Livonia Animal Control says homeowner leaving beagles outdoors is in compliance with state law

[demmiblue]

LIVONIA, Mich. (WXYZ) — Livonia Animal Control says its hands are tied after several residents have complained about one homeowner leaving his three beagles outdoors in frigid temperatures.

"All pet owners should be mindful of the recent bitterly cold temperatures. While most people would not treat their animal in this way, there is no law in Michigan that requires pet owners to bring their dogs inside at a certain temperature," a statement from Livonia Animal Control read.

The three beagles who protesters say are left outdoors in the homeowner's yard year-round have been checked on several times over the years, according to local animal control. They have shelter and straw insulation. The owner has also been compliant with officers.

The animal control says the dogs are "warm to the touch" when they leave out of their dog houses, and their shelters are well maintained. So in this instance, the homeowner is not breaking any laws.

https://www.wxyz.com/news/livonia-animal-control-says-homeowner-leaving-beagles-outdoors-is-in-compliance-with-state-law

Fuck these people.

Link to tweet

[SheltieLover]

1. Rescue needed!

Poor dogs!!!

[ShazzieB]

2. Sounds like Michigan needs some new state laws! 😡

[demmiblue]

3. No kidding.

Shite, I feel bad when my doggo sleeps curled up with her nose tucked under her paw in the winter (I try to cover her, but that's a no-go)! She loves the heating vent, though! What kind of asshole would do this to their dogs?!

[MustLoveBeagles]

4. I'd say so

Forcing an animal to remain outside in the extreme cold is abuse. I'd never do that to puppers.

[OregonBlue]

5. Why do they have them if they leave them outside year around? Creeps.

[demmiblue]

6. I know, right?!

I get sad when my doggo sleeps downstairs for a few weeks in the summer when it gets too hot!

People beds are dog beds (and cat beds). Facts.

[OregonBlue]

7. Ours will not sleep alone. Sometimes the bed gets a little too crowded but hey, I sure love it

in the winter. Don't have animals if you don't intend to love them.

[Hermit-The-Prog]

9. I've had dogs who refused to come inside. (Not saying that's the case with the beagles).

[demmiblue]

12. What breed? And did you let them remain outside overnight in these types of temps?

[Hermit-The-Prog]

17. Thankfully, I don't think I've ever had to deal with -23F

Most of the dogs who refused to come in were mixed breed -- lovable mutts. One was a bassett plus 'whatever jumped the fence'. He was inside when he was a puppy and inside his last night, but none in between. The only reason he was inside for his last night is because I tracked him into the woods and carried him home.

I always made sure there was a sheltered spot for them with no wind or precipitation. One, mostly golden retriever, made herself a kind of igloo out of some bags of leftover rock wool insulation. I had to leave that undisturbed through an entire winter. Cold without wind or wet didn't seem to bother her at all, but she did come inside during very noisy thunderstorms and during fireworks noise around the 4th of July.

[Midnight Writer]

8. In my area, animal cruelty laws are sparse because of the Amish community.

They use animals as work tools, and treat them accordingly. Basically the way animals were treated a couple of hundred years ago.

We get a lot of tourists who drive around the Amish farms, and when they see how the animals are treated, they sometimes try to file complaints with the local authorities.

Nobody wants to deal with that volume of complaints, so the laws that protect animals in a lot of other areas are nonexistent around here.

That is not to say that the Amish have no pets that they love, but when you see animals used like objects it is tough (for a lot of folks like me) to take.

[leftyladyfrommo]

10. The Amish are some of the worst puppy millers.

They are not good to their animals.

[demmiblue]

11. Yep +1

[Midnight Writer]

13. Yes, I encountered one when I had to deliver to a farm. It was shocking. I will never forget it.

I honestly could not conceive of what I was seeing.

[leftyladyfrommo]

14. The Amish aren't educated. That makes a difference. nt

[Midnight Writer]

16. I don't know. Ever been to a slaughterhouse?

Just because we buy meat from a store doesn't absolve us.

[bdamomma]

15. Animal

cruelty, WTF. Horrible.