Brunswick County group calling for ordinance to protect dogs kept outside

BRUNSWICK COUNTY, NC (WWAY) — Despite a slight break in the humidity this week, the summer heat is still with us for another month, and some Brunswick County residents are asking for support in helping dogs in need.

Homestead Animal Rescue is a 100-acre farm in Supply.

They are collecting signatures on a petition in support of a ‘dog shade ordinance’ in Brunswick County.

There is nothing requiring dog owners to provide adequate shade for their pets, if they are kept outside.

Mary Ann Harris is the rescue’s executive director. She said one dog died from a heat stroke last week due to the conditions in which it was kept.

“We see it all the time, all the rescue groups see it all the time,” Harris said. “The dogs are chained outside, they’re in pens in direct sunlight with no shade, no access to drinkable water. But we can’t do anything about it because the word shade isn’t in our ordinance, so they can’t really do anything to protect the dog.”

Dr. Page Dyer is a veterinarian at Sandy Paws Veterinary Hospital.

She said being kept outside and in small spaces can make it difficult for dogs to stay cool.

“They can only dissipate heat through their paw pads and by panting,” Dyer said. “So if they’re not in a shaded area, they have trouble dissipating the heat even though they’re panting, there’s no, there’s no relief to be cooled off. If they’re in a small area, its hard for them to walk around to cool, to dissipate the heat through their paws.”

Dyer added that igloos, doghouse, and blue barrels can also get very hot when in direct sunlight, as high as 120 degrees on the inside.

The petition already has more than 500 signatures, and Harris hopes to get enough signatures to attract the attention of Brunswick County commissioners.

You can find a link to the petition here