Dear Cholly,
A puppy on my block is always chained outside. I feel bad for him because it's getting cold, and he seems lonely. How can I help him?
-Kristin L., Milwaukee, Wis.

Dear Kristin,
Pupsicles turn my stomach, and there seems to be at least one in every neighborhood. It's one of the cruelest things people can do to pooches-tie them up outside to "guard" the house or to keep them from peeing in the house. Dogs are very social-they want and need to be with their "pack". To be left out in the cold is well, cold! Winter means frostbite and dehydration when the water bowl freezes-it also can mean hunger because dogs burn more calories when they're shivering all the time. Backyard dogs often bark all the time because they are lonely and frustrated.

You might be this puppy's only chance for a better life. Visit HelpingAnimals.com to find out if his shelter measures up to legal standards and for ideas about how to help his "parents" realize that with love, patience, and training, he'll be an angel, and they'll want to make their home heaven on Earth for him. Good luck!

Dear Cholly,
I love animals, but I'm confused-aren't zoos helping animals? Many animals wouldn't be alive if they didn't live in a zoo, right?
-Ben M., Syracuse, N.Y.

Dear Ben,
Criminals get sent to the slammer because our society has decided that it's the best way to punish those who rob, cheat, and hurt others. But animals who are put behind bars in zoos haven't done anything wrong. They're put in prison because they're "cute" and/or because there are so few of their kind left. I say it's weird/and wrong! Learn more at WildlifePimps.com.