Dogs in the Detroit, Michigan area including Flint and Pontiac have the highest rates of dogs (short haired and not equipped for extreme temps), that live outside 24 hours a day in single degree digits. These dogs can freeze to death, get frostbite and many are not supplied water that wont freeze, food, and straw for warmth (using the term lightly). Michigan has been below freezing for 2 weeks now with another week or two including single digit temperatures!

While these dogs are not treated like pets anyway, it is pure neglect and abuse to allow them to suffer this way chained and or caged. Dogs that are double coated such as Huskeys or Malamutes can of course stay out longer and enjoy the cold and snow.

Please help make a law to prevent our short haired friends from continuing to be forced to live outside in extreme low temperatures. Pennsylvania has a law that charges offenders a $15,000 fine and or jail time because dogs have frozen to death in their care. Please make it illegal here too! Many of these dogs are also illegally being bred and their puppies have next to no chance of surviving these artic conditions! If they are saved by a good samaritan and the owners decide to turn the dogs and or puppies over to a rescue, they rack up thousands of dollars worth of bills for the rescue and suffer from frostbite, pneumonia and death!

It is inhumane for any "pet" to not only be ignored, mistreated, neglected and starved, but also for neighbors to be afraid to step in for fear of retaliation. If we can get laws passed to save our furbabies, we should also focus on creating special animal police officers who will actually enforce the laws, prosecute the offenders, and rescue to rehome the dogs! The law should reflect dogs only be let out under 25 degrees in Michigan, up to 15 minutes at a time, to do their business and or exercise if they can tolerate it. Make it illegal to house dogs outside 24 hours a day, with or without doghouses for any length of time in frigid conditions! Thank you for taking the time to care.