# Dog freezes to death (Non-GSD)



## GSDLVR76 (Aug 6, 2007)

This why I am so paranoid about leaving them with anyone. You just never know who you can trust.

http://www.wsmv.com/news/22122296/detail.html



> Quote:


CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. -- Officers on Sunday found a dog frozen to death in his dog house, and now the pet owner wants the teenage sitter to be charged. When Kelvin Taylor and his family returned home from a 10-day vacation, they found three of their dogs gone. The fourth, a pit bull named T-Mac, was frozen to death in his dog house.

Neighbors sensed something was wrong and called Animal Control. During their first visit, crews left food, water and a note for the owner. The second time, they took three of the malnourished dogs into custody, but, at that point, it was too late for T-Mac.

"A couple of hours probably in this cold, especially when it dropped down to the teens, it wouldn't take any time for an animal to freeze to death," said David Selby of Animal Control.

Taylor said his son's 16-year-old friend is responsible. Taylor said he put the boy in charge of watching the house and the animals, but that never happened.

"To just let them freeze like that, it's crazy. I mean, you had to see, if you were coming over there like you said you were, you had to see signs," said Taylor.

Animal Control representatives said there's no question it's neglect, abuse and cruelty.

"To allow the animal in your custody, to fail to provide in adequate care, is cruelty. There's no excuse for that," said Selby.

Proving it could be tough, Animal Control representatives said, unless Taylor can show he had a binding contract holding the teen responsible for the dogs.

The Taylors were able to pick up their other three dogs from Animal Control on Monday morning.

Taylor said he would like to press charges. Animal Control has put in calls to the district attorney to find out what charges, if any, will apply.


> Quote:


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## BowWowMeow (May 7, 2007)

Why would you leave your dogs outside in Alaska, in the winter, in the care of a 16 year old? A pit bull outside in the winter? I'd say those people should look long and hard into their own hearts and the care they give their animals.


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## Jax08 (Feb 13, 2009)

It's not Alaska. They were in Tennessee.


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## DnP (Jul 10, 2008)

Actually, this happened in Clarksville, TN.

What has me puzzled is that the "shelter" provided for the dogs were Vari Kennels outside. Looked like that's what their normal owner provided shelter consisted of. The report/pictures didn't show that the dogs had adequate outside shelter for winter temps and it does get cold in Clarksville in the winter, especially for shorthaired dogs like pits. I guess I have issue w/ the owners as well as the 16 year old they left to care for the dogs. Leaving 4 dogs in the care of a 16 year old is one thing, but not to provide the dogs w/ adequate shelter is another. 

Of course, I don't believe we are getting the full story from this report. Would be interesting to see how this plays out.


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## GSDLVR76 (Aug 6, 2007)

> Originally Posted By: Jax08It's not Alaska. They were in Tennessee.


We have neighbors who never let their poor dogs in. One has an old beat up SUV as a dog house. I feel so bad for them. But our ACO won't do crap about it.


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## Dainerra (Nov 14, 2003)

I don't know.. they sell those dog houses all over and they are double walled. usually there is a little swinging plastic curtain/"door" that will block the wind. 
with hay/straw inside they are definitely warmer than the metal drums that count as shelter around here!


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## sagelfn (Aug 13, 2009)

terrible

makes me hate my neighbor even more, his doberman is outside all day and most nights


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## Jax08 (Feb 13, 2009)

Did you report him?

Print out this article, print out information about dobe's being a single coated dog bred to be INSIDE without the double coat to protect them, print out the temperatures for that week in Tennessee and for the temps you are having and put it in his mailbox.


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## sagelfn (Aug 13, 2009)

yes i have reported him, as long as he continues to provide food/water(non frozen) and shelter he's fine. I'm keeping a close eye on it. I am going to print this off and stick it in his mailbox I doubt it will do any good though. Last night he brought the dog in (it was neg 18 wind chill) right now the dog is out and its 10 degrees...poor thing.


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## APBTLove (Feb 23, 2009)

The owners said dogs come in a night, and are out during the day. Dog houses with bedding/door flap are rather warm once the dog stays in and the body heat fills it... But not sufficient overnight when temperatures plunge. I don't know how the boy didn't take care of them...
I know plenty of people who keep their bulldogs out, with proper dog houses filled with straw (straw, being hallow, traps heat), during cold times and the dogs do fine. 

This is just ridiculous. He let the dogs freeze, they might have made it if he was feeding them.

Sage, if you and the neighbor don't get along, be careful what you do, by putting it in his mailbox, he can say you're harassing him... What kind of shelter does the dog have?

