Dog’s Death in Freezing Weather Prompts Urgent New PETA TV Advisory
For Immediate Release:
February 4, 2022
Contact:
Nicole Meyer 202-483-7382
Dogs are often left out in the cold, such as one mother dog who froze to death in Mahoning County last week, so PETA is rushing its new TV spot to local networks, urging action for dogs who are in danger out there, “forgotten, as if they were invisible.” The 30-second spot ends with this plea: “Please see these dogs and help free them from a life of despair, before it’s too late.”
It’s illegal in Ohio to leave cats and dogs outside without adequate shelter from the elements. PETA urges anyone who sees neglect to report it to local authorities. Witnesses should take pictures from public property and note how long an animal is left without adequate food, water, or shelter.
“This dog’s death is heartbreaking, as are those that aren’t reported, and all serve to remind us that dogs are beings of flesh and blood who suffer greatly in the cold,” says PETA Senior Vice President Colleen O’Brien. “Animals depend on us for everything, from food, water, and shelter to warmth, compassion, and love, so PETA is urging everyone to treat them like family, keep them indoors, and report cruelty right away.”
Cold weather and winter storms lead to multiple deaths, injuries, and near-miss rescues each year, and most incidents aren’t even reported. Dogs left outside 24/7—like those featured in Breaking the Chain, the documentary produced by Oscar winner Anjelica Huston—and “outdoor cats” often go without adequate food, water, shelter, and veterinary care. Their water turns to ice, their food turns to mush if left out in the rain, and these animals are no better equipped to survive freezing temperatures or extreme weather conditions than humans are. They can suffer terribly from frostbite and die of exposure.
PETA—whose motto reads, in part, that “animals are not ours to abuse in any way”—opposes speciesism, a human-supremacist worldview. For more information on PETA’s newsgathering and reporting, please visit PETA.org or follow the group on Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram.
