FORT WORTH, Texas — The Humane Society of North Texas (HSNT) is sounding the alarm on a rising problem: people abandoning animals in the sweltering heat – calling it a “cruel death sentence.”
HSNT said in the past 10 days, there have been five cases of neglected and abandoned dogs across DFW. In two of those cases, the dogs died from a heat stroke, officials said.
"Neglecting or abandoning dogs is never justifiable," HSNT said in a news release.
HSNT shared videos of a few of the incidents, including one that showed an injured dog trying to find shade and another where a staff member was seen rushing to help an overheated dog.
HSNT said late Tuesday, Aug. 22, a 3-month-old Yorkie was found in a hot kennel near its shelter in Fort Worth despite being directed to the clinic a block away. Sadly, the puppy could not be saved.
"We've had dogs tied up to our door. We had two dogs tied up to the telephone pole outside," said Dr. Cynthia Jones, Director of Clinic Medicine at the Humane Society of North Texas. "We had a box of kittens left outside the door."
"The problem is the heat makes it harder for these animals to be left somewhere. Because they are not left in the shade or left with water. They're just left," Jones said. "So they end up with heat stroke, or heat prostration. And a large part of those animals don't make it. Because they end up in organ failure."
As temperatures continue to spike in the triple-digits, HSNT is hoping to raise awareness on this urgent issue. The organization has a 97% live release rate and free programs to help pet owners and those who would like to surrender their animals to the shelter.
"Don't give up on your pets. Those are part of your family," Jones said. "Do something where you are responsible for that pet for as long as they live. And that's what we hope to have everybody do."