Animal experts encourage you to bring your pets inside during the severe cold weather this week. They also encourage you to call 911 if you see animals left outside.
The Animal Rescue League in Pittsburgh’s Homewood neighborhood announced it will stay open all night Monday in case members of law enforcement find pets left outside in the cold.
The shelter’s outreach coordinator, Mary Withrow, said someone rescued a pit bull from nearby Frankstown Avenue last week. His body temperature was so low, it did not register on the thermometer.
“He clearly had suffered. By the looks of him, he was emaciated,” said Withrow. “He had severe muscle atrophy, and he had suffered.”
Pittsburgh animal control officers routinely patrol the streets looking for neglected pets. They are even more vigilant during extreme weather.
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Animal control officer Ed Krall has seen some terrible cases in his 34 years on the job.
“We've seen a dog already just frozen to the ground and emaciated,” said Krall. “It was just left out there on a chain. It's terrible, terrible. Some people just don't care for their animals they way they should.”
Withrow warns pet owners that it does not take long for below-zero temperatures to threaten a pet’s life.
“It would certainly be less than an hour outside in this kind of weather,” he said.