How to Help Chained Dogs on Valentine's Day and All Year

Thousands of family dogs in America spend their lives tied to chains. Although there are laws in some states and communities restricting chaining and tethering, each winter, dogs are found by rescuers frozen in the snow, suffering from frostbite and enduring unlivable conditions. In the hot sun they fare no better when they often go thirsty and are susceptible to heat stroke. And besides harsh weather, dogs are social animals that thrive on interaction with people. Continuously chaining a dog leads to loneliness, boredom, frustration and often times aggression.

For these reasons, Feb. 7 to 14 has been designated as the annual "Have a Heart for Chained Dogs Week" by Dogs Deserve Better, a nonprofit organization that is dedicated to freeing and helping chained dogs. Each year DDB sponsors activities that the public can participate in to help chained dogs. The following are ways you can help on Valentine's Day and any other day of the year.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

1. Make valentines for chained dogs. The valentines can say things along the lines of “Bring us inside with you…where we belong” or “Dogs need love too.” It's a great project for school children and youth groups. Mail to: Dogs Deserve Better, P.O. Box 23, Tipton, PA 16684. Each year their goal increases. In 2008, for instance, the goal was to send out 10,000 valentines and in 2009 they are aiming for 12,500.

2. Mail in any coupons you may have for free or discounted dog food/treats to the above address. DDB will include a coupon with each valentine they send out.

3. Report addresses of any dogs you see that remain chained or penned. You can mail the information to the above P.O. box, email to [e-mail], call the office at [phone] or fill out a form on the DDB website (see link in Resources below).

4. Go to the DDB website and sponsor valentines for the addresses you've provided or you can sponsor valentines for other addresses. A donation can range from $3 for one valentine to $100 for 65 valentines.

5. Help dogs in your neighborhood year round. If you see a chained, penned or caged dog daily, try to speak to the caretakers. In a kind way, explain why this is not good for their dog and how they can improve their dog’s life. If you don’t feel comfortable speaking to the owners directly, there is a flyer or letter that can be printed out from the DDB website that you can leave for them on their door or gate (there is a Spanish version as well). Or if you prefer, send the names and addresses to Dogs Deserve Better. They will contact the owner through the mail and you will remain anonymous.

6. Become a member of Dogs Deserve Better. Make a donation, volunteer your time or start a branch in your area. You can help with community awareness by hanging posters, placing brochures/doorhangers throughout the community and showing DDB’s chained dog video, "A Dog's Life" (see Resources).

7. Download or request a free copy of "The Guide to a Dog's Life: Chaining and Your Community" from the Humane Society website. This is a comprehensive, step-by-step guide on how to pass an anti-chaining ordinance in your area (see Resources).

8. If you have a dog that you keep chained or penned outside, let him live inside with his family—where he belongs. If a lack of training is the problem, there are many animal shelters that provide free or low cost dog training, and you can find plenty of information online. On eHow alone, there are hundreds of helpful articles, as well as videos by eHow Dog Training Expert Eric Letendre.

Tips & Warnings

• Check if there are any chaining ordinances in your city, state or county. If there are, you can report any dogs that you see chained to the police or Humane Society. You can find a list of states and communities that have chaining laws on the Dogs Deserve Better website.
• Dogs Deserve Better will sometimes build free fences for dog owners in need. PETA also has a program in which they deliver dog houses for dogs that are chained up in cold weather.
• Every Fourth of July, Dogs Deserve Better sponsors a national “Chain Off” in which participants chain themselves to doghouses to raise money and awareness for chained dogs. Check their website for information on how to participate or sponsor a participant.
• Dogs Deserve Better has a campaign called "Mothers Against Dog Chaining" where mothers speak out against dog chaining for the sake of children.
• Always be kind and courteous when confronting owners of chained dogs and never put your own safety at risk.

Resources

• Dogs Deserve Better: Have a Heart for Chained Dogs Week
• "A Dog's Life" Video
• Facts About Chaining or Tethering Dogs

[beckylyn]

on 10/15/2008 Thanks for writing about this. It is especially relevant as we get into the winter months. I shudder to think of how these poor dogs feel. I hope your article will help people come to their senses and bring their dogs inside.

[Desula]

on 4/28/2008 Thank you for making me aware of this organization. Poor pups.

[GlindaLupo]

on 2/18/2008 I am adding this to my favorites. I am also going to check out Dogs Deserve Better. Ohhh, poor little babies.

Thanks and KUDOs for helping animals!
-Glinda :D

[monicas]

on 2/6/2008 The silent suffering of millions of "backyard" dogs in this country is truly one of the most overlooked and forgotten animal welfare issues. Out of sight and out of mind, chained dogs sometimes pace the same patch of mud and excrement for year after agonizing year. Why do people do this? Often because they don't know any better or because they are perpetuating bad habits from the past. Sometimes they deliberately confine dogs in a cruel way, keeping it half-starved, so it will be a "meaner" watch dog or a "better" hunter. Please joing Dogs Deserve Better and do what you can to help.

[TammyDDB]

on 2/6/2008 Thank you so much, Melissa, for highlighting our cause and our Valentine campaign. Much appreciated! Tammy Grimes, founder, Dogs Deserve Better