How to Help Chained Dogs on Valentine's Day and Every Day

Thousands of our canine friends across the country spend their lives tied to chains. Although there are laws in some states and communities restricting chaining and tethering, each winter, rescuers find dogs frozen in the snow, suffering from frostbite and enduring horrific living conditions. 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.

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.

Instructions

Difficulty: Easy

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.” Mail to Dogs Deserve Better, P.O. Box 23, Tipton, PA 16684. Their goal is to send out 10,000.
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 the addresses provided by others. 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.
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 link in Resources below).
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 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.
• 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.