It has been nearly a year since the Syracuse Common Council passed Adrian's Law to help save dogs from brutal cold temperatures.

Rebecca Cosgrave, the police department's animal cruelty investigator who works to enforce the law, says this time of year pet owners need to shorten the amount of time their dogs are outside or don't let them out at all.

Officers patrol neighborhoods frequently to make sure dogs are taken inside. Otherwise, owners will lose their pets if they don't comply.

“They will be arrested if it's just outside and under two hours, and there's no damage to the dog, it will be a violation,” says Cosgrave. “If there's damage to the dog, you can face misdemeanors or a felony charge depending on the situation.”

Police say if a dog comes in shivering, barking, sleepy, and cannot warm up, then it's important to take it to the vet.