Utah pet advocates want stricter doghouse shelter law

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — Utah’s animal protection advocates are pushing for a new law that would require dog owners to provide adequate shelter for their pets during extreme weather or face animal-cruelty charges.
Deann Shepherd of the Humane Society of Utah says current law already requires shelter, but fails to define what that means.
Shepherd told The Salt Lake Tribune (http://tinyurl.com/jpqyfnq) that a cardboard box or even a tarp hanging from a tree apparently meets the current mandate.
The Society’s proposal would require a doghouse with four walls, a floor off the ground, waterproof roof, covered entryway and clean bedding.
Dogs would have to be able to access the shelter when the temperature drops below freezing or above 85 degrees. Violators could face up to six months in jail and a $1,000 fine if they were found to have acted intentionally.