Queen Lynn Determines DDB is a DNA: Sammy Says Otherwise

Here are photos of Sammy taken today, May 27, 2007, but make sure to watch this video, it is so sweet. Bottom line: I don't believe we have the right to take happiness away from this dog (or his family), and I won't do so.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3vAHZU_xG34






There is a woman in rescue we'll call Lynn. I won't state her full name, because she likes to threaten legal action, so we'll leave it at that. I've defended this woman in the past in her online fights, which are numerous. She also has a lot of contacts in the online rescue community, who tend to believe what she says regardless, and I myself used to at least give her words the benefit of the doubt and have come to her defense on more than one occasion. Especially against an Ohio 'rescue' who keeps the dogs on chains which she shared photo evidence of....

Until last week. I was the unlucky one who adopted a dog out to her brother almost two years ago. (I'm sure you can see where I'm going with this.)



Last fall I got a call from Lynn saying that I had to take back the dog from her brother right away. Rocky, a ddb volunteer at that time, was the one who placed Sammy Sosa with her brother the year prior, but from what he told me it sounded like Sammy had a pretty good home out in the country with plenty of room to run, just what he needed. Sammy is some kind of pointer mix, black with white spots on his chest and front legs. Quite a strikingly beautiful dog, less than a year old when we first got him into rescue. He'd been living on a chain near Philipsburg, PA.

A friend of mine named Mary got the owners to give him up and asked me if I'd foster him. I did. Unfortunately I have no before pictures, and didn't see him chained, but can't imagine how he survived it.

Sammy was a bundle of energy! Not a bad dog, had some tendency to mouth and rip about the house, but just needed to be neutered and some time to grow up, stretch his long legs, run out some energy, and calm down. He went to one home but came back, a bad combination...and then Barbara called asking about him, having seen him on our petfinder site. She felt it was a great match for her home, and so did we from talking to her on the phone. He was adopted there and from all we knew was doing well.

When Lynn called me alleging that the dog was being hit, I asked her if she was willing to stand behind her allegations in a court of law, as I felt there would be no visible signs of abuse and it had been almost a year since he'd been adopted out. She refused, saying she wanted to stay out of it. I told her without a witness to abuse there wouldn't be much I could do about it, because Sammy would show no visible signs of being hit. I called the adopter to check in—she said everything was going great. I heard no further from Lynn for many months.

Then last week, after my Op-Ed Every Life Matters circulated the internet, Lynn sent out an e-mail with this ending line after going on about how Sammy is being abused and why DDB shouldn't have adopted out to her brother:

"My conclusion? DDB=DNA. There, I finally said it. Have wanted to do that for a long time and I feel so much better now. :) Save all the BS Tammy. You just got busted out."

So....

I'm not that concerned about DDB being a DNA in Lynn's World...after all, do we REALLY adopt dogs from rescue groups? My home is plenty full with fosters...Does that mean that rescue groups will no longer give dogs to us? Shouldn't we actually be HAPPY about that?

Because don't we have our hands full enough with all the chained and penned dogs we can't find fosters for already?

AND, on behalf of my wonderful reps who I think are amazing, should this DNA even apply to ALL of DDB? DDB has 150 area reps...not all of which are fostering and adopting out dogs, but a good number of them are, and they are REALLY wonderful people....all VOLUNTEERS, just doing the DAMN best they can for dogs who live their lives on the end of a chain, and just looking to try to help them get a BETTER life.

Should they really be DNA just because I am?

If Queen Lynn should deem anyone DNA, shouldn't it just be ME? And NOT my reps? Because they don't know her from Adam, and it's really not fair to lump them in with my imperfections, right?

So I'm hoping we all agree on one thing at least: Not ALL DDB Reps are DNA, just Tammy Grimes. Thank the Good Lord!

