can help with in this community,” Oiler said.
At the First Presbyterian Church at 52 Marshall St. in Coldwater, from 7 p.m. Saturday to 7 a.m. Sunday they will be “Freezin Fur a Reason.”
“We'll be taking donations while at this event. We'll need doghouses, straw, heated water dishes for these dogs so any money we receive it's actually going straight into the community for outside dogs in need,” Oiler said.
The volunteers were greatly impacted by a horrific event that will make any dog lover’s heart sink.
“We had a situation a couple towns over last year where an outside dog actually froze to death,” Oiler said. “It's very preventable. We want to help these dogs in any way that we can.”
With that added push for their platform, they’ll be putting themselves in the doghouse.
“Clothes, that will be our fur, and just straw no blankets, no heated blankets, nothing that a dog wouldn't have,” Oiler said.
They’re hoping to educate pet owners and let them know there are resources for help.
“We're here to help, so no judgment, we want to help these dogs ,keep them warm in the winter because it's starting to get cold,” she said.
If you can’t make the event you can donate to the Humane Society of Branch County, and specify the “Freezin Fur a Reason” cause.