People Chained to Doghouses - Contest!

My first blog is just reiterating my profileon myspace.com, so you can get to know me if you pop by through the blogs...we REALLY HAVE to make this contest happen, so please, check out the links and send them to anyone you know who A. loves dogs B. has enough money or influence to sponsor this contest C. has a chained dog at home or lives near one; these two are our top two choices for contestants, but others will be needed too, so if you want a new car and have nothing better to do than be chained for up to two weeks over the 4th of July, go for it! Dogs Deserve Better

Current Mood cracks me up...one of my best friends from the service, Darren, once told me, after I asked him how I was dancing, that I danced very 'determined'. I guess that underlines my life, and this cause, this contest, makes me feel very 'determined'!

Currently, we are seeking a sponsor for our Chain Off 2006 Contest, in which 15 people will live chained to doghouses until only one is left, who wins a new car and raises awareness for our issue! Please go to www.dogsdeservebetter.org to find links to our sponsor pages, download flyers, and get a contest application. Hurry, our contest starts over the July 4th weekend, and we need help and contestants lined up asap!

I am founder and executive director of Dogs Deserve Better, a national nonprofit organization dedicated to ending the chaining and penning of dogs, and bringing 'man's best friend' into the home and family. I currently live in rural Pennsylvania, and credit my animal advocacy to a childhood living with the tragedy I work againsta sad, chained beagle (Maggie) and a beloved black lab (Gally) and cats, all living outside and longing to be in.

I started Dogs Deserve Better because of Bo, formerly Worthless, a black lab mix I was later able to rescue and who lived as part of my family until passing in 2003. If my heart didnt break every time I drove past his beautifully sweet face for six years, I would still be seeking my mission today. To read more about the work and programs of Dogs Deserve Better, go to http://www.dogsdeservebetter.org.

My animal-advocacy-focused art has produced 27 pieces and 4 series to date, among which are: Little Girl Looking, which documents my journey from that of a young girl who does not see or care about the plight of the animals to an adult who now, even in the midst of pleasure, cannot forget their pain; and the New Orleans After Katrina Series, which reflects the feelings of rescuers in the wake of the tragedy and my experiences from rescuing there in November 2005. My art site can be reached at http://www.littlegirllooking.com. Art of Tammy Grimes