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Monday, January 11, 2010

It Must Have Been A Rough Weekend


I got a call from someone who is on the NC/SC Line and they told me it's 30 degrees there right now. I know we spent most of our weekend indoors but enjoyed the 80 degree temperatures with our pellet stove.

I received some comments through e-mail this weekend where some people were concerned about dogs being left outside the cold. One of them stated it's against the County Laws to leave an animal outside when it drops below freezing. This is not true. As long as they have shelter, food and water, (I hate to say it) they can be left outdoors.

To me it's a shame that those people who claim to love animals would leave them outside in the temperatures that we've experienced this past week. I can tell you, my labs have been inside and will remain inside until it warms up enough.

The only comfort I can give you is, know your neighbors. If they leave their animal or animals outside when its this cold, well, need I say more? In the mean time, know that if you call Animal Services or the Humane Society and tell them they have to come out and see it for themselves, NOTHING will be done and you've wasted a resource. Wicomico County is down to only ONE Officer. There are important calls this Officer needs to respond to so please know there's nothing they can do for those animals left outside in the cold. It sucks, I know.

They can only do what the law tells them. Trust me, they don't like it either.

21 comments:

Anonymous said...

Depends on the breed

10001110101 said...

Nothing ticks me off more than to see this or a dog out in the heat with no shelter or water. I call them out everytime.

Anonymous said...

I had a neighbor that left their Lab outside all year round. When it got cold my daughter and I would take a blanket, get it warm in the dryer and put it in his dog house. The next night we would take another warm one over and wash the first one for the next night. We did this all winter. The little guy loved to see us come over. map

Anonymous said...

Seems strange that a large county like Wicomico has only one animal control officer and a small little county like Somerset has at least half a dozen animal control persons. Somerset also has several trucks and you see them riding all over the county daily. What is wrong with this picture. I don't think that Somerset is that much more better off financially then Wicomico.

Anonymous said...

There is house in a neighborhood near mine that leaves their dog outside ALL the time! It breaks my heart to see it. I was going by there the other day and saw the dog by the front porch huddled aginst the front steps. I was so upset. You could even see in the windows that the people were just sitting in their living room, watching TV and their dog sitting outside freezing. I've never not seen this dog in the front yard. Get a security system you useless people!! Your dog is not an electronic device that doesn't need shelter, warmth and love. Heartless people! I didn't know what to do. Well i did, but what i wanted to do would have landed me in jail.

Anonymous said...

I do not have a dog/cat. I have read where a blanket is not put in a dog house because it draws moisture and will then keep the dog cold. If straw, pine needles etc is used it drys out but keeps the animal warm..so does this make since? I feel for the dog being tied up, no house not even a tree with leaves to keep out some of the snow/rain or to see them siting at the front storm door watching the "family" on the inside all warm and cozy. It breaks my heart.

Anonymous said...

So who's fault is it? The County Cut the budget----who decided at the H.S. what was to be cut? Poor ol Somerset County has plenty of Animal Control Officers. Now , this town has only ONE!!! That is down righ pitiful, & disgusting. Now , there can be no further grievances taken to County Council because ----- nothing CAN be done BECAUSE ----- THE H.S. HAS ONLY ONE OFFICER! OH , MY GOSH, I SMELL A DEAD RAT! PEOPLE---YOU SHOULD COMPLAIN----LET US NOT FORGET ELECTION TIME IS A PERFECT TIME TO LET "THEM" STAND IN THE COLD.

Anonymous said...

Whats the point of even having a dog when you keep them outside in the cold!?!?! You love your dog? Well you love your kids right? Do you keep them out in the cold? You dont treat people or animals you love like that and it should be illegal. AND it doesn't matter what breed your dog is you idiot. If it is too cold for you to be sleeping outside then it is too cold for your dogs.

Anonymous said...

I can't stand to see a dog tied up outside. What's the point??? I have a neighbor who has a dog like this. This dog never gets any attention other than food and water. It does have a dog house, but that really isn't a life. I was once bitten by a dog who was chained up all the time. They had let it off to run around while I was playing with the neighbor's girl. I was 8 at the time. I still have the scar on my arm from it. My dog is an indoor dog. The messed up part is this past week she decided that she wanted to be outside quite a bit. She is currently out on the deck just hanging out. She is soaking up the sun and enjoying it. Don't get me wrong I make her come in and warm up but about 30 minutes later she wants to go back out. I don't let her stay out at night though. I have a dog and a cat. They basically let me live here. I just pay the bills. When I come back in my future life I want to be my dog. Sleep in bed with the t.v. on, treats when I come in the house, toys all over in every room and lots of love. She has the life lol.

