With winter quickly setting in across Missouri, Kansas City Chiefs defensive end Glenn Dorsey is teaming up with PETA for a TV campaign that urges dog guardians to keep their canine family members indoors, especially during the winter months.
“Imagine being left out in the freezing cold without shelter and bedding for warmth or a friend to ease your loneliness,” says Dorsey in the TV spot, available here. “Be your dogs’ biggest defender—keep them indoors with you and give them the love and companionship they deserve.”
Dorsey also shot a video plea urging people to support PETA’s doghouse program, which provides shelter for “backyard dogs.” And in his exclusive PETA interview, Dorsey opens up about his costar for the campaign, his dog, Bugsy. “I love him,” he says. “I love to come home, and he’s there smiling with me. You know, it doesn’t matter if I had a bad day. … Bugs don’t care if we win or lose, he’s still gonna love me.” Dorsey also encourages everyone to be active with animals by taking them on long walks or by volunteering at the local animal shelter. “They need love, too, just like we do,” he says. “They’re with us through thick and thin, and it’s very important to protect them.”
Every year, PETA receives complaints about people who leave dogs outside in the cold. Although they are equipped with fur coats, dogs and other animals can still suffer from frostbite and exposure, and they can become dehydrated when water sources freeze. Cold weather spells extra hardship for “backyard dogs,” who often go without adequate food, water, shelter, or veterinary care.
Dorsey joins a growing list of athletes—including Tony Gonzalez, Chad Ochocinco, Chase Utley, Chris Andersen, and Amaré Stoudemire, among many others—who have teamed up with PETA to fight animal abuse.
For more information, please visit PETA.org.
