Animal shelter officers to sleep outside to bring awareness to pets kept in cold

(Courtesy of Trish Barnes)

SAGINAW, MI -- Three Saginaw Animal Control officers are in the dog house -  literally.

Saginaw Animal Control officers will sleep outside in frigid temperatures at Apple Mountain from 6 p.m. - 8 a.m. on Jan. 12 to bring awareness to what animals endure in the cold.

Friday's low is forecast to be 11 degrees, according to the National Weather Service.

The project is a group effort between Saginaw Animal Care and Control, Project Underdog and Destination Imagination.

Each of the officers will sleep in different conditions: Trish Barnes will sleep in a dog house with blankets and a chain around her neck, Joaquin Guerrero will sleep in a dog house with straw and Anthony Trevino will sleep with no shelter.

(L-R) Trish Barnes, Joaquin Guerrero and Anthony Trevino.

Lisa Stoffel, executive director for Saginaw Animal Care and Control, said the officers will stay outside for however long they can stand it.

Three emergency medical technicians will be on site.

"We're ready for it," Barnes said.

Josh Brown, team manager for Destination Imagination, said fifth graders from Hemmeter Elementary will go outside every 30 minutes to take the heart rate, temperature and collect other data from each officer. The data will be compiled to let the public know what temperatures are unbearable and the rate at which it happens.

Destination Imagination is a national program that promotes a hands-on system of learning through science, technology, engineering and mathematics.

"In preparation for this, they have built a mock setup and it has three different dog houses so they have to present what they learned to their project coordinator and the community," Stoffel said.

Brown said if the students succeed at the regional level they could go to state and nationals.

"(I want) to gather data to help establish time lengths for people when they should and shouldn't have their animals outside," Stoffel said.

The officers echoed the same message and hope to convince people to get their dogs comfortable, such as providing them straw or blankets.

People for Ethical Treatment of Animals caught wind of the officers' plan to bring awareness to pets kept outside in bitter temperatures and are awarding the center with a Compassionte Action Award, according to a PETA press release.

"These heroes for animals have appeared not a moment too soon, as dozens of animals have died this winter alone after being left outside in freezing temperatures--and those are only the reported deaths," PETA vice president Colleen O'Brien said. "Animals are in danger every hour they spend outdoors in extreme weather, and PETA hopes this brave and bone-chilling protest will persuade people to bring their animals indoors with the rest of the family."

Trevino said a small silent auction will take place at the event to help raise money for the shelter.