Last fiscal year alone, DDB reps in total rescued 302 chained or penned dogs. Lynn isn't saying that we should leave those 302 dogs out there this year to rot on chains or in pens is she? That our foster or adoptive homes are not better than life on the end of a chain—starving, thirsty, heat stroke, puppies, dying, etc.?

Or, will Lynn now step up to take in these 302 rescued dogs for us? Wouldn't that be great? I'd fundraise for you, Lynn!

Or even, since hopefully I am the ONLY DNA, will Lynn's rescue group take in my 16-20 rescued dogs per year?

I would imagine her group is total perfection, or she wouldn't criticize others, eh?

Please let me know asap, Lynn, as it's important for me to let all my reps know where we're now heading as a group....and if you're taking just mine in, my assistant Kim will be mighty happy that she doesn't have to come in to take care of them when I'm out of town speaking on behalf of the chained dogs...let me know asap, please, ok?

Thanks!

So, after all that went down this week, I called the adopter up, and in an embarrassed tone asked her if her husband was Lynn's brother (she said yes), and told her what all was going on. I asked her if it'd be ok if I came up to take a few pictures of Sammy, to show that he wasn't indeed dead or didn't at least APPEAR to be abused even though that would be very hard to prove either way...

She was very kind about it all, and set up for me to come and see Sammy today, 5/27/07.

Barbara told me that her husband and Lynn hadn't been talking since her mother died last year. From that I can only assume Lynn came out on the losing side of the inheritance and she's pretty angry about it...for which I'm truly sorry, Lynn! I know I'd be pretty mad if that happened to me too...and it probably will, so at least you won't be alone there...

BUT, THAT DOESN'T GIVE YOU THE RIGHT TO TAKE SAMMY AND I DOWN WITH YOU!
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So, I spent my Sunday before Memorial Day driving four hours to Clarion, PA and back. And then two more hours creating a video out of the photos and snippets I got of Sammy. And two more hours creating this e-mail. Yes, I had other, probably more pressing things to do...but I chose to do this instead.

And I'm glad I did. It was GREAT to see Sammy again (my stepdaughter ADORED him), and he's grown into such a gorgeous young man! But, more importantly, I hope you can all watch this video compilation I made of him today, and I hope you see in it what I saw. (Sorry about the side-ways doggie door thing, didn't know it would be hard to rotate, and I couldn't figure out how! Just bear with that part, but it's important to show that he does indeed live INSIDE the home...)

Sammy appeared to me to be downright exuberant! Granted, I know that dogs can't really speak...but, here were my observations. I can't disprove all of Lynn's allegations...I don't know if any of them can be true, and I'm not calling her an out and out liar. I always think there's at least a grain of truth in there somewhere....

But here's what I saw today, and what I took photos of and video of—today, 5-27-07. You will have to decide the rest for yourself, as to whether you believe Lynn or not, but after today I'm satisfied that Sammy is happy, and that's what I believe. You have to make your own decision.

1. Sammy has an electric fence, which he does not cross. I didn't know where the line was initially, but Barbara told me I would know when I saw him. I also saw another relative come to visit while I was there..Sammy did not cross the line once.

2. Sammy appeared healthy and happy. He has one acre to roam inside his electronic fence. They live WAY out in the woods. He has a spring which forms into a creek to lay down in during the hot summer days. He made liberal use of this creek for drinks and to cool off while I was there. Barbara says they get their drinking water from this spring as well. (I felt very bad for my fosters after seeing that, they have nothing that awesome! I kinda wished I was her dog...)

3. Sammy has a doggie door. He runs outside and plays as much as he wants to with his partner, Trixie. He is free to come and go as he pleases from inside the home. Barbara keeps the couches covered in sheets in case he gets mud on them, she can just change them. (I didn't intrude in her home today, Sammy doesn't care how clean it is, and neither do I...the home visit was two years ago, and that is none of my business at this point.)

