Houston PetSet AND L3 Design Delivered 50 Dog Houses to BARC Animal Enforcement Ahead of Freezing Temperatures
Houston PetSet, a local nonprofit organization working to end Houston’s homeless animal crisis, coordinated with L3 Design, Landscaping & Outdoor Living, and delivered 50 custom-built dog houses to BARC Animal Enforcement ahead of the approaching hard freeze.
Houston PetSet and L3 Design have been working with leadership at BARC to address the influx of reports made about dogs left outside in the cold. In 2022, the State of Texas enacted the Safe Outdoor Dogs Act that prohibits owners from leaving pets outside in extreme weather with no access to appropriate shelter.
Built by Houston PetSet’s exclusive landscaping and outdoor living partner L3 Design with lumber donated by Gabriel Home Builders, these dog houses will enable pet owners to properly care for their pets in the face of cold or inclement weather. The dog houses will be distributed at the discretion of BARC animal enforcement officers as they respond to calls from the community.
“With temperatures dropping and thousands of pets left without shelter, Houston PetSet is happy to be able to partner with BARC and the rescue community to distribute dog houses to those in need,” said Houston PetSet Co-President Tama Lundquist. “These life-saving measures will ensure that family pets are safe, and we are grateful for this exclusive partnership with L3 Design and the generosity of Gabriel Home Builders.”
“At L3 Design, we are all pet people,” said Owner and Chief Growth Officer Lauren Olenius. “They are members of our family and we feel obligated to do what we can for dogs that are on their own and don’t have a family to love and take care of them. We believe in giving back to our community and dogs are a big part of our community. We are grateful to this organization that gives us the opportunity to be involved with such a worthy endeavor.”
“As BARC’s staff works hard to prepare our shelter pets for the incoming cold front, we urge the public to care for their own pets, bring them indoors, and provide them with proper safety from next week’s hard freeze,” said BARC Shelter Director Jarrad Mears. “We will have additional enforcement crews working overnight throughout the freezing weather to respond to Harris County Animal Cruelty Task Force calls. We’ll be staffed throughout each evening at the shelter to provide humane care as well for the animals in our care and any we collect in the community.”
Houston PetSet reminds the public to use straw to insulate dog and cat houses instead of blankets, as the fabric can hold moisture and make pets even colder than the ambient air temperature. Access to food and fresh, clean water (that isn’t frozen) is also vital for pets who are staying outside. Whenever possible, please bring pets inside when temperatures drop below freezing, as they are currently forecasted to do.
ABOUT HOUSTON PETSET:
Houston PetSet gives, connects, and advocates for lasting solutions in Houston to alleviate suffering and end companion animal homelessness. The 501c3 nonprofit umbrella organization does this through their own local programming and by supporting groups that have demonstrated accountability and are making an impact “in the trenches” in our community for the animals.