I had a friend message me this morning asking how to report a dog that is chained outside in freezing weather. As a reminder, please bring those pets in to the house or garage on brutally cold nights if you are able. Remember, just because the temperate is around freezing, wind chills can make it seem much colder! If they must stay outside, be sure they have access to non-frozen food and water and a shelter. If you can throw some hay/straw or a blanket (only if it will stay dry - a wet blanket will actually make the dog colder) in the shelter to help them stay warm, all the better.

If you see an animal that you suspect is in unsafe or cruel conditions, don't be afraid to report it to the local authorities. It never hurts to have them drive by and assess the situation.

College Station non-emergency: 764-3600
Bryan / Brazos County dispatch: 361-3888

http://www.ehow.com/info_12125420_laws-leaving-dogs-outside-cold-weather-texas.html

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Cruelty

• The Texas Health and Safety Code prevents an owner from knowingly, intentionally or recklessly treating his pet in a cruel manner. Under statute 42.092, the Cruelty of Non-Livestock Animals law, cruelty to a domestic pet, such as a dog, can consist of failure to provide it with proper shelter, food or care, according to the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals of Texas. Without providing for some type of shelter to keep the dog warm, along with food and water that is not frozen, keeping a dog outside in the winter falls under the category of cruelty. In addition, Texas House Bill 1411 prevents the tethering or restraint of a dog kept outside in extremely cold weather, under 32 degrees Fahrenheit.
  

Responsibility

• Texas defines the owner of a dog as the person who is responsible for its health, care and safety, regardless of who is listed as the owner of the dog. If you are entrusted to care for someone else's dog and fail to provide it with proper shelter, you are subject to cruelty charges. A dog is required to have an outdoor shelter, covered on all sides, that it can sit up and turn around comfortably in and that is not too large that it will not retain heat. The shelter must be fitted with non-porous, warm bedding, according to the Partnership for Animal Welfare. Each dog must have its own, adequate shelter, food and water for multiple dog households.
  
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Consequences

• If a complaint of cruelty is filed against you, your local animal control or law enforcement officer will investigate the conditions in which you are keeping your dog to determine whether cruelty charges apply. Depending on the severity of the neglect or lack of shelter determined by local authorities, you can be charged with animal cruelty resulting in a misdemeanor or felony conviction. House Bill 653, commonly called "Loco's Law," named for a puppy that experienced severe torture, made animal cruelty a felony in the state, according to the SPCA of Texas. As of Sept. 1, 2001, this law made acts of animal cruelty punishable by a $10,000 fine and a two-year jail sentence.
  

Warnings

• If you keep your dogs outdoors in Texas, provide them each with a warm shelter and monitor the weather. When temperatures drop below 32 degrees Fahrenheit, bring your dogs inside to prevent them from suffering in freezing conditions, which affect their health and safety. If you suspect a neighbor is treating his dogs cruelly, not providing them with proper shelter or restraining them in freezing conditions, contact your local animal control office or police department to file a complaint. For non-emergency situations, you can also file a complaint online through the SPCA of Texas website.
  

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I have a large dog house I'm willing to loan out if anyone needs it. Just leave your contact info here and I'll check back throughout the day.

Just because you find it cold outside doesn't mean that your dog feels the same way. Dogs tend to thrive and have more energy when its cold outside.
Besides, its only 40 degrees outside here in college station, not sub zero temperatures.

Dont freak out ppl just because you get a little uncomfortable when the temperatures change

I think the OP was directed at chihuahua owners.

Unless it's a husky or cold weather dog, I don't think leaving an animal chained outside in freezing weather is humane at all. Even a husky shouldn't be outside forever. I'd much prefer to err on the side of caution. 50 degrees? Sure my lab is fine for a while. 32 and windy? I don't think that energizes him.

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Unless it's a husky or cold weather dog, I don't think leaving an animal chained outside in freezing weather is humane at all. Even a husky shouldn't be outside forever. I'd much prefer to err on the side of caution. 50 degrees? Sure my lab is fine for a while. 32 and windy? I don't think that energizes him.

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You clearly have no experience with dogs in cold weather then. Dogs have a higher internal temperature than we do, plus they are completely covered in hair which further insulates them.
Based on your past post, I guess its inhumane to leave all the wild animals of the world outside in the cold weather, and that we can just expect them to all die when it gets a little chilly out.

I understand the biology of dogs is different than humans. I also read stories every year of people overestimating their dogs ability to endure the cold and end up with deceased pets. Which is why I said I like to err on the side of caution. I don't think your pets needed a heated bed, but letting them stay in the garage or kennel inside is a better option IMO.

I guess it depends on the dog, whether it has short hair or whether it looks like a shag carpet.

TexaN792- Could you please link your peer-reviewed veterinary Journal in which you explain your evidence for your findings. I think we would all like to learn your medical knowledge of animals being you spent years studying all facets of veterinary medicine. If you can't link your journal, perhaps you could sleep outside in your pajamas tonight and let us know how it goes tomorrow.

