Many residents violating animal shelter laws during cold weather like we are experiencing this Sunday and Monday are simply unaware of the specific legal requirements for pet care.
Putnam County Sheriff’s Office Sergeant Cody Meadows said officers responding to animal welfare calls often encounter owners who are following old habits or cultural norms rather than current statutes.
“I don’t know if some are not up to date with the new shelter law or if it’s just an upbringing issue, how they were raised,” Meadows said. “And then you run into, you know, people that move in here from other parts of the world are taking care of their dogs on how they were accustomed to taking care of them from whatever country they were originally from. You just gotta kind of educate them a little bit on what they should be doing.”
State law requires shelters to be constructed of sound material with a roof, three sides, and a solid bottom to prevent wind and rain entry. Meadows said the structure must be large enough for the animal to stand up and lie down comfortably but small enough to retain heat.
“Also, an insulated dog house for the winter months and you should supply the dog with, you know, clean bedding as well,” Meadows said. “As far as the size of the dog house, the opening has to be large enough for the dog to enter and exit the dog house comfortably.”
Officers do not enforce a specific temperature threshold for bringing animals indoors because tolerance varies significantly by breed and coat length. A short-haired dog cannot withstand the same conditions as a Great Pyrenees or Husky.
“I don’t know that there is a specific temperature that a man can go off of,” Meadows said. “A lot of that comes into effect of, you know, what the breed of the dog is, how long the hair on the coat of the dog is.”
Violations fall under animal cruelty laws and can result in citations requiring a court appearance or even arrest depending on severity. However, most owners correct the issues immediately once officers explain the regulations.
“And 99.9 percent of the time, once they’ve been made aware of the issue and they know we’re aware of it, they’re more than happy to take care of the problem,” Meadows said.
Meadows said owners must take responsibility for learning the specific needs of their animals to remain in compliance with the law.