The Weather Channel Reminds Viewers That Animals' Fur Coats Aren't Enough to Survive the Cold.

Business Editors

ATLANTA--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jan. 9, 2001

Throughout the country as temperatures plummet below freezing, pets and watch dogs are being left outdoors and, with no access to proper shelter, are freezing to death. As part of its ongoing "Project SafeSide" educational initiative, The Weather Channel (TWC), the all-weather cable network, is issuing safety guidelines to help protect the nation's furry friends.

"We've just received shocking reports from animal welfare groups that people are leaving animals outside this winter and later finding them dead," said Lara Hurst, Education Manager for The Weather Channel. "Fur coats don't always keep an animal warm when it's below freezing, and a wind chill brings the temperature even lower."

Companion animals, like cats and dogs, are not wild and are not equipped to deal with cold weather. In fact, breeds that are often outdoor pets or used as "watch dogs," like Dobermans and Rottweillers, do not grow an additional winter coat. And, when dogs are chained outdoors, they cannot seek shelter and are often under a tree, hence in the shade. What they need is access to sunlight when it's cold.

The Weather Channel and The American Red Cross offer the following critical tips from "Project Safeside" to ensure that your furry friends stay safe in the cold winter:

- Bring your companion animals indoors when the temperature drops below
freezing.

- If a pet must stay outdoors, provide adequate shelter. Make sure your
doghouse or shelter is insulated; merely throwing a blanket outside will not
help. The shelter should face south and have a flap for wind protection.

- Be sure that your pets have access to plenty of food and water -- animals
need extra food for body heat when it's cold.

- Pets also need continuous water -- a new hot water bowl every few hours as
water freezes quickly. Thermal water bowls are available at pet stores and will
keep your pet's water from freezing.

The Weather Channel, Inc., based in Atlanta, is the nation's premier provider of weather information and reaches more than 78 million TV households in the U.S. The Weather Channel Latin America reaches over 7.8 million households in Latin America. The Weather Channel is owned by Landmark Communications, Inc., a Norfolk, VA-based, privately-held media company with global interests. The Weather Channel is the leading provider of weather information for emerging technologies with services for broadband and interactive TV (ITV) applications. The Weather Channel is also aligned with industry leaders in interactive TV (ITV). Partners include AT&T Broadband, DIRECTV, AOLTV, WorldGate, Liberate Technologies, Microsoft TV, Canal Plus, Source Media, and Sun-Java TV. The Weather Channel's Web site, weather.com, is the world's leading source of weather on the Web, averaging more than 300 million page views per month and consistently ranked the top single-content news site by Media Metrix. Weather.com is the leading provider of broadband and wireless weather products accessible through high speed Internet services, phones, pagers, Palm Pilots, and other personal digital assistants. For additional information about The Weather Channel, please contact Kathy Lane, PR director, 770-226-2102.