By Jon Stainback
When temperatures rise, my canine companion, Forrest, is able to cool off in a comfortable, air-conditioned home, and he gets all the water, food, attention, and comfort that he needs on hot summer days.
But the neglected “backyard dogs” PETA helps don’t have access to air conditioning. They might not have any care or shelter at all—or even a patch of shade in which they can seek relief from the scorching heat and blazing sun.
That’s why I build sturdy PETA doghouses—to help dozens of dogs survive dangerous summer heat and thunderstorms. It’s devastating to see the conditions that so many dogs are forced to endure. They’re chained or penned in full sunlight or in inches of mud, without fresh food or even clean water to drink.
When owners can’t be persuaded to allow their dogs to come indoors and local officials won’t enforce the meager provisions of the law, PETA does everything in our power to make suffering dogs less miserable—whether it’s providing sturdy doghouses, offering a bowl of water, administering treatment for parasites, or giving dogs the affection that they often go without. In some cases, we’re even able to persuade owners to let us have neglected dogs for a chance at a good life.
The number of dogs we can reach depends on how much support we receive from our dedicated members. Please consider sponsoring a doghouse today so that we can provide many more dogs with shelter and care. For a short time only, PETA’s friends at v-dog are matching every sponsorship gift with a donation of 5 pounds of vegan dog food that we’ll distribute to dogs in need.
Take it from me—helping these dogs is one of the most rewarding things that I’ve ever done. I’m sure that you’ll feel the same way, too!
