Fayette Co. woman facing animal cruelty charges for leaving dog in cold

FAYETTE COUNTY, Pa. — A Fayette County woman is facing one count of animal cruelty charges after troopers said she left her dog outside in freezing cold temperatures.

Tammy Standish, of Georges Township, is accused of leaving the dog outside for several hours on Monday.

Troopers said there was no shelter for the dog to keep it dry and preserve its body heat.

Westmoreland County Animal Control officers told Channel 11’s Courtney Brennan that when conditions get this cold, they receive a drastic increase in calls from concerned people.

Officials said they appreciate the concern, but most people don’t know the law of what’s required and not required for pets who stay outside.

“There are certain breeds that prefer this weather and want to be outside. As long as they provide shelter so they have something to go in, that’s all we can make them do,” Humane Officer Jan Dillon said.

According to Dillon, doghouses are a must and straw is the best way to keep an animal warm. She said checking the water bowl often to make sure it didn’t freeze and small heaters for the doghouse can serve as extra precautions.

“In a perfect world it would be nice when it's this cold if people could bring their animals in at night, but not all people can do that. Some don't have the place to put them and there are some dogs that would just go nuts being put in if they're so used to being outside," Dillon said.

WPXI