Anonymous said...

10;56 It might possibly be an ALL POLITICAL ISSUE. YOU CUT THE HUMANE SOCIETY FROM FUNDS TO EMPLOY ----- THERE'S NO ONE TO PROTECT THE ANIMALS---RIGHT---AND SO THAT WAS DONE. NOW , YOU LOOK AT THE "POOR COUNTY OF SOMERSET" & YOU SEE ALL THESE ANIMAL CONTROL OFFICERS THEY EMPLOY---RIGHT. OK, NOW THINK ABOUT IT-----WHO CUT THE FUNDS & WHO DECIDED EXACTLY WHAT WOULD BE CUT OUT WHEN THEY WERE CUT? SHOULD GIVE YOU AN ANSWER!
NOW, NO ONE HAS TO BE RESPONSIBLE ---- DO THEY? JUST WHAT THEY WANTED. ELECTION DAY IS COMING!

joealbero said...

Any more comments with capital letters will be rejected.

Anonymous said...

THE LAWS OF THE COUNTY READ DIFFERENTLY THEN HOW THE HUMANE SOCIETY PRECEIVES THEM----THAT'S THE WAY IT'S ALWAYS BEEN!!

Most animals are not meant to be outside in this extreme cold weather!!!! ---- Unless St Bernards or Eskimo Dogs-----Get a grip on the TRUTH Humane Society!!!! You can do better than this---and it is expected---- from the citizens of this County to protect these helpless animals!! Now , if you can start shaping up---How about we put you out in this cold!

Anonymous said...

My lab was outside with me this past Saturday from 7am to 1pm hunting. She was in and out of the water retrieving birds. She had a blast. It depends on the breed. I have a lab and a pug. My pug does not like the cold or snow. She will do her business outside and run straight for the door. My lab would stay outside all day if she could. My dogs are both inside dogs but a lab would be fine outside at night in a kennel with straw bedding. But anyone leaving a dog outside at night when its cold without shelter is pathetic.

Anonymous said...

I have a lab that I take hunting and he gets in the water when it's 30 degrees outside, when he is home he has a nice insulated dog house with a door and when you go out there he will be laying on the cold concrete. He doesn't like to come in the house because we don't let him run around and he loves to run and be outdoors, if it's really bad we do bring him inside but he does not enjoy his time in the house the noises freak him out. So before you go pointing fingers some dogs like the cold and are use to it.

Anonymous said...

We have a lab and a lab/chow mix, with very thick, long hair. They have a nice double kennel with two igloo dog houses that we keep full of pine needles and cedar shavings, though they are both usually in one house together. They stay out all the time, and prefer it that way. We don't have a very big house, and we have three small children. They just can't wait to get away from our three hyper children climbing all over them. The few times we have tried to bring them in at night when it's super cold out they have run in circles with no where to go or just sit at the back door and whine. Please don't judge and/or point fingers, some breeds do prefer to be outside and are just fine.

Anonymous said...

How about ** A "RUFF" Weekend ...LOL

Anonymous said...

Have 4 Chesapeakes... If I let them in, all they do is stand by the back door and want to get out of the Hot House. They are made to swim in water during the winter... the cold certainly does not hurt them.

Point is that I agree, it depends on the breed.

Anonymous said...

Most dogs would not be chained up if the law didn't require it. The law is flawed in my opinion. I believe that keeping a dog restrained in any way is very cruel. Dog love to run and be free, not chained or pened up. Unfortunately the law makers think it's just fine to put a dog on a short chain.

Anonymous said...

Would you please contact Mr. Cannon & Ed Baker!!!! Ms Lugo was on the committee who helped form the new Laws for the County!

Something is not right here---time is wasting for the animals out in the cold-----Animals freeze to death as well a humans. We had that happen last yr here in Salisbury outside a convience store!

The committee spent over one year working diligently to pass better Laws for the People & the Animals of the County.

Joe could you please contact the ones in charge----Ed Baker, whose office finalized & wrote the Laws with County Councils final approval ? We depend on you to get it stright!!!! Thanks!!

Anonymous said...

Just a personal note; Please daily go to "THE ANIMAL RESCUE SITE" Click on the purple box that states "Click to Give Free Food and Care" After clicking, you can scroll down and see how much food has been donated daily. On behalf of the animals a BIG thank you. map

Anonymous said...

Wonderfull of you to pass that on!