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When temperatures dropped in recent weeks, PETA fieldworkers have been out daily to come to the aid of dogs left chained or penned outside in the frigid temperatures, some of which saw their water bowls freeze over without any care from their owners.
Since the recent streak of cold weather, PETA has been imploring residents to bring animals inside, resulting in the recovery of at least two dogs taken from North Carolina and brought to the Virginia Beach SPCA after being abused by their caretakers.
Symptoms some dogs face after being left outside include frostbite, hypothermia, and possibly death.
Among the dogs recently re-homed to Virginia were a pair of Yorkies who were kept in the freezing cold with "filthy food and water bowls."
"Stella, who was found emaciated with painful pressure sores on her backside," was among the animals rescued, officials said. "Stella spent the night at PETA’s headquarters before heading to the Virginia Beach SPCA for a chance at adoption.
"When dogs’ owners refuse to relinquish animals or bring them inside, the team has done its best to move them out of the path of the blistering wind, refresh their water bowls and move them to covered ground, and provide insulating straw bedding to help keep the dogs dry and a little less miserable," they added.
Good Samaritans who notice animals being penned or chained outside over the winter have been instructed to contact PETA by calling (757-622-PETA, and their owners may face criminal charges.
“Dogs left outside when temperatures plummet suffer every moment in the cold and could easily die from exposure,” PETA Senior Vice President of Cruelty Investigations Daphna Nachminovitch said.
“This is a crisis for dogs in our area, and PETA urges everyone to keep them off chains and safe and warm indoors with the rest of the family, where they belong.”
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