Jalen Smith Reminds Us to Protect Our Team by Bringing Animals Inside

Posted by Calvin on January 13, 2025

As temps drop in the Windy City and beyond, Chicago Bulls center Jalen Smith is making one thing clear in a new PETA campaign: Never leave your animals out in the cold. 🐶

In the vid, Smith shares how his adopted dog, Phoenix, is the “star player” of his family’s roster—which is why he always keeps him safe and warm inside.

“Every day he just makes sure that our days are filled with joy and happiness, so we try to make him as happy as we can,” says Smith. “I wouldn’t keep my dog outside because I wouldn’t want to be left outside … nobody wants to be outside during harsh weather conditions.”

Every year, PETA gets thousands of complaints about animals left outside in the cold, where they can suffer from frostbite and hypothermia, become dehydrated when water sources freeze, and die. 😨 This year alone, there have been at least 30 cold weather-related companion animal deaths and hundreds more injuries and rescues—and those are just the few that have been reported. To keep our companions alive and safe, we should treat them like family—just like Smith does with Phoenix—and bring them inside.

“Phoenix is like my best friend, and anytime my best friend is in need, I’m going to make sure that I can be there for him,” says Smith.

Smith and his wife made the responsible choice to adopt a dog—not buy one from a breeder or “pet” store—after he was drafted by the Phoenix Suns in 2020. 👏 Buying an animal means another will be bred in their place, while a homeless animal misses out on a chance to get a family. Phoenix’s mother was found abandoned by the side of the road while pregnant with the pup, and since they adopted Phoenix, Smith and his wife made sure not to add to the “pet” store and breeder cycle of misery.

Smith is among a long list of athletes—including Lonnie Walker, Tyrann Mathieu, and Cam Newton—who have teamed up with PETA to promote kindness to animals.

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You know to bring your dog inside during dangerous temps—but what about dogs you see chained or penned up around your neighborhood? Find out how to help these “backyard dogs”!