PETA Beat the Heat—and the Odds—for Animals This Summer

With leaves and temperatures falling in the mid-Atlantic region, it’s official: Autumn is in full swing! That means PETA’s staff and volunteers are now helping dogs like Mouth prepare for the cold nights and windy days ahead, making sure they have food, water, and shelter that will protect them from the elements.

Here’s what our fieldworkers accomplished during the sweltering months of July, August, and September.

PETA’s Spay/Neuter Clinic Kept Companion Animals Off the Streets

Our mobile spay/neuter clinic veterinarians sterilized 2,618 companion animals, including Sweet Pea and Missy, who were among the 193 animals PETA’s Community Animal Project fieldworkers transported for free to and from their no-cost spay/neuter appointments. We also amputated the mangled tip of Lucky’s tail during his neuter surgery at no cost to his guardian, who was unable to afford treatment. He is recovering well at home with his grateful family.

In collaboration with the local animal control department in rural Gloucester County, our veterinary staff sterilized 64 animals in one day—at no or very low cost to their guardians.

Informing Our Local Community and Helping Those Far Away

Through our Barks & Books program, we continued to distribute children’s books with animal-friendly themes to kids we met in the field and at our spay/neuter clinics.

We partnered with the Humane Society of Puerto Rico to host a spay/neuter event for underserved communities near San Juan, sterilizing and vaccinating nearly 200 animals in just two days. We also handed out hundreds of coloring books, stickers, and other educational materials.

PETA Found Animals Homes

We transferred 136 companion animals to our shelter partners for adoption.

We secured the relinquishment of chained dog Baby and tiny puppy Bryce from separate properties and transferred them to the Chesapeake Humane Society, where they were both quickly adopted.

PETA staff secured the relinquishment of puppies Mississippi and Sheba and transferred them to the Norfolk SPCA for a chance at adoption. We also secured custody of Rhino and transferred him to the Virginia Beach SPCA for a chance at adoption.

PETA often subsidizes the cost of veterinary care when we transfer animals to our placement partner shelters.

We Helped People Keep and Care for Their Animal Companions

One of the 613 requests for assistance that we received was for Daisy, who had extensive open wounds from being hit by a car. She was already spayed, but staff on our mobile clinics treated her free of charge. We still visit her and will continue to provide in-home wound care as she recovers. This summer, we assisted hundreds of families like hers in keeping their animal companions.

We helped protect “outside dogs” like Sandy—kept chained or penned outdoors 24/7—from the record-breaking heat by ensuring that they had access to shade and fresh water. We also made sure they had shelter, food, and treatment for parasites, and we replaced short, heavy chains with 15-foot lightweight tie-outs.

This summer, we delivered custom-built, insulated doghouses to 31 dogs kept outdoors day and night in all weather extremes.

After we spayed Bella—who had been kept outside with a three-sided structure that provided little if any protection from the elements—we provided her with a custom-made wooden doghouse.

PETA Helped End Their Suffering

When the health of elderly cat Socks deteriorated and she lost her sight and stopped grooming herself, her guardian brought her to PETA’s shelter for free end-of-life services. She was among the 173 animals we euthanized this season at no cost to families who couldn’t afford this vital humane service. Their guardians filled out postcards asking their state legislators to safeguard our ability to offer end-of-life relief. This summer, 683 of our constituent families sent postcards to their elected officials in support of our services, including compassionate euthanasia.

We provided senior dog Laddie with free end-of-life assistance, as requested by her family after she had become blind, deaf, and immobile.

Among the animals we euthanized were 373 free-roaming cats suffering from conditions that included a degloved tail, a severed tail, wounds teeming with maggots, necrotic wounds, injured and ruptured eyeballs, emaciation, advanced upper respiratory infections, stomatitis, panleukopenia, immunodeficiency, infections, internal and external parasites, ringworm, vision impairment, traumatic injuries, broken bones, pododermatitis, ataxia, immobility, paralysis, suspected poisoning, and significant neurological symptoms potentially indicative of a rabies infection.

At his family’s request, we provided a peaceful exit for Dakota, a senior dog in severe pain who’d become immobile and incontinent. He was among the 843 animals we euthanized this summer.

Adoptions From Our Shelter

This quarter, PETA found homes for Penny, Abbott and Costello, Helen, and Joy, among many others.

Help End Animal Homelessness in Your Community!

Spaying or neutering companion animals prevents pregnancies. It’s the best thing you can do to help in the face of staggering animal homelessness, and the procedures are available for free or at reduced cost in many places.