Urgent From PETA: Animals in Danger of Drowning if Left Behind During Tropical Storm Debby

For Immediate Release:
August 5, 2024

Contact:
Rachel Hershkovitz 202-483-7382

As Tropical Storm Debby makes landfall in Florida and threatens major flooding in a number of cities in the area, PETA is issuing a reminder that people should never leave dogs tethered or penned outside and always take their animal companions with them if they have to evacuate their homes.

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, PETA has found dogs dead. PETA has 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 types of weather conditions.

PETA—whose motto reads, in part, that “animals are not ours to abuse in any way”—points out that Every Animal Is Someone and offers free Empathy Kits for people who need a lesson in kindness. For more information, please visit PETA.org or follow the group on X, Facebook, or Instagram.