‘People leave dogs to freeze in bitter cold’
HARTFORD — Police in Connecticut charged a woman Thursday with animal cruelty in connection with a grim scene reported by a neighbor on New Year’s Day: a dog chained to a small shelter outside a home — and frozen solid, according to a report in The Washington Post.
The incident was one of several similar deaths reported in recent days as bitter cold grips the eastern United States, prompting animal rescue organizations and local authorities to issue warnings about giving pets shelter.
Several of the deaths occurred in Ohio.
In Toledo, a dog was found frozen to death on a front porch last week. Three other frozen dogs were discovered over two days this week in Franklin County, Ohio, a shelter told a local television station.
Authorities in Butler County, north of Cincinnati, said Wednesday that they had charged the owners of one dead dog with cruelty to a companion animal.
“The dog was found in a dog house with no insulation. The dog was frozen to death due to the severe cold weather,” read a Facebook post from the office of county sheriff Richard Jones.
“Sheriff Jones would like to remind everyone that freezing to death is a horrible way for an animal to die.”
In Michigan, Detroit Dog Rescue said a Pomeranian left outside its offices Monday night was found dead the next day.
The group said on Wednesday that it managed to rescue another dog that was found shivering in a barrel outdoors — but not before its paw pads and penis got frostbite.
“Trying to escape the frigid temperatures he curled up, but even his underbelly and penis began to freeze,” Detroit Dog Rescue said about the pooch in a Facebook post, The Washington
Post reported.