Perhaps an appropriate punishment is not to fine the owner, but instead chain them in the same conditions that the dogs were left in for the same amount of time.

I have a feeling that if that were the case, there would be a lot less animals left out in the cold.

Got a neighbor whose dog whines at night. Think I'll call the SPCA next time I hear her. There are a lot of stupid animal owners out here in PG.
Dogs have a home, its called a den.IT's INSIDE YOUR HOUSE! In winter months there is absolutely no excuse to leave your dog outside, I don't care if they shed, pee on your carpet. If you own a dog, for gods sake train it. Then there's the dogs who are let outside and continually bark at the neighbor, another training session. They are your friends, they are the ones who smell a diabetic going low, they are the ones who hear someone in the yard at 0300, smell smoke. Treat them well, they will treat you well.

Why are the owners not named and shamed??

Dog is abused ok but when I had my dog he lived outside year round and had a place to sleep. At forty below there he be outside on the snow sound asleep. Is that abuse?

Some dogs are better suited to cold weather than others, but even breeds from cold climates need a sheltered place with bedding in which to keep warm. Keeping a dog chained outdoors with no shelter is abuse.

Even a Husky in the arctic needs a snow bank to bury themselves in,or a shelter of some sort,or they will freeze.
And they are tough dogs!
Pitbulls and mastiffs are shorthaired dogs and they don't have a chance!
Obviously these people are idiots!

Nothing angers me more than this kind of crap. Abusing other living creatures, be it your child, your dog, your wife, your husband...
However this story is on animal abuse. Either these people are too stupid to realize that sub zero temps for an animal especially a breed that has little hair, is extreme abuse and cruelty or they don't give a shit. I'll give them the benefit of the doubt...and say they don't give a shit. They should be arrested, hand cuffed and thrown in jail until they hire a lawyer but they still should be tried and given hefty fines and banned from owning animals for the rest of their pathetic lives. It's a horrendous crime. I wonder why these a**holes have animals? And they definitely should not have children either. Freak shows. For those of you who are interested theres a really good show on Animal Planet called Animal Cops and let me tell you the Americans do not take animal abuse lightly. It's awesome to see these half wits get their asses thrown in jail...they don't get away w/ it and the abuse investigators work hard to build a case.

Thank you for all the nice posts on being good to pets. You see they are so much a part of us and we need to treat them the love the deserve.

I know of one Husky cross who will not even go into a house. He has to be outside all the time. I thought a snowbank was starting to move one time when it was snowing. He just got up, that was all. He had about two inches of snow all over him as he curled up in a snowbank next to the house. Trouble was he would go into an absolute panic whenever taken inside the house. Just couldn't handle it if he had walls around him. He had a nice doghouse but would not set foot in it.

shesmiles: you wonder why these people have animals? Well there are a lot of people who need all the protection they can get and they get these types of dogs and treat them so that they are mean to anyone but their own family. You see a lot of them in the hood or other areas around town. These people need to be looked at a little closer. That's why they have these dogs. They don't want anyone getting close to have a better look. A lot of them are kept inside as well.

These are the same MORONS who drive around town with their dogs in the back of the pick-up when it's freezing cold outside - yeah, there are still people who do that BUT, they tie them in now - whoahooo - should be banned from owning a pet.

well these useless waste of space idiots can get a pet to protect them, but does that mean they shouldn't love them and care for them instead of torturing them? No need to keep them outside in the freezing temps w/ no shelter, food or water...what purpose is that in protection? these animals suffer from the temps and starvationa and dehydration while their loser torturers are likely fat, lazy and comfortable in their warm home. They should be fined heavily and made to work many community hours at the SPCA cleaning crap and learning how loving animals are.

You're correct seamutt. Me too. But those short haired ugly dogs can't handle the cold so they shouldn't be purchased if you're not going to keep them inside. If you keep dogs inside, I consider that cruelty to animals. Just my point of view. I was raised in Northern Alberta where I remember 62F below. Out dog NEVER came in the house. He had his own house with straw in it and a vent for humidity to escape.

Our dogs live outdoors year round and don't like to be indoors in any weather.
One of them will not even go in, the other will, but after a few minutes wants back out. They won't use a doghouse, but they do seem to appreciate their insulated dog beds in the carport. Neither are short haired models though, and that does make a difference. You don't see any short haired Malumutes.
metalman.