32 Dog House Drop-Offs and Marley’s Makeover: CAP’s Winter Roundup
PETA fieldworkers are outside in the freezing cold and devastating heat, helping chained and penned dogs who are kept outside 24/7, delivering medical care to animals in need, and connecting with the community to raise awareness of crucial issues and spread empathy for animals. Meet some of the animals we helped in our local community this winter:
Sadie, Lucky, and Bentley Were Rescued and Given a Chance at a New Life
Our shelter in Norfolk, Virginia, took in 802 animals in recent months, and we transferred 216 animals to our shelter partners for adoption. We secured custody of Sadie, who had been forced to live outside on a chain, and transferred her to the Virginia Beach SPCA, where she was quickly adopted through a program that matches veterans with animal companions.
Lucky and Bentley, who had been kept chained outside without shelter, were also relinquished to us. We transferred Lucky to the Chesapeake Humane Society and Bentley to the Norfolk SPCA for a chance at adoption.
PETA Fieldworkers Helped Sterilize More Than 3,700 Animals
Sterilizing their animal companions is one of the best things guardians can do to help end the companion animal overpopulation crisis. In the last few months, the veterinary staff of our mobile spay/neuter clinics sterilized 3,721 dogs and cats, including Susie Q, Cairo, and Lulu-Basil, who were among the 180 animals PETA’s Community Animal Project fieldworkers transported for free to and from their no-cost spay/neuter appointments.
We also groomed Marley, whose coat was painfully matted, during his visit for neutering—all free of charge for his grateful guardian.
Animals’ Suffering Was Gently Ended by Our Caring Staff
When elderly, cancer-ridden dog Chowder fell off the back porch and crawled under the house, his owner was unable to get him back out by himself. We retrieved Chowder and gently ended his suffering.
After elderly cat Mischief was diagnosed with heart failure and stopped eating and drinking, his family brought him to PETA’s shelter for free end-of-life services. He was one of 128 animals we euthanized at no cost to families who couldn’t afford this vital humane service. His guardians, along with 427 other local families, filled out postcards asking their state legislators to safeguard our ability to offer end-of-life relief and other services.
Baby’s Family Needed Assistance, and PETA Was There to Help
One of PETA’s 567 requests for assistance was for Baby, a senior cat whose long hair had become painfully matted. We groomed her and provided her with extra food—all free of charge. Her guardians are among the 300 families we assisted in keeping their animal companions.
Holiday Magic for All: PETA Sheds Light on Animal Issues in the Community
We participated in numerous holiday events, including the Grand Illumination Parade in Norfolk. We decked out one of our mobile clinics with bright lights to spread the message “Create Holiday Magic for All: Spay or Neuter, Never Chain or Cage” and handed out candy to kids along the parade route.
As part of a local city council member’s holiday food drive, we offered spay/neuter surgeries on our mobile clinic in exchange for 10 nonperishable vegan food items—resulting in 31 sterilizations and donations of more than 200 food items!
When Dogs Are Forced to Live Outside, PETA Fieldworkers Go Above and Beyond to Keep Them Comfortable and Safe
PETA helped protect Soldier and other “outside dogs”—kept chained or penned outdoors 24/7—from the increasingly cold weather by providing sturdy doghouses and insulating straw bedding. We also made sure they had food, water, and treatment for parasites, and we replaced short, heavy chains with 15-foot lightweight tie-outs.
We supplied custom-built, insulated doghouses to Trixie—who had previously been confined to a flimsy wire crate without any protection from the elements—and 32 other dogs kept outside day and night in all weather conditions.
How You Can Help Animals in Your Community: Adopt!
If you’re planning to become a companion animal’s guardian, visit your local animal shelter to find one in need. By adopting from a shelter, you’ll help alleviate the homeless-animal crisis. Your adoption fees will also support the important daily work that shelters do to help animals, such as providing them with spay/neuter procedures, vaccinations, and other veterinary care. In shelters, there are millions of animals just like those helped by PETA fieldworkers this winter, and they’re all waiting for a responsible, loving guardian to take them home.
