Since 2020, 28 dogs and other animal companions were reported to have died in relation to the cold weather, according to PETA.
This is unacceptable.
Dogs, or any animal for that matter, should be treated as a human. They have organs and feelings just like humans, so they should be treated as such.
While researching this topic, I came across a case that shook me to the core.
A case done by The Animal Legal Defense Fund was one of a elderly dog named Oscar. Oscar’s owner, Selvin Gnanakkan, had left him in 20 degree weather. It was later found in his necropsy report, an autopsy for animals, that he died of hypothermia. As a direct result of this, Gnanakkan was sentenced to six months of unsupervised probation, a $500 fine and a $2,260 payment for forensic veterinary services. He was also banned from owning or possessing any type of animal for three years.
Unfortunately, many animals don’t get justice like in Oscar’s case. According to a local Houston Texas news site, KHOU11, six abandoned dogs were found in an auto shop. One of the six, tragically, did not make it. And there are many cases similar to this one where a dog has been abandoned, and there are no owners around to be put to blame for these tragedies.
These cases, being as unfortunate as they are, could have been totally avoided. There are simple things that we, as humans, can do to ensure nothing like this happens to any more animals.
One of the most obvious things we could do is if someone owns a dog, just bring them in for the winter. I understand someone not wanting dogs to get their house messy, but when someone owns a dog, they need to be responsible for keeping up with it and making sure they stay safe.
Leaving them out in the freezing cold when they could easily be inside their house and in the heat is just inhumane. Even if they don’t keep them in all day, the least someone could do is bring them in at night. When humans are cold, they simply go inside, but when a dog is cold, they have to rely on their owners to let them in and to protect them.
If one doesn’t own a dog, there are still things one could do to help. One thing would be to donate to The Animal Defense Fund. The money they get really helps with justice for animals. Another step would be to call a local control agency or sheriff’s department if an animal is in serious harm. These actions will really help out in the long run.
So as the winter months quickly approach, all I ask is for people to take the necessary steps to ensure the safety of not only one’s personal companion, but the safety of all other animal companions who may not be so lucky to have an owner.