I for one never put my dogs out in weather that I can't stay out in wearing a light jacket and jeans, seeing as I have shepherds they fare much better than I would anyway. Sparkles DOES go out in freezing weather, but she's wearing about four layers on top of her hair.


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## Raziel (Sep 29, 2009)

In Germany, where the average temp is well below freezing, all the dogs are kept outside in kennels. (Of course, warm bedding, plywood to shelter them from the wind/rain.)

I wouldnt leave my dog outside though.
As much as he would LOVE to sleep outside, I would feel bad.

Like Ive said in previous posts such as these, just as I think people cant get any stupider/evil, its always being topped by something else.
Its really a same these animals have to die bc of someones lazyness or stupidity. Or both.


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## DnP (Jul 10, 2008)

> Originally Posted By: APBTLoveThe owners said dogs come in a night, and are out during the day. Dog houses with bedding/door flap are rather warm once the dog stays in and the body heat fills it... But not sufficient overnight when temperatures plunge. I don't know how the boy didn't take care of them...
> I know plenty of people who keep their bulldogs out, with proper dog houses filled with straw (straw, being hallow, traps heat), during cold times and the dogs do fine.
> 
> This is just ridiculous. He let the dogs freeze, they might have made it if he was feeding them.
> ...


I didn't read or hear on the video that the owners said the dogs came in at night. I also didn't see dog houses w/ bedding or door flaps for the dogs in the article or on the video provided by the OP. Just saw houses that looked like ordinary vari-kennels w/o doors. Agree that proper doghouses filled w/ straw would have helped the dogs in colder temps, but at 13 degrees for a shorthaired single coated dog to be left outside 24/7....that would be tough w/o proper shelter.


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## Jax08 (Feb 13, 2009)

there's a news show on the cold temps and dogs right now about a local county taking the animals. It's nice to see it on news to bring it to everyone's attention!!


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## sagelfn (Aug 13, 2009)

> Originally Posted By: APBTLoveSage, if you and the neighbor don't get along, be careful what you do, by putting it in his mailbox, he can say you're harassing him... What kind of shelter does the dog have?


it has an igloo dog house, currently no insulation to my knowledge

i posted a thread about the situation a while ago
http://www.germanshepherds.com/forum/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=1313222&page=0#Post1313222


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## selzer (May 7, 2005)

The igloo dog houses must be pretty warm. My neighbor's bitch had puppies in her in January, they never took the pups inside, and they survived. The bitch was chained, and she would lay on top of it to get away from the pups when they got a little bigger. 

When the pups were about four weeks old a wind storm took the house over the ravine. I noticed it was gone, and went after it and got stuck. The Amish neighbor (not the owner of the bitch and pups) was working in his timber lot and her my calls. He got a rope and I got out and he brought up the shelter. 

We were able to get the pups gathered back in it. There was straw, but there was no bottom to their igloo. 

Still, for it to keep the pups warm in January/Feburary, it must do the trick. 

A vari-kennel does not trap the body heat and will no way keep any dog warm enough. I will put them out in the yard when I have a litter, just to get the pups used to crates, but certainly not for shelter. They can hide from rain under the one half, they are like caves. But I don't put them out in the rain. They have the indoor outdoor kennel and can go and come as they please. 

My dogs spent Sunday night outside. No help for it, the roads were not passable. But their houses are inside the dog shelters and no one was distressed yesterday when I was able to get through. But they are shepherds, and they are accustomed to being outside all day.


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## APBTLove (Feb 23, 2009)

Because of the shape of an Igloo, they trap heat... As far as I know. I remember being about seven in the middle of winter and playing in one, it WAS warm.

I read another article, sorry:
"The couple had put a teenage sitter in charge, leaving him a key and instructions to feed and care for the three pit bulls and one Chihuahua while they left for the holidays.

Cherelle Taylor said the sitter was told to feed the dogs, bring them in at night and let them out in the morning. They offered the teen to stay at the home to take care of their pets."
http://www.theleafchronicle.com/article/20100105/NEWS01/1050348


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## DnP (Jul 10, 2008)

> Originally Posted By: APBTLoveI read another article, sorry:
> "The couple had put a teenage sitter in charge, leaving him a key and instructions to feed and care for the three pit bulls and one Chihuahua while they left for the holidays.
> 
> Cherelle Taylor said the sitter was told to feed the dogs, bring them in at night and let them out in the morning. They offered the teen to stay at the home to take care of their pets."
> http://www.theleafchronicle.com/article/20100105/NEWS01/1050348


Ok, that changes my thoughts. Now I have complete sympathy for the owners. I can't imagine the kid agreeing to taking care of the animals and then not doing it at all. He could not be ignorant enough to think nothing would happen to the dogs if left for 10 days without food and proper shelter and temps dipping in the lower teens at night. 

