The wellbeing of animals is often inextricable from the wellbeing of people, so in the spirit of bolstering both families and the pets they love, our team recently donated 60 high-quality outdoor dog shelters to communities in Bowling Green, Kentucky. We are getting ready to do the same in Marshalltown, Iowa, later this week.
The act of giving a dog shelter to a family that needs it seems simple, but there is a complex framework involved. On the one hand, we believe that everyone should be able to experience the joys and love that having a pet can bring. At the same time, we believe that animals are deserving of protection, and that means setting standards regarding how they are treated and the comfort that should be provided to them, especially during extreme cold or heat.
It is also essential that people understand that a dog’s fur does not fully insulate them from cold; dogs must have access to shelter and shade to regulate their body temperature. While it’s never ideal to leave a dog outdoors for long periods of time in extreme weather, whenever dogs are living outside they should have access to a sturdy, enclosed structure with bedding such as straw or shavings for warmth, a solid, raised floor that protects them from cold, precipitation and wind and provides shade from direct sun in the summer months.
What happened in Kentucky shows the creative problem-solving of our teams at work. In December, with our support, the city of Bowling Green passed a new ordinance requiring adequate shelter for dogs within the city limits. Then we worked with the city to provide top-of-the-line cedar dog shelters in circumstances where they’re needed most.
Last week, our team joined city and state officials in Bowling Green to celebrate this initiative an distribute dog shelters to community members who otherwise do not have the means to provide adequate shelter for their pets. The rest of the shelters will be distributed in the coming weeks.
“These are way better than what Snoopy had,” said Kentucky Secretary of State Michael G. Adams, who joined the Bowling Green event.