Since I live in Florida, I don't have suggestions for houseplants that can take continuous blasts of frigid air but I just wanted to mention that Snake Plant (Sansevieria) http://garden.org/plants/searc... is toxic to both dogs and cats. http://www.aspca.org/pet-care/...
~ I'm an old gal who still loves playing in the dirt!
~ Playing in the dirt is my therapy ... and I'm in therapy a lot!