Too bad the Taylors will not get justice for their dogs if what the first report said was true. That unless they had a written contract w/ the 16 year old, he can't be held criminally accountable for the neglect of the dogs.


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## selzer (May 7, 2005)

I specifically remember taking care of people's dogs when I was 13 - 18 while they went on vacations. That was many years ago when kids younger than me were babysitting and held responsible for things. 

How many of us would leave a sixteen year old boy in charge of our animals? 

Not to start anything, but for the most part, at sixteen girls seem a little more responsible than boys, and currently I would not leave a sixteen year old girl in charge of my crew. 

I would have to know the kid very, very well, and then I would STILL be worried. 

One of my nieces is sixteen, lives walking distance from me, about 1/4 mile, and is an honor student. No way would I ask her to manage my dogs for me. 

Kids are kids. They forget, and let things go, and let things come up. I expect MOST of us would probably let a kid do it for a few days, depending on the kid and the situation. Most of us wouldn't get burned. These people did. And while you can blame the kid, ultimately it is the owner's fault for leaving the dogs in the care of someone they did not know well enough. I do feel sorry for them.


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## DnP (Jul 10, 2008)

I babysat starting at age 11.

I also took care of neighbor's animals from ages 11 to 18.

I would not hesistate to ask my 11 year old niece to take care of my pup.

We don't know how well the family knew this kid. He could have been their son's friend since they were 5 years old. They must have knew him well enough to offer letting him stay at their house to take care of the dogs. I can't imagine anyone would ask someone they barely knew to stay in their home while they were away.

The owners only fault is trusting the kid. Should they have called to check up on how things were going since they were gone 10 days. Sure, I know I would have. But then again, that still may not have gotten the kid to go over to their house to take care of the dogs. The kid IS at fault. If he wasn't able to take care of the dogs, he should have told the owners.


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## Ilovealldogs (Nov 17, 2006)

It seems like I remember an episode on Animal Cops that was about a dog that froze to death and I definitely remember ones that were on the brink of dying. 

I pass by a house everyday where there is a "pit bull" outside chained 24/7. He/She has half a dog house. Yes, I did type half a dog house. It's one of those kind that looks like a little house that has a top and a bottom and the two pieces snap together. The dog only has the use of the top part and has to belly crawl to get under it. Is that really adequate? Well, in my opinion it's not so I called AC on them. AC didn't do anything apparently because the dog still lives like that. Why even have a dog if that is the best you can do for it?!


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## Bridget (Apr 5, 2004)

This is a terrible thing. My husband and I are taking a cruise in a few weeks, our first entire week vacation in 14 years. We have a 17 year old boy, Tyler, who will care for our dogs, coming in at various times each day. I am hoping my daughter will come over and stay at our house, but if not, at least she will hopefully be stopping by at least once a day. Tyler not only feeds them and lets them out, but comes over to play too. There is no one I would sooner trust my dogs to. He has been caring for them when we go away for weekends for three years now. We pay him because we appreciate it so much, but Tyler would do it without pay. However, we have known Tyler since he was 12 and we know him well. Also, his grandmother, whom he lives with, has become a close friend, so if Tyler ever forgot, she would make sure he came over. Of course our dogs will be in the house.

Still, this thread is scaring [heck] out of me, as I am always nervous about leaving them.


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## WayneMeganGSD (Dec 21, 2009)

> Originally Posted By: APBTLove.
> 
> Sage, if you and the neighbor don't get along, be careful what you do, by putting it in his mailbox, he can say you're harassing him... What kind of shelter does the dog have?


I wouldnt touch his mailbox. Put whatever you have for him on his porch or deliver it to him in person. Tampering with mailboxes is a felony.


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## duramax (Dec 7, 2009)

> Originally Posted By: The Sergeant
> 
> 
> > Originally Posted By: APBTLove.
> ...


 ................Tampering with a mailbox is not a felony, tampering with the mail inside of the mailbox is the felony(don't ask how I know)LOL. The irresponsable kids people raise, helicopter parents, my wife calls them. Is a whole nother thread.


