Pet owners, zoo officials work to protect furry friends from Chicago's deep freeze

Chicagoans are enduring the extreme cold this weekend, even our furry, four-legged friends.

You wouldn't think temperatures were sub-zero the way canine neighbors were running around and enjoying the outdoors at Wiggly Field Dog Park in Lincoln Park, where Julie Pearson and her dog, Ollie, were out for a walk in the cold.

"He loves it. He thinks he's a polar bear, Pearson said.

Although Ollie has the spirit of an Arctic animal, his owner keeps his paws grounded in reality.

"Ten minutes is our max," Pearson said.

Dr. Maria Stogioglou, a veterinarian at Oz Animal Hospital in Lincoln Park, said when dog owners are outside with their furry friends in extreme cold, they should dress their animals in sweaters, coats, and booties.

"Most importantly, you know making sure we're not spending too much time outdoors," she said.

If you don't have booties, there are other options for protecting your pets' paws from the extreme cold.

"Vaseline is one way, but there's also a paw wax known as Musher's Secret paw wax. It's really great in protecting their paw pads. Also, their surfaces like their nose, too," Stogioglou said.

Pet owners also should limit paw exposure to salt, ice and snow, and keep alert for signs for potential frostbite.

"If they're cautiously lifting one paw or another, we're noticing some of those signs of they're kind of pointing to us 'Where am I uncomfortable,'" Stogioglou said.

While pet owners protect their furry friends, staff at Lincoln Park Zoo are also taking steps to make sure animals are safe and comfortable in extreme temperatures.

"We have temperature guidelines that we follow," said Davie Bernier, the zoo's general curator.

Bernier said some animals from tropical climates might have limited outdoor access until milder temperatures return, but other animals like polar bears and snowy owls thrive in this weather.

And lions acclimate to Chicago winters, but have options to shelter from extreme frigid temps.

"Where our lions are, they have 16 heated rocks," Bernier said. "They also have access to their indoor spaces as well."