This bitter cold is not only dangerous to us, but it can also harm our furry friends.
Eight puppies lost their lives to the cold the day after Christmas in Knox County, Illinois, WQAD-TV reported.
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A black lab mix had just given birth to a litter of puppies. Rescuers told the station that they did not know the animal was pregnant.
"I think it was just one of those unfortunate things where the dog just lived there and was just fed daily, and that was about it," Curt Kramer, of the Knox County Humane Society, told WQAD.
Only one puppy survived.
When shelter workers arrived, eight puppies had frozen to death before they were able to take them back to the shelter. Only one survived from the litter.
"It is sad when you lose animals like that ... to know they probably would have been saved if they would have been inside or somewhere where it was warmer, rather than outside," said Kramer.
The mother barely survived. She and her remaining pup are at the shelter. Both will be available for adoption after they recover.