4. Sammy would be hard-pressed to run out to the road to be killed. The lane itself is .3 miles long. Then the single lane road (no yellow divider lines) is an additional 1.8 miles until you even hit a two lane road. Although it is within the realm of possibility that Sammy could ignore his electronic fence, burst out, run out the lane and out into the single lane road, it is still highly unlikely that he would be hit by a car...I passed only ONE car in the 1.8 miles on my way out of there.

5. Barbara told me that she didn't even tell her son why I was coming...that she was so afraid I would take Sammy from them, and that her son would be devastated if I were to do so. I assured her I was not there to do that to her, her son, or to Sammy.

Bottom line: I am NOT the Rescue Gestapo! I don't have the right to go and take a dog back after two years who appears happy and content, and I would not presume to try to do so. If I saw obvious signs of abuse or if he were chained or penned, I would fight tooth and nail for that dog, but I saw no such thing in Sammy.



I am NOT happy that Lynn is taking her war with her brother out on Sammy and I. I personally feel that she owes us both an apology. After what she said about her sister-in-law, her sister-in-law would not even say one unkind word about her.




http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3vAHZU_xG34

Every Life Matters: An Opinion/Editorial Piece by Tammy S. Grimes, founder, Dogs Deserve Better

I question a society where those who step up to save a dying animal are arrested and prosecuted; yet those who allow an animal to suffer and die in their very own yards are rarely brought to justice and seldom even charged with more than a minor infraction.

I am slated to stand trial for theft and receiving stolen property for aiding a dog who lay chained, unable to stand, and dying in it's owners' yard for three days. May 21st I am back in court to choose a jury in Hollidaysburg, Pennsylvania.

Ironically, May 21st is also the day the Good Mayor of a town in Minnesota goes back to court for a crime involving his chained dog. In this case the defendant sentenced his "wire-haired hunting dog" (we'll call him Wiry for short) to death by freezing in sub-zero temperatures, with only a feces-laden crate for shelter. He is charged NOT with animal cruelty, as one who has any faith in the justice system would expect, but instead with failure to provide proper housing, a 'petty misdemeanor' charge.

His 'petty misdemeanor' charge is even less for KILLING his dog than my 'misdemeanor' charge is for SAVING a dog. Am I the only one who sees a problem in this scenario?

Neighbors say they heard the dog crying for help. None came.

Before heading to archives, the comment section on the Good Mayor's news story at sctimes.com numbered 105 comments and still climbing, indicative of a story that raises serious moral and ethical questions. One of the more pressing questions on people's minds was "If the neighbors heard the dog crying, why didn't they step up to help?"

A person identifying him/herself only as Fed Up stated the story was indeed true, as he/she had personally heard the dog's cries for help. Indignant questions of "Why didn't you DO something" met only with silence from Fed Up.

As one embroiled in the same ethical/moral dilemma that Fed Up faced, I truly empathize with his/her plight. Since my arrest, I have endured personal onslaughts of my character from the district attorney, police chief, and other organizations as well as from strangers, new-found enemies, and former friends. They range from mild (she broke the law, period) to the irrational (all the evidence is faked, any eighth grader with photoshop could have created both the photos and the video—fyi, my son is in eighth grade, but insists he has NO idea how to work photoshop, so I've proven that one wrong, thank God...)

Fed Up was caught in a moral dilemma, and had to make a choice between his/her own personal safety and the safety of the dog. We know which choice Fed Up made. He/she now has to live every single day with the guilt created by this decision. Fed Up may well endure nightmares and go to the grave with the guilt of Wiry's death heavy on his/her conscience.

Given what I've had to endure at the hands of local authorities as a result of my decision to save Doogie, I can certainly understand why someone would not choose to act to save the life. How much worse would it have been for Fed Up to save the MAYOR's dog? The Good Mayor would have plenty of community pull, and Fed Up would be tarred, feathered, and hanged by daybreak, any thoughts of Wiry's mistreatment and impending doom completely forgotten and rationalized away by authorities and community members alike. They would all wonder what got into that darn neighbor, usually such a nice, quiet citizen...why would Fed Up suddenly go berserk and start stealing the private property of the Good Mayor? It would make no sense in a justice system centered on dogs as nothing more than property, having no feelings or right to life in and of itself.

