Fwd: Please help dogs like Gus

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Daphna Nachminovitch <newsmanager@peta.org>
Date: 2010/11/30
Subject: Please help dogs like Gus
To: akmb1987@gmail.com

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Dear Anne, Every day, I come face to face with cruelty to animals. It's heartbreaking to see how people neglect and abuse animals, and as head of PETA's lifesaving Cruelty Investigations Department, I have a special responsibility to help stop this abuse whenever and wherever it occurs. Our caseworkers are frequently contacted about dogs who spend their entire lives outdoors trapped at the end of a heavy chain or caged amid their own waste in a small, barren pen. These dogs often have little to no shelter to protect them from the bitter cold or sweltering heat. When we met Gus, he was one of those dogs. He had spent his entire life outdoors tied to the end of a heavy chain. He was confined to a patch of dirt and surrounded by junk, with nothing but an old, dilapidated hutch for shelter. Thanks to "Angels for Animals" doghouse sponsors—caring PETA supporters like you—we were able to provide Gus with a new tangle-free tie-out and a sturdy, weatherproof doghouse, which is probably the first adequate shelter that he's ever had. Will you be an "angel" for a cold dog this winter by sponsoring a doghouse right now? PETA fieldworkers filled Gus' doghouse with fresh straw to insulate him from the cold and moved it to a nice patch of grass. The doghouse was also outfitted with a special rubber flap to help keep his body heat inside. In the summer, Gus can now escape the blistering sun because his doghouse has a slanted roof and an overhang that provides him much-needed shade. Our fieldworkers continue to visit Gus to provide him with fresh straw bedding, take him for walks, and give him toys, treats, and lots of love and affection. Every day, "Angels for Animals" sponsors help dogs like Gus survive by providing them with the sturdy shelter of a PETA doghouse. If we can't persuade dogs' guardians to bring their animals inside—or if local authorities can't intervene because they don't have enough to act on—a PETA doghouse is often the only respite from the harsh elements that dogs like Gus will get. Indeed, far too often, PETA doghouses are the only relief that these animals are ever given. Throughout the year, my team responds to local calls about dogs who have been relegated to lonely backyards. Their "owners" never allow them inside, no matter how harsh the weather is. We sometimes find them suffering from frostbite in the cold months and from heat stress in the hot months. Often, we'll find dogs curled up into a tight ball—trying in vain to hide from the wind and sleet—or crouching behind a garbage can, freezing in the cold and shaking uncontrollably. Thanks to our caring "Angels for Animals" sponsors, PETA has built more than 4,000 weatherproof doghouses and delivered them to some of the most impoverished areas in Virginia and North Carolina. This means that more than 4,000 animals' lives have been changed by this one-of-a-kind program and that all these dogs will have shelter from the freezing cold this winter. But right now—as the days grow darker and colder—more dogs just like Gus face a lonely, cold winter outside because they have been forgotten by the people they depend on. With your help, we can provide shelter to more of these dogs this year—and in the years to come. This holiday season, I urge you to take on animal abuse and neglect and give a gift that will make a difference in an outside dog's life. Your sponsorship gift of $265 will provide a sturdy, straw-filled doghouse to one neglected dog. However, any gift—no matter the size—will make a huge difference to a neglected outside dog. Everything that we do begins with the compassion and generosity of supporters like you. Will you help a neglected dog this winter by becoming an "Angels for Animals" doghouse sponsor today? Thank you for your commitment to ending cruelty to animals. With gratitude, Daphna Nachminovitch Vice President, Cruelty Investigations Department P.S. One simple act of kindness from you can help provide a vulnerable animal with immediate relief from the cold and protect him or her from harsh winter conditions for many years to come. Won't you please be an "Angels for Animals" doghouse sponsor this year? Share on Facebook Tweet this message Click to update your e-mail preferences or to unsubscribe. This e-mail was sent by PETA, 501 Front St., Norfolk, VA 23510 USA.