Arizona summers can get hot--really hot. In fact, it is not uncommon for temperatures to reach 115+ degrees F. While Arizona citizens vacation to cooler places and stay indoors, Arizona dogs and cats are left outside in the heat, suffering burnt paws, heat stroke, and even death. If it's too hot to fly a plane in Arizona, it's too hot to leave your best friends outside.
Arizona law does nothing to protect these quadruped residents from the heat. In fact, Arizona Revised Statutes § 13-2910 defines cruel neglect as "to fail to provide an animal with necessary food, water or shelter." We want to change the law to protect our fellow four-pawed residents from needless suffering. We want to change the definition of cruel neglect to mean 'to fail to provide an animal with necessary food, water, shelter, or climate control under extreme weather conditions, such as heat exceeding 105 degrees F, cold below 32 degrees F, a dust storm, monsoon, or microburst.'
Our plan is to petition the Arizona State Legislature to amend § 13-2910 to revise the definition of cruel neglect. We have a meeting request with Governor Doug Ducey in late July and would feel more confident asking for his support with your support!
