People Wait for Hours to Help Shelter Dogs in Need of Temporary Homes During Dangerous Cold Snap

KTOZ Shelter for Homeless Animals in Poland launched 'Operation Frost' on Friday because the shelter didn't have enough room indoors for all of its dogs

Dogs at an animal shelter in Warsaw, Poland, stayed safe and warm amid dangerously cold temperatures thanks to the generosity of others.

According to the Associated Press, Warsaw residents recently received warnings about an upcoming cold spell, which is predicted to bring temperatures as low as  20 degrees Celsius (-4 degrees Fahrenheit).

After receiving this news, the KTOZ Shelter for Homeless Animals knew it would need help. At the time of the weather warning, the shelter housed about 300 dogs, some of whom were kept in outdoor pens because the animals didn't fit inside the building.

To keep from exposing the outdoor dogs to unsafe temperatures, the shelter launched "Operation Frost" on Friday by calling on locals to adopt or temporarily house pets from the shelter to ensure all the rescue animals had a comfortable space to ride out the frigid weather.

The response to the shelter's plea was immediate and overwhelming, per AP. Surprised shelter staff members found people waiting hours in the cold over the weekend to take home a dog in need. Thanks to these fast-acting animal lovers, 120 dogs found a safe place to wait out the dangerous temperatures outside the shelter, leaving enough room inside the facility for the shelter's remaining animals.

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Operation Frost was so successful that the shelter suspended the campaign and encouraged those still wanting to help to reach out to other local animal shelters to see if they had pets looking for somewhere to stay cozy during the cold snap.

Related: Dog Adopted by a Familiar Face After Being Left Tied Up at a Park: 'He Will Never Be Without' Love

People in the U.S. are also being kind to animals in need this winter.

Days before Christmas, the SPCA in Adams County, Pennsylvania, announced in a statement on Facebook that it was empty for the first time in 47 years. Its kennels were nearly filled two weeks prior, but its staff members had worked hard to adopt out 598 animals and reunite 125 strays with their owners in 2023.

"We will be pulling animals from other shelters in PA next week in hopes of relieving some of their stress. Right now, we are going to enjoy this accomplishment," the statement ended.

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