Signatures Needed! A Shocking 48 States Have No Laws Protecting Pets Chained Outside In The Freezing Cold

It turns out that the U.S. has minimal laws protecting animals from being left outside in extreme weather conditions.

Of the 50 states, only 2 (Texas and Pennsylvania) have weather-specific language in their anti-tethering laws. Another 19 have specifications for how to tether or how long it is “OK” to tether animals outside. California is the only state to be fully anti-tethering. Of the states that have any laws about how to tether a dog, only a handful say that a person could face anything more than a small fine for violating the law.

No dog should be tethered outdoors for extended periods of time, ever, especially not during extreme temperatures.

Even breeds that are more suited to winter conditions cannot be safely tethered outdoors for long periods of time. They have no way to escape if something bad happens, like a natural disaster.

Tethering can also lead to entanglements and dogs becoming stuck in their own chains, resulting in a lack of food or water within their reach. They are sometimes even left where they are vulnerable to animal attacks with no way to defend themselves.

All of these risks become more deadly when extreme hot or cold weather is involved. Dogs have trouble cooling down in extreme heat and there’s no telling how many dogs get frostbite, hypothermia, or even die while tethered outside in the cold.

Please sign this Care2 petition requesting that every state make sure that their animal abuse laws include anti-tethering statutes. SIGN HERE!