Leaving Dogs Out In Cold Temperatures Could Now Result In Jail Time For Pet Owners

Oct 02, 2019 by apost team

That first, crisp chill in the autumn air is a harbinger of colder temperatures to come. As winter approaches, pet owners do well to keep their animals safe from the elements. To neglect this duty is to invite legal penalties, jail time among them.

Even the more benevolent among us are not always as wise or careful as we need to be. Case in point: a dog owner in Detroit--unable any longer to care for a canine--brought the dog to the city's only shelter that would not euthanize.

Unfortunately, the clueless person left the pup in a crate outside the building after hours, subjecting the warm-blooded creature to frigid temperatures. Staff found the dog--dead--the next day.

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If this were an isolated instance, you might chalk the episode up as a teachable moment. In fact, it is more commonplace than we realize according to Detroit Dog Rescue founder Kristina Millman-Rinaldi.

Telling NBC's Today program that “We’re finding dogs dead in dog houses and strays curled up deceased in fields,” Millman-Rinaldi added, “It’s maddening, sad and discouraging.” Horror stories like these have--at long last--spurred state and local governments to apply legal sanctions against the perpetrators.

Each and every state in the U.S. (as well as the District of Columbia) includes acts of animal cruelty within its criminal code. Some states now specify leaving a pet out in the cold as animal cruelty. For example, Pennsylvania passed legislation in 2017 that directly addresses the problem according to the York Daily Record.

Among its provisions is the requirement that outdoor tethering be limited to one-half hour when the temperature exceeds 90 degrees or falls below 32 degrees Fahrenheit. Violators are subject to fines reaching $2,000 and 90 days in jail.

If the violation fits the state-defined parameters for "cruelty," the fines and incarceration times--$5,000 and two years, respectively--are increased. "Aggravated cruelty," where intent to harm is evident, yields a $15,000 fine and seven years behind bars. These penalties are stiff because of the suffering caused by the crimes.

Kristen Tullo, who runs the Pennsylvania office of the Humane Society of the United States, paints a vivid picture of the agony to Fox 43: “Continuous tethering can cause severe physical damages such as cracked and bleeding paws, frostbite and hypothermia.”

The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) advises everyone to be on the lookout for house pets long exposed to the cold, and to call the police if they suspect neglect of or inhumanity toward defenseless domesticated creatures.

A spokesperson for the ASPCA, Stacy Wolf, said to Today to err on the side of more information: "It is best to be prepared to provide law enforcement with specific details, including the type of animal involved, as well as exactly when and where you observed the animal."

Above all, contacting the authorities is the best way to handle potential animal abuse. Taking matters into your own hands is very much ill-advised since it could get you into deep legal trouble.

For pet owners, keeping pets indoors, except for the necessities of life and short walks, is a winter season must. Shelters and rescue groups sometimes supply crates for rambunctious dogs with cabin fever. These actually help to calm them. Most important, they are safe and warm as snow, ice and winter winds intensify.

Are you in an area where pets may be in danger of being left out in freezing temperatures? Be sure to take care of them and let others know if they also live in cold areas.