WASHINGTON — Since Friday, the Washington Humane Society has responded to dozens of reports of animals left out in the cold, most of them dogs.
“It’s been pretty busy,” Daniel D’Eramo, senior humane law enforcement officer with the Washington Humane Society, tells WTOP. “A lot of calls that we’re getting in are from people just passing through a neighborhood, in an area for whatever reason, seeing an animal out.”
He says some people don’t understand how vulnerable their pets can be in the cold.
“There’s a disconnect there. [People think] ‘They’re a dog; they’re like a wolf — they have a fur coat.’ Most dogs really aren’t as well equipped to handle the cold as people think they are. A lot of shorthair breeds, especially pit bulls that we have a lot of in this city — yeah, they have a fur coat, but it’s not a very thick fur coat.”
When the society gets a report of a dog that might be in danger in the cold, an investigator goes to the home and tries to talk to the owner. In extreme cases, they take custody of the pooch. D’Eramo says they came close to doing that in two recent cases in D.C. — one involved a pit bull in Northwest; the other, a German shepherd in Northeast. Thankfully, their owners took action first.
With temperatures expected to head to the single digits this week, he repeats: If you see a pet left outside for a while, be sure to call and report it.
“If it’s too cold for you, it’s too cold for them,” says D’Eramo, generally speaking.
In the District you can report animal emergencies by calling D.C. Animal Control at 202-576-6664 or the Washington Humane Society at 202-723-5730.
In Montgomery County, you can call the Animal Services Division at 301-279-8000.
In Prince George’s County, call the Animal Management Division at 301-780-7200.
In Fairfax County, call Animal Control at 703-691-2131.
In Alexandria, call the Animal Welfare League of Alexandria at 703-746-4774.
In Arlington, call the Animal Welfare League of Arlington at 703-931-9241.
