A dog has died from hypothermia after being left outside in frigid conditions.
On Jan. 12, the Albany County Sheriff’s Office was notified of a small dog — a four-pound terrier mix — that appeared to have been left outside the Mohawk Hudson Humane Society in Menands, according to CBS 6 Albany and ABC News 10. Amid the cold weather, the dog was found in poor condition and had been placed in a box, the outlets reported.
According to the National Weather Service, temperatures in the Albany area fell as low as 26 degrees on Jan. 13, with a high of 39 degrees.
After staff at the Mohawk Hudson Humane Society discovered the dog, they attempted to care for it while waiting for authorities. The dog ultimately died of severe hypothermia, News 10 reported.
The woman believed to have left the dog there — 62-year-old Brigitte Gaston — allegedly did not try to contact anyone inside the shelter about the animal, according to CBS 6 and News 10.
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Gaston was arrested at her home on Tuesday, Jan. 13, and charged with a misdemeanor count of abandonment of animals, CBS 6 reported. She was later released on an appearance ticket and is expected to appear in the Village of Menands Criminal Court at a later date.
The dog’s death comes amid a broader pattern of pets suffering in extreme cold after being abandoned.
In January 2025, a dog was abandoned in a crate on a sidewalk in Kansas City, Missouri, around 4 a.m. during one of the area’s biggest blizzards in recent memory. Nearby residents realized something was wrong when the trapped dog wouldn’t stop barking.
Despite the dangerous weather, KC Pet Project animal services field supervisor Angelina Bryant rescued the dog.
“When I got there, I could see her shivering, but when she saw me, her tail wagged so hard it shook the crate,” Bryant said, according to the shelter. The dog was then taken to KC Pet Project, where she was kept “safe,” “warm and comfortable.”