I'm about to rat out my neighbor down the street to the CSPD! Maybe next time he'll think before he rats out one of my parties!

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TexaN792- Could you please link your peer-reviewed veterinary Journal in which you explain your evidence for your findings. I think we would all like to learn your medical knowledge of animals being you spent years studying all facets of veterinary medicine. If you can't link your journal, perhaps you could sleep outside in your pajamas tonight and let us know how it goes tomorrow.

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I have spent many years training and living with service and military dogs in some of the harshest environments on earth, I know what dogs are capable of from first hand experience.
I dont need someone who has read a book or has a peer-reviewed veterinary journal to tell me how dogs will respond to cold weather.

I'm sure you don't put your dogs in danger, TexaN. I did not intend to be confrontational. Aside from my family, my dogs are my absolute best friends. I do work at an animal shelter and basically can't get enough of the animals. I know how much I hatehatehate being cold, so I feel badly having my dogs (especially the little one) outside when it's cold. Let's all look at this amazingly adorable service dog and be happy.

You can't make a generalized statement about what all dogs can sustain when it comes to the elements, because each breed/mixes have a different set of adaptability. Sure, service and military dogs can sustain a lot, that is why those breeds are chosen for service. However, a lot of people consider pit bull's, etc. to be tough dogs, when in fact they have a hard time the elements. The wild animal comparison for most dogs is so sort of ridiculous. We have bred so much of their survival abilities out of them, so comparing them to animal that can survive in the wild is silly. It is good sense to take precaution and make the pets and animals we are responsible for, comfortable and safe.

I am confident when I say that any animals outside tonight will die eventually.

How did canines survive the several thousand years when they didn't live in houses?

They aren't bred the same way they were 1000s of years ago.

I think it just depends on the dog and breed but good info.

When it is cold, my black lab, geez she won't stay outside longer than it takes to go potty. My chocolate lab I have to drag her rear in out of the cold after a few hrs.

During the summer my chocolate goes out long enough to potty, my black will camp out and sunbathe for hrs on end.

http://dogtime.com/dog-breeds/characteristic_lists/well-suited-for-cold-weather

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Each dog must have its own, adequate shelter, food and water for multiple dog households.

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Morons were in charge the day this was written.

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I am confident when I say that any animals outside tonight will die eventually.

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I see what you did there. Reading is fun.

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Unless it's a husky or cold weather dog, I don't think leaving an animal chained outside in freezing weather is humane at all. Even a husky shouldn't be outside forever. I'd much prefer to err on the side of caution. 50 degrees? Sure my lab is fine for a while. 32 and windy? I don't think that energizes him.

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I think it really depends on the individual dog, not on what we perceive to be "cold". I have two blue heelers who absolutely love cold weather, but suffer big time in the Texas summers. One just turned 11 and she acts like a puppy whenever we get a cold snap (40 degrees or colder). Her favorite thing to do when it's cold is to run through standing water and bite at the water while she's plowing through it.

Both dogs were particularly frisky yesterday morning on our walk when it was 28 degrees outside. Too much energy for me first thing in the morning. I fed them a big breakfast and then left them outside yesterday (they have a nice, weatherproof dog house lined with a super thick fleece dog bed) - when I got home, they were full of energy and bouncing all over the place. We spent an hour in the front yard playing ball and then went for a 30 minute walk. I had to make the male leave his ball on the porch and come inside to eat.

On the flip side, I wouldn't dare leave them outside in the summer. I shave them in the summer, but they still can't tolerate heat very well.

Huskies "can" do fine in temperatures well below zero. Of course, those are ones that are acclimated to living in extremely cold weather. Mine are acclimated to living in Texas so while they enjoy going outside when it's cold, they're ready to come back inside before long. Also, 4 of my 5 are rescues and not surprisingly, the 4 rescues have very little interest in being outside longer than necessary to do their business. The one non-rescue would live outside, summer or winter, if we let her because the spoiled brat doesn't know what the other 4 do. I never let mine stay outside unattended ever. If they're outside, so am I. My mother accuses me of being of being over protective but with Husky's escape tendencies, I live in fear that something will happen to them like that poor Collie.

What if we look at it this way, as other posters have pointed out: while we are debating dogs staying outside in the cold, lets think of them staying outside when its hot. Some dogs will do just fine in the heat while others will have heat stroke. It all depends on the breed. People have transported dogs all over the world and cross bred them over many years, meaning that while a dog may be in south Texas, that does not mean its bloodline supports it being in south Texas. It could thrive in Canada. But somehow its bloodline made its way more south. Be smart about this and do err on the side of caution. Take care of your pets!

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Be smart about this and do err on the side of caution. Take care of your pets!

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Thanks, MomLaw..................way too cold for many of our furry friends who live here and were raised here.