Urgent! Cruel—and Criminal—to Abandon Animals in Texas During Hurricane Laura

For Immediate Release:
August 26, 2020

Contact:
Brooke Rossi 202-483-7382

As Hurricane Laura approaches—and because a hurricane warning is now in effect for areas in Texas including Chambers, Jasper, and Hardin counties, and evacuations are taking place—we implore you never to leave dogs tethered or penned outside and always to take animal companions with you if you have to evacuate.

Believe it or not, every time there’s a natural disaster, many dogs and other companion animals are left outside to fend for themselves and even left behind when humans evacuate. Dogs kept tethered will swim to exhaustion and drown—and there are tethered dogs everywhere. PETA’s Animal Rescue Team has witnessed firsthand the trauma that animals endure when left behind to face floodwaters and flying debris. During previous storms, we have found dogs dead. We have also found them up to their necks in water, unable to sit or lie down, and in almost-submerged crates inside houses and seen animals who have been flung around by high winds. And of course, animals are petrified in these kinds of weather conditions.

PETA has released a natural disaster–preparedness PSA featuring Dean Winters. Make plans to ensure the safety of animal companions long before evacuating. For more information, please visit PETA.org.