Denver Broncos cornerback Chris Harris Jr. subjected himself to freezing outdoor temperatures in order to make a point for PETA: If you can’t handle the frigid weather, neither can your dogs—take them indoors!
In this new video which you can watch embedded below a shivering Chris Harris battles the cold to experience for a few hours what “backyard dogs” go through chained up outside with no companionship, nothing to do, and nothing to look forward to but the long night ahead.
It hasn’t been above 19 degrees for several days in Chicago, and it’s 12 as I write this. Many parts of the country are experiencing record cold snaps right now, so the message of Chris Harris couldn’t be any timelier.
Although Harris was ultimately free to rejoin his family in the house, dogs who are relegated to the yard ache and even die from the cold. That’s why Harris is calling on people across the U.S. to keep their animals indoors and report any instances of cruelty and neglect to law enforcement.
In the video, as Harris returns to his heated home, he’s enthusiastically greeted by his own two dogs.
“I would never do this to you,” he says.
“There’s nothing to do out here except just be cold and miserable.”
Watch to see how long he lasts out in the cold.
Chris Harris joins a long list of athletes—including Tony Gonzalez, Stevie Johnson, Tyrann Mathieu, Metta World Peace, Brandon Flowers, Antoine Bethea, Tim Howard, Terrell Suggs, Chris Andersen, Ty Lawson and Lance Briggs who have teamed up with People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals to promote kindness to animals.
Paul M. Banks runs The Sports Bank.net, partnered with FOX Sports Engage Network. and News Now. Banks, a former writer for the Washington Times, currently contributes regularly to the Chicago Tribune’s RedEye publication and Bold Global.
He also consistently appears on numerous talk shows all across the country. Follow him on Twitter and Instagram