5.112 NEEDED
Petition objective: Make it illegal to leave pets outside in the
cold in the state of Missouri!
This shocking photo was taken in the city of Springfield, Missouri:
a dog was left chained outside to a flatbed in the blistering winter, right in
the middle of the ferocious snow storm. The dog has nowhere to take shelter and
is forced to endure these extreme weather conditions all by himself.
A witness was absolutely baffled by this situation and simply could
not believe her eyes. Christina Tindle, an animal lover herself, immediately
alerted the authorities about this situation. Police officers, as well as
Animal Control representatives, arrived at the scene, but to Ms. Tindle’s
dismay, it was concluded that no law had been broken, because Missouri does not
have any legislation that would prevent owners from keeping animals in the
freezing cold.
The dog’s owner was finally identified and the dog was returned to
his abuser as if nothing had happened. The owner, a 40-year-old man, stated
that he had simply forgotten about his pet and was in a hurry to get back
inside before the heavy snow kicked in.
This petition urges the authorities in Missouri to implement much
stricter laws and make it an offense for owners to leave their pets outside in
the cold. A clear temperature threshold must be established and those who do
not respect the law need to be severely punished. Such changes are necessary to
ensure such incidents do not happen again!