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In an ideal world, all dogs and cats would be taken care of by compassionate people who provide them with everything that they need, which includes being welcomed into the home as one of the family. 💗 But sometimes, dogs and cats are kept in the yard 24/7 or are left to roam outside off-leash. No dog or cat has the means to survive outside. 💔
Millions of dogs are forced to live outside year-round, tethered to a heavy chain that's attached to a rundown doghouse or perhaps just a metal post, without toys to enrich their lives or people to keep them company. Sometimes, they're forced to live in chain-link pens, where they have nothing to do but watch life go on around them, without being able to enjoy their own. They struggle to survive the long, lonely days and nights outside in sweltering heat, shivering cold, heavy rains, snow, and all other weather extremes. Many die from heatstroke , freeze to death, or suffer from exposure, frostbite, or hypothermia. You wouldn't want that to happen to your best friend or your child, would you?
Like dogs—and even small children—cats who are let outdoors without supervision are vulnerable to the dangers of cars, other animals, cruel humans, and diseases. Left to roam unsupervised by their owners or turned away from so-called "no-kill" shelters and abandoned, "outdoor cats" have been poisoned, shot, set on fire, trapped, or drowned. Cats deserve to live happy, healthy, and safe lives indoors. They can be given opportunities to explore outside under supervision, like dogs. For example, they can be taken for walks on leashes that are attached to a secure harness or pushed while they're in a cat stroller.
No animal should experience unnecessary suffering, abuse, neglect, or sadness. Some forms of animal abuse and neglect are illegal, but in many states, animals have no legal protection from being chained to a post 24/7 or left to fend for themselves outside. We owe it to our animal companions to make their lives as comfortable and fulfilling as possible. That means always letting dogs and cats live indoors.
Sign the pledge to keep your animal companions indoors!