HARRISBURG (TNS) — As the temperature plunged at the end of this week, Pennsylvania State Police reminds pet owners not to ignore their animals.

Owners are required to provide pets with basic needs, or the owners could face animal neglect and/or cruelty charges.

“Basic needs include the proper sustenance to maintain a healthy body weight, as well as clean, unfrozen water to avoid dehydration,” said state police Cpl. Michael Spada, an animal cruelty officer. “Animals need just as much water in the winter as they do in the summer for their bodies to process food and help keep the natural metabolism working.”

Also, it’s too cold to keep your dog tied outside. Under Pennsylvania’s Libre’s Law, dogs may be tied outside for no more than 30 minutes when temperatures are lower than 32 degrees (or higher than 90 degrees).

Violations in Libre’s Law range from summary offense to a misdemeanor charge, which can carry a fine and prison sentence.

If you’re tying a dog outside, these are other standards that must be met under state law:

Keeping dogs safe

Here are some cold weather tips from the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals:

Giving pets as gifts

Animals given as Christmas gifts are sometimes surrendered to shelters or rescues a few months later, state police note.

To avoid that, police suggest gift-givers consider the animal’s breed and inherent behavioral traits, its size as an adult, its needs as it gets older, and the costs to care for the animal, including veterinary expenses.

Other ways to help shelters are providing donations or adopting an older pet.