 Animals are more than just pets. They can become members of the family, and some of them are without a home during winter. Haiti Clotter has the story. Great River Rescue's mission is to serve the best interests of animals they strive to protect, like big guy in sunshine. These four-legged animals don't have a home, so winter season isn't easy. Animals get cold, just like we do. They might have fur coats, but especially like a dog's paws, you know, if they're walking on ice, I mean, that's going to get really cold really quickly, so you have to be aware of that. And don't leave them outside for too long when the wind comes up and when it gets real cold. Great River Rescue has space for up to 25 dogs and 45 cats, but usually has less than that available for adoption. Cats are sometimes put on a waiting list and taken in as soon as possible. And we do that to protect our ability to provide quality care for the animals and to protect our long-term ability to continue as an animal shelter. If we took them all in at once, then we just wouldn't be able to provide adequate care. When it's cold, volunteers take dogs out for a walk or spend time with cats like Brandon Neese. He comes several times a week and says the animals make him feel comfortable. It was an easy decision for him to become a volunteer. I had pets before and decided to come here for a couple years now, two years now. One lucky cat named Toby purred his way to his new home. All my other roommates came here and got pets, and so I wanted a cat. And here he was. He just took my heart. If you're cold, your animals are probably cold, too. In Bemidji, Haiti-Claude, Lakeland News. On average, a dog spends 30 days at Great River Rescue and a cat spends 45 days. Some animals can stay for months if they have medical or behavioral issues. If you've enjoyed this segment of Lakeland News, please consider making a tax-deductible contribution to Lakeland Public Television.