People in Texas are bringing farm animals inside their homes to save them from snowstorm

The people of Texas are bringing their livestock, and farm animals into their homes to save them from freezing to death in the bitter cold as a snowstorm sweeps across the state. While many large-scale farms are built to withstand the cold and even offer heating supplies and food for the animals, the same can't be said about smaller farms and independent farmers. Even as residents in Texas are struggling to keep themselves warm and safe, they're going the extra length to protect their animals. Many are making space to accommodate their animals' in the house, with some taking space up in bathrooms and bathtubs. After reporter Yashar Ali tweeted, "People are bringing their farm animals into their living rooms in Texas so they don’t freeze to death," many responded with pictures of animals in their homes.

One of the Twitter users shared a picture of a temporary tent set inside their home with their friend's chickens sleeping inside, safe, and away from the cold. One of them shared an image of a duck in their bathroom. The owner of Tiny Hooves Rescue and Petting Zoo in Temple, Texas, posted a TikTok video of pigs and goats in her living room, warming themselves in front of a fire. Blue Heron Farm, a dairy farm in the Houston area, posted an image of one of their goats hanging out in a mudroom with a farm cat. "We're not doing well, we're really not," wrote Shelby Michalewicz, before adding that her home had been without power for three days. 

People are urging those with animals to bring them home as the state rides out the snowstorm. Those who are unable to bring the animals inside their home are advised to provide adequate food, shelter, and water for the animals. It's important to ensure the water doesn't freeze and, also to check on the animals regularly. According to Insider, it's illegal to leave a pet outside in the cold in Texas, but there is ambiguity in the law when it comes to livestock and farm animals. More than 20,000 cattle froze to death during a freak blizzard in the Texas panhandle in 2016.

Animal Rescue groups are also working to save "cold-stunned" sea turtles near South Padre Island in Texas. Cold stunning is a situation where the turtles become numb from the cold and lose consciousness if water temperatures drop below 50°F. The cold water makes it hard for them to swim to a warmer environment, according to Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. As they spend more time "cold-stunned," they become more susceptible to shock, pneumonia, frostbite, and even face death, according to the Turtle Island Restoration Network.

Conservation group Sea Turtle, Inc. said it was sheltering more than 2,500 turtles from hypothermia but was still handicapped from their power outage. “We’re undergoing one of the largest cold-stun events the island has seen in more than a decade,” said Sea Turtle, Inc. Executive Director Wendy Knight on Monday, reported Fox 59. “Unfortunately, at 2 o’clock this morning we lost power, and as a result of that we have five 25-to-55,000 gallon tanks filled with these beautiful creatures that have lived here on South Padre Island for almost 40 years that are very close to perishing.” The conservation group is using the South Padre Island Convention Center to shelter the turtles as they continue their rescue operations. The group has a team of volunteers working to locate more sea turtles so they can bring them to safety.