WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. — A Winston-Salem animal advocacy and welfare group is making sure pet owners have a plan in place for the cold and snow heading to the Piedmont.

Fur-Ever Friends of North Carolina spent Wednesday going door-to-door to make sure pets were out of the frigid temperatures.

“I can vouch for all of us that we’ve spent many nights worrying about those animals and up thinking about how we can help them,” Susan Doran, co-president of the Fur-Ever Friends of North Carolina board, said.

The group distributed dog houses equipped with shavings and insulation strips when necessary.

It also made sure proper insulation was in place for existing dog houses it came across.

On this particular day, the group came across three dogs near the beginning of its mission. They were in need of adequate shelters.

Two received wooden dog houses.

“In this particular situation you see a dilapidated dog house that’s broken apart so she doesn’t have proper shelter which is against the law in the state of North Carolina and Forsyth County,” Lori Shore-Smith, vice president of Fur-Ever Friends of North Carolina, said.

The group says many times the animals are not intentionally left in poor conditions, but rather owners may not know what adequate shelter means.

“It’s one thing to tell them what they need, but when you actually help them and provide resources then you build a bond of trust,” Doran said.

The group says on cold nights the best thing to do is bring pets inside.

For more information on assistance or to donate supplies visit its website at fureverfriendsnc.org.