no not for the dogs, altho' some will appreciate it. if the snow keeps coming down, the fire department , (heaven forbid anyone needs them today amen) will need fast fast access. i did the one next door just a few minutes ago, and in honor of PHRED and daylight savings time i changed the batteries in the smoke detectors. and FWIW, this much snow and hernia repair surgery isn't a good mix. we're gonna do this in easy stages today.