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## APBTLove (Feb 23, 2009)

I don't think AGE has much to do with it... I have been caring for dogs (others, that is) since I was about eleven.. And I had 5 dogs, two lovebirds, and about 15 cats to care for at one house from the time I was 13 to about 15. sometimes only for a weekend, or for two-three weeks. It's the responsibility the kid has. At twelve I dedicated my time to rescuing Tyson, a sad case of a pit bull boy who was on a thin, short chain in his own crap, behind a house with no shelter, and the food they gave him came out of a moldy, damp bucket. I took months of my time to care for him, the owners moved and left him, and I still cared for him. I got in contact with Pit Bull Rescue Central who helped me place him with a foster (who turned out to be an IDIOT) and then a permanent home... As well as Richard Pryor's wife, who offered to pay for his transport/vetting if he needed it.

But I didn't have the typical upbringing, I had no friends and spent most of my time in the backyard with all of my parents GSDs. 

So I don't think the age had anything to do with it... It was the boy's character that let him allow the dogs to starve and freeze.


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## Bridget (Apr 5, 2004)

Absolutely. Did Tyson finally get a good home then?


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## APBTLove (Feb 23, 2009)

Oh yes. His foster obviously was about as educated in the breed as a mouse, and left him, her female pit, and three very old cats loose in the house while she left. Surprise surprise, Ty and her female ate the cats... He went then to a family where he spent his last years. He was twelve when I first met him, and was 14 when his owners finally let him give in to his cancer and put him down peacefully surrounded by those who love him.


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## Jax08 (Feb 13, 2009)

> Originally Posted By: APBTLoveI
> 
> So I don't think the age had anything to do with it... It was the boy's character that let him allow the dogs to starve and freeze.


Absolutely!! 

If that is really what happened. Has anyone seen the boy's side of it yet? 

At even a young age, kids know when something isn't right and worry about whether an animal is cold or not. I have to question the ppl's choice in a dog sitter and why the dogs were left outside. did the boy ask for help and not receive it?


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## selzer (May 7, 2005)

About the half dog house, it is probably warmer in there because the size is not too large and it takes less for the body to warm up a smaller area. 

It is the kid's word against the owner's word. I do not know if it is all that common to have that low of temperatures this time of year there. It is very possible that they told the kid that the dogs would be fine outside. 

Not if they have a chi though. They may have told him to go ahead and leave the pits outside for the night. 

A kid may know a lot of things, but they may not know how to gage whether the dog's shelter is sufficient for the weather. People on here are always asking that too. If the owner told him that they will be ok outside for the night, and now they are saying something different, it would make sense to me. 

ETA: I have left my dogs in my brother's care for 5 days. No way, would I leave them in a non-family member's care, a juvenile's care for 10.

It is still the owner/adult's responsibility in my opinion.


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## Jax08 (Feb 13, 2009)

Very good point Sue. I see alot of blame being placed on the kid and I just have to wonder the circumstances and what support he had.


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## Ilovealldogs (Nov 17, 2006)

Sue, the dog can't even fit in it because it's too small. He/She is a pretty big dog!


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## selzer (May 7, 2005)

If that is the case, then when AC came out, they should have written the guy up. I would complain to your AC people, and whoever they report to. 

Here, that would be the dog warden. If the dog warden came out because I complained that a dog did not have sufficient shelter, looked at it and left, I would call and ask. If they said it was sufficient then, I would probably take pictures of the dog and the shelter and go to the county commisioners, and explain the situation. The dog warden reports to the county commissioners. 

What we do not want is for someone to lay down requirements for dog house sizing, because assuredly, they would think bigger is better and get it all wrong. Then you will have dogs out there cold because their owner had to provide houses that were too big for them to be able to maintain their body weight. 

I do not know if it is Ohio, but airline regulations require that the varikennel be large enough for the dog to be able to stand without touching the top of the kennel. With shepherds, that would mean the tips of their ears when standing. It would be just the thing for them to use the same type of regulation for determining the sizing for dog houses. Local legislators are not elected for their knowledge of all things dog. They will borrow from other standards that appear to work for people. If a dog house is so large that the dog's ear tips do not touch the roof, than the dog house will be too large to effectively protect the dog from the elements.


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## APBTLove (Feb 23, 2009)

Here's a suggestion, if it's within your abilities... Or heck, craigslist or something...

Get a dog house, I see free Igloo's on CL all the time, and casually let the owners know you have a dog house bigger than the one they have you have to get rid of and thought they might like... I've done it. $89 out the window for me, but I got to see a warm dog whenever I looked outside, instead of him sitting under their porch, shivering. 

Are you 100% sure he can't squeeze in the house? I mean, ever watched him try to get in and then have to back out? I was amazed by how small a doghouse it took for Dutch's fat butt. She was as big as it, but it held heat much better than a bigger one.


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