Group Offers Free Spaying for Dog Saved From Freezing Cold
For Immediate Release:
January 29, 2013
Contact:
Kaitlynn Kelly 202-483-7382
Newark, N.J. -- According to news reports, last Thursday, January 24, Twitter users alerted Newark MayorCory Booker to a shivering young dog who had been left out in the freezing cold in the front yard of a Newark home. Soon, Booker himself reported to the scene, retrieved the dog—later identified as a young mother named Cha Cha—and carried her to a police car, saying, "This is brutal weather. This dog is shaking really bad and you can't just leave your dogs out here on a day like this and go away and expect them to be OK."
To thank the vegetarian mayor for his rescue efforts, PETA sent him a box of vegan chocolates and a faux-silk, dog-print PETA tie. The group has also offered to spay Cha Cha free of charge to prevent more puppies from being born into a world that has no room for them.
"Mayor Booker's efforts to protect all of his city's residents—human and nonhuman alike—set an example of kindness for the whole country," says PETA Executive Vice President Tracy Reiman. "PETA cautions animal guardians in New Jersey and elsewhere to keep their furry companions indoors when cold weather hits—and to prevent future hardship by always spaying and neutering."
Although they are equipped with fur coats, dogs and other animals can still suffer from frostbite and exposure, and they can become dehydrated when water sources freeze. Cold weather spells extra hardship for "backyard dogs," who often go without adequate food, water, shelter, or veterinary care.
Every year, 6 to 8 million animals are turned over to animal shelters, and roughly half of them are euthanized for lack of good homes. Thousands of other unwanted dogs and cats live on the streets, where they often fall victim to traffic, abuse from unkind people, attacks by other animals, disease, or starvation. Much of this suffering can be prevented by simply spaying and neutering.
For more information, please visit PETA.org.
