(CNN) On a normal day, the Houston Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals gets 25-30 calls reporting animal cruelty. But since winter storms have pummeled Texas with power and water outages, that number has spiked to around 150 per day, the organization told CNN. "The neglect is already there," Julie Kuenstle, Houston SPCA vice president of communications, said. Ten Houston SPCA investigators, with the help of local law enforcement, have been preparing for the consequences of the freeze since before temperatures fell, announcing last Saturday they'd keep a watchful eye on outdoor pets. But even this did not prepare the organization for the volume of cases to come.

Source: CNN February 19, 2021 21:45 UTC