"Homeless animals will surely perish": Alberta animal shelter issues plea as extreme cold moves in

The Alberta Animal Rescue Crew Society (AARCS) is asking people to foster dogs and puppies in need ahead of an extreme cold snap that is set to hug the province this week.

Edmonton and Calgary are set to experience bone-chilling cold, along with the rest of the province, and AARCS says it is urgently seeking families in both cities and surrounding areas to “open their hearts and homes” to foster dogs and puppies in need.

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“Without a place to go, homeless animals will surely perish. Fostering provides these animals with a warm and loving environment and frees up space for more animals in desperate need,” said Rachel Cote, director of programs at AARCS, in a Facebook post.

AARCS added that there are more than 30 puppies along with numerous adult dogs in its shelters that are awaiting foster care and at any given time, AARCS has approximately 600 animals in foster care, per its website.

If you are interested in helping foster an animal, you can apply to do so here.

With the upcoming cold snap, Environment and Climate Change Canada has a handy rundown on cold weather safety tips, which includes a note for pet owners that “if it’s too cold for you to stay outside, it’s too cold for your pet to stay outside.”