Cruel Owners That Leave Their Dogs In The Snow Can Now Get Jailed Over It
Selma Teskeredzic
Posted On March 12, 2020
Taking good care of your pets ought to be common sense. Unfortunately, not everyone realizes this and, sometimes, the government has to lay down the law to make common sense more common.
That’s the case in the state of Pennsylvania where lawmakers took it upon themselves to protect dogs from harsh winter and scorching summer weather. They signed what’s known as Libre’s Law that makes it illegal for owners to leave their dogs outside for more than 30 minutes if it’s under 32 degrees Fahrenheit (0 degrees Celsius) or over 90 degrees F (32.2 degrees C). This way, dogs are guaranteed a better quality of life, while owners who don’t follow the law face potential jail time and fines.
Stephens, who represents Montgomery County in Pennsylvania, is the one who introduced the bill. The Republican told Bored Panda that Libre’s Law has been revolutionary: “With felony-level punishments, the overall animal abuse laws now have the teeth necessary to allow law enforcement to better protect our animals in Pennsylvania.”
“I know law enforcement has used the law repeatedly to intervene when animals have been left outside in unsafe conditions.”
Mercer County Humane Officer Paul Tobin had this to say: “Don’t leave them outside. The new law is pretty clear. Anything under 32 degrees, anything over 90 degrees, your dogs are not allowed outside for more than 30 minutes.”
Those leaving dogs in cold or hot temperatures for more than half an hour CAN and WILL be jailed for up to 90 days or might have to pay up to 750 dollars in fines. However, those who intentionally do dogs harm and abuse their pets further can get up to 7 years in prison and might have to pay up to 15k dollars.
The law is named after Libre, a Boston terrier who was found tied up outside a farm in Lancaster County. Libre was very ill and starving but since then the dog’s made a full recovery and had a law named in its honor.
In fact, Libre was present when Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf signed the law, introduced by Rep. Stephens, into effect. Libre even added its paw-print on the bill alongside the Governor’s signature.
