RICHMOND, Va. (WTVR) - A Virginia animal rights activist chained herself to a doghouse at the State Capitol Friday to raise awareness about pet abuse during the hot summer months.
Tamira Thayne, founder and CEO of the nonprofit organization Dogs Deserve Better, said she hoped the demonstration educated dog owners that leaving pets outside during this massive heat wave could be a deadly decision.
"These dogs are languishing and dying at the end of chains,” Thayne said. “They are dying all over the place. We are getting reports every day of dead dogs at the end of chains and it's just not right. Something has to be done about it.”
Thayne planned to bring her demonstration to capitol buildings up the east coast.
Under Virginia law, a person who commits the crime of cruelty to animals, including intentionally letting them die due to leaving them chained in the heat, could be charged with a class one misdemeanor. The punishment could be up to a year in jail and a fine of $2,500.
