Drive carefully, they may come under your car

The fog and cold is causing inconvenience to man's best friend too.

The fog and cold is causing inconvenience to man's best friend too.

According to NGOs working with stray animals, puppies regularly die because of accidents during dense fog.

"Too many puppies die during this time as they are facing their first winter and have no experience of handling the cold and the fog. A number of puppies get run over, especially in highways, during foggy days," said Uma Menon, member, Friendicoes, an NGO that works with stray animals.

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Animals also suffer from respiratory ailments and body aches during winter months and people should dedicate a small area, away from the road, to make sure they remain warm and safe, she added.

Winters are also a time when many pet owners start to abandon their pets.

"Since a lot of animals suffer from skin and respiratory ailments during monsoon and winters, people abandon them. These are the dogs that succumb to the cold and accidents," said Rishi Dev, a town planner who is also the member of Citizens for Animal Rights, an NGO.

He suggests people should leave piles of dried leaves, gunny bags and unpaved areas for dogs to keep themselves warm.

"Strays are very sturdy and don't usually succumb to cold easily. But accidents claim a lot of victims each year," he said.