Owners leaving pets outside in the cold? This SC city’s petition wants to stop that

Upstate South Carolina residents are calling on their city to explore stiffening the rules that allow for pets to be left outdoors in the cold.

Spartanburg residents expressed their concerns to the city council on Monday that its current ordinance is too vague and does not protect animals when temperatures drop below freezing, WSPA reported.

“We need more specific language because when it says four walls, a roof and a floor it doesn’t say how big the door is so what if it’s a Chihuahua in a huge dog house that’s not going to help, and it doesn’t require any insulation,” said Susan Myers, according to WSPA.

A petition from change.org is also making its rounds, calling on the city to pass a stronger ordinance. As of Tuesday, it had more than 8,000 signatures.

“It should be illegal for a pet to be left leashed and alone or caged outside in temperatures and for a length of time that exceed safe limits as determined by qualified experts (for instance in below-freezing temperatures),” the petition states. “Pet owners found violating these restrictions should face stiff fines and repeat offenders should face pet forfeiture and jail time.”

Sheila Boom, of Project PAWWS, told the Herald-Journal that it’s not unusual for the organization to get calls in the middle of the night from dog owners seeking help because they don’t realize the effects freezing temperatures can have on their pets.

Jamie Nelson, director of the Spartanburg County Environmental Enforcement Director, told the Herald-Journal that the agency has responded to 51 calls of animals without proper shelter in recent weeks.

On Jan. 3, the Aiken Standard reported that a woman was arrested after police found a frozen dead puppy in a cage. Robyn Denise Bacon, 39, was charged with cruelty to animals.

Officers said it was 15 degrees when they found a chained dog shivery and a “frozen solid” puppy in a cage nearby, according to the Aiken Standard.

This story was originally published January 9, 2018 at 10:24 AM.