The Humane Society of North Texas has reported a recent rise in abandoned animals near its facility in Fort Worth.
The rise in cases coincides with continued high temperatures, creating a life-threatening situation for the animals. The National Weather Service (NWS) in Fort Worth predicted that triple-digit temperatures would continue across the North Texas region through the rest of the week, as previously reported by The Dallas Express.
NWS has advised practicing heat safety as people and animals alike are susceptible to heat-related illnesses due to exposure.
According to a Facebook post on Tuesday, the Humane Society of North Texas (HSNT) saw five dogs abandoned near its facility within the 10 days previous. Two of the animals died due to heat stroke.
“It’s never right to neglect or abandon a dog, but in this oppressive heat, it’s basically a death sentence,” wrote the organization.
HSNT posted multiple videos showing people abandoning their dogs in the life-threatening heat. One of the videos shows its staff rescuing a “severely overheated” chocolate labrador. The other dog it was with died en route to the organization’s facility.
Another video shows a driver abandoning a dog next to HSNT, while another shows an injured dog attempting to find shade from the heat after being left near the facility after it had closed for the day.
The organization also posted footage of a 3-month-old Yorkshire terrier puppy in a portable kennel that was left in direct sunlight near the shelter.
“The person had come to our shelter and was asked to take the dog to our clinic ONE BLOCK AWAY — but instead they chose to leave the dog alone in a kennel on a street in the sweltering heat at 5:00 pm,” reads HSNT’s post.
A security guard brought the puppy inside, and staff attempted to save it, but it was too late.
“At HSNT, we have a 97% live release rate, and we do whatever it takes to rescue, rehabilitate, and rehome all the animals that come through our door (or are left near our doorstep!), but we need our community’s help,” the organization wrote.