Dogs’ Deaths in Cruelty Case Prompt ‘Cold Dog’ Ad Blitz

PETA Ads Urge People Not to Chain Up Animals Outdoors

For Immediate Release:
March 7, 2019

Contact:
Audrey Shircliff 202-483-7382

As part of a nationwide campaign—and following recent cruelty-to-animals charges against an Omaha man whose two dogs reportedly died of starvation and hypothermia—PETA has placed anti-chaining ads on three billboards emphasizing the life-or-death necessity of bringing dogs and other companion animals indoors, especially in inclement weather. The ads are part of campaigns featuring Empire star Taraji P. Henson and rap icon Eve.

The billboards are located at the intersection of Industrial and W. Center roads, near the intersection of N. 76^th and Dodge streets, and at the intersection of S. 132^nd and L streets.

“The number of animals who freeze to death each winter on a chain or in a barren doghouse is tragic, and these deaths are utterly preventable,” says PETA Vice President Colleen O’Brien. “PETA’s billboards urge people to bring dogs indoors, where they’re safe and warm, not abandon them outdoors to fend for themselves through Omaha’s bitter winters.”

PETA—whose motto reads, in part, that “animals are not ours to abuse in any way”—opposes speciesism, which is a supremacist worldview. Animals left outdoors in the cold can suffer from frostbite and exposure, become dehydrated when water sources ice over, and die. Already this winter, there have been at least 27 cold weather–related companion animal deaths (last year, there were 50)—and these are just the ones that have been reported. Most aren’t. Anyone who sees animals left outside without shelter from the elements should note their location and alert authorities immediately.

PETA previously erected billboards following dog deaths in Illinois, Maryland, Missouri, and Ohio. The group’s other efforts to protect dogs from cold weather include more celebrity campaigns, radio public service announcements, and pushing for anti-chaining legislation across the country.

For more information, please visit PETA.org.