MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP - Although your furry friends may love the outdoors, but despite their fur coats, they get cold too.

There are a few tips the Meridian Township Police Department suggests to keep your pet warm. If they are outside for a long period of time, replace their water frequently with warm water. If your pet has a dog house outside, that shelter should have straw or hay inside, rather than blankets that will absorb moisture and freeze.

Lieutenant Greg Frenger also suggests your dog house to have some sort of barrier, such as a door, to block the wind from getting in.

If for some reason you are not able to care for your pet, there are many resources to surrender your animal safely to a shelter to be cared for.