Most people with dogs like to have them inside with them. They treat them as another member of the family. However, there are some dog owners that would rather keep their canine companions outdoors all the time. Even then, they will normally allow the dobs to come inside when it gets too cold or too hot. But like everything else in life, some people are just heartless and will force their dogs to stay outside during dangerous weather. These kind of people are the ones who draw the ire of animal protection agencies and lovers alike. Now it seems that lawmakers in Pennsylvania are stepping in to help make a difference for these neglected animals.
This New Law Has Made It Illegal To Leave Your Dog Out In The Cold
By
Michael Avery in
Life Style
On 5th December 2017
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It's pretty bad that lawmakers have to step in to protect an animal from its owner but too many people are neglecting them during the winter.
A new law in Philadelphia is calling for fines that can reach as high as $500 if a dog is found to be left outside in the cold. Sue Cosby, Philadelphia's Animal Care and Control Team's executive director, said that this is the first time that the city has stepped in to set up guidelines designed to protect man's best friend from harsh weather.
This law will make the penalties dished out for animal neglect much more severe.
Cosby said: "With this ordinance, you need to bring your dogs inside. You need to give them protection. They need to have adequate food and drinking water that isn't frozen by the cold weather. And if you don't comply with the regulations, you can be fined."
Last year, Kenyatta Johnson, a Philadephia city council member, sponsored the new law. The law clearly outlined when dogs must be brought indoors. If the city declares a Code Red (temperature of over 90°F), Code Blue (temperature below 20°F) or a Code Gray (heavy precipitation). If they are found outside in those conditions you will be penalized.
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If you violate the law you will be fined and might even face jail time.
Philadelphia Animal Control has been tasked with enforcing the new law. Cosby says that at first, it will heavily depend upon concerned neighbors tipping them off.
She said: "Most dogs are left in yards where they may not be visible from the street, so any kind of officers visiting the area may not even be aware that there's a dog in the yard. So we're relying on people who see a problem to report it."
This law should make it clear to people that it's never okay to treat your dog inhumanely.
Cosby said that while they will not be able to take peoples dogs from them if they do something bad enough that violates state or federal law they will end up with much higher fines and severe criminal charges. Cat owners are now pushing for a similar ordinance as the current one only applies to dogs.
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This is great news. Hopefully, more cities or entire states will create similar laws to protect our longstanding best friends.
