Fear of Frostbite, Fatalities Prompt PETA’s Free Straw Giveaway for Dogs Left Outside

For Immediate Release:
February 20, 2024

Contact:
Sara Grove 202-483-7382

Bitterly cold weather brings the risk of frostbite, hypothermia, and even death for dogs kept outside, especially if they’re chained or penned, and with temperatures expected to drop into the low 30s this week, PETA and Dogs Deserve Better Piedmont (DDB) will host a straw giveaway in Creedmoor on Wednesday, at which residents can pick up one free bag of insulating straw bedding per dog.

Where:    In the parking lot of Southern States, 301 N. Main St., Creedmoor

When:     Wednesday, February 21, 2–5 p.m.

“It shouldn’t be the situation in 2024, but countless dogs in North Carolina are still kept chained or penned outdoors all day, every day, and left to fend for themselves in the freezing cold,” says PETA Senior Vice President Daphna Nachminovitch. “Although the best way to keep dogs warm and safe is by keeping them indoors with the rest of the family, providing straw provides a small measure of protection to make the bitterly cold weather less painful.”

PETA’s rescue team is in the field every day delivering doghouses, straw bedding, and other necessities to dogs who are forced to spend their lives penned or chained outdoors. DDB builds pens for dogs kept chained outside 24/7 and provides other services at no cost to families in Granville and Franklin counties.

PETA—whose motto reads, in part, that “animals are not ours to abuse in any way”—points out that Every Animal Is Someone and offers free Empathy Kits for people who need a lesson in kindness.

For more information, please visit PETA.org or follow the group on X (formerly Twitter), Facebook, or Instagram.