by Janet Farricelli CPDT-KA

Created on: November 11, 2008   Last Updated: November 19, 2008

There is a popular saying that "dogs are a man's best friend", however, there are times when dogs may wonder if men will ever exchange their deep sense of devotion and loyalty. These are the cases, where human's common sense or better said, human's superiority over all the animal kingdom, may be quite a far cry from being savvy.

Working at an animal hospital, I have seen my fair share of dogs suffering from the after effects of neglect. They have been forgotten by their once loving owners and left to deal with the dangers of the outdoor world. While their ancestral world was the wild, dogs in captivity have lost their freedom to look for shelter or shade when mother nature casts its spell over the world. It appears though that a glimpse of human logic may pay a visit back only once damage to these dogs is already done. Here are a few examples of neglect almost drawing near animal cruelty.

Dogs Kept Outdoors During Heat Waves

The sun is beating relentless and the news has recorded temperatures in the triple digits. The AC is on full blast yet Fido is left outdoors. Something, in the picture is very wrong or better something in the dog owner's mind is quite not right. Every year hundreds of heatstroke cases are reported to animal hospitals. These are the good old stories of dogs left outdoors despite the spell of the heat. Heat stroke in dogs takes minutes to strike. Yet, owners disregard this possibility. Some assume that a tree will do, others worse, rely on the dog's miraculous thermostat.

Dogs Kept Outdoors During Frostings

The frost has settled. Icecyles have formed on the window sill. In the cozy, tepid home a Christmas tree is lit up, Yet, a friend is left behind and out of the picture shivering in vain. Owners are not aware that the dog has developed frostbite on its feet and that his core temperature is dropping swiftly. In a few hours, the dog goes into hypothermia and if not rescued promptly the rest will be history.

It doesn't take rocket science to understand that dogs exposed to low temperatures especially when it is very windy or rainy may die from hypothermia. Forget about their life in the wild, their heavy fur and the movies of dogs living in subarctic places. Domesticated dogs do not have the ability to warm up or find shelter as they would in the wild. Please be considerate and keep Fido in your home when the temperature drops.

Dogs Chained Up All Day

Many dog's lives are really nothing more than dog's lives. They are chained up all day with no

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