Temperatures are starting to drop throughout the area, and that means that full-fledged winter is just around the corner.

For the sake of the furry, four-legged friends that are a part of the family, we encourage people to start planning for that cold weather now.

Several steps can be taken to make sure that the cold snaps are not too hard on your pets.

Here are a few suggestions:

Provide hay or blankets for your animal. If you have a dog who likes to chew, go with they hay. Eating the cotton or cloth can be toxic.

Make sure they are well fed. They need the nutrition to grow thicker coats.

Cover up those dug-out holes. While they may like the coolness in the summer, they won&8217;t like the frigid ground in the winter.

Play with them. Exercise keeps them healthy and their circulation up, and they&8217;ll enjoy the extra love.