I myself was duly notified by the Upstanding Police Chief that if I ever came near his dog, he'd put a slug in my ass. He also stated in the Daily Collegian that my video could well have been faked, that he could take his dog out, drag it through the mud, and get horrible-looking video like that too. But Mr. Police Chief, would not that very act of dragging your best friend through the mud actually constitute abusive behavior on your part? As you probably have no fear of being prosecuted, I can see why you would feel free to envision such a form of torture for your pet.

Until we force our nation to evolve, acting as a Good Samaritan for dogs on chains will be a "damned if you do, damned if you don't" kinda' thang. If you DO step up to save the life, you may well be the one arrested; and if you don't, you will live with the poor creature's death on your head for all eternity. Not a pleasant choice by any stretch of the imagination.

I am certainly not the first to take action to save a dying chained dog. I may be the first to get such compelling evidence of the crime committed against the dog, to fight for the right of a dog not to die on the end of a chain, and to stand for my right to act as a Good Samaritan. I won't be the last.

Fed Up is not the first to let fear stop him/her from saving a life, and Fed Up will not be the last.

The Good Mayor and Doogie's owners are not the first and will not be the last to get away with animal cruelty by allowing their dog to die on the end of a chain. They are merely links in a chain of abuse that has been ongoing for centuries, and which only we can stop.

It's up to US to make these kind of Americans a dying breed. It's up to US to stop tolerating the abuse, start enforcing laws protecting animals, and create stronger laws limiting chaining for man's best friend. Every social movement succeeds ONLY when the people stop letting fear get in the way of taking the necessary action. When the people stand up, the power shits from abuser to right action. Laws change, tolerance of social injustice ends.

I consider myself lucky, despite facing charges, that I am not in Fed Up's shoes. I know Doogie would thank me if he could, and nothing man can do to me could take that away from me. I wake up each morning knowing I did as Jesus would have done, and Doogie's life being extended almost six months in a loving, caring environment is more than all the proof I need.

Wiry never made it through the night; dying a cold, sad, lonely, frightening death.

I urge everyone placed in the horrible position of Fed Up and myself to push fear aside, to do whatever it takes to save the life. If time is not of the essence, fight hard for authorities to take the necessary life-saving steps. Don't back down to authorities if they act like you don't know what you're talking about or you should mind your own business. If the dog is suffering and death is imminent, that is EVERYONE'S business!

If they refuse to take the plight of the dying animal seriously or do not respond at all to pleas for help, realize you are on your own, and that life is depending on YOU. You may be the only lifeline that dog has, please do not toss it aside lightly.

Doogie's life mattered. Wiry's life mattered.

Every life matters.

Tammy S. Grimes, founder, Dogs Deserve Better

“Chained, Unneutered Male Dogs” Top Group’s List for Most Likely to Bite During Dog Bite Prevention Week, May 20-26

“Chained, Unneutered Male Dogs” Top Group’s List for Most Likely to Bite During Dog Bite Prevention Week, May 20-26

Mothers Against Dog Chaining Advises Parents NOT to Leave Children Unattended
with Chained Dogs; Logs 16 Chained Dog Attacks on Children since Mid-April

(Altoona, PA - 17 May 2007) Mothers Against Dog Chaining, an initiative of the national nonprofit organization Dogs Deserve Better, has logged 16 chained dog attacks on children since issuing a warning about spring chained dog attacks just a month ago, in Mid-April. The group attributes the annual rise in spring attacks to an increase in spring play and outdoor activity by our nation’s youth. This, coupled with a winter of pent up energy and missed socialization on the part of the dogs is a combination that proves all too often to be deadly.

The group seeks to raise awareness of the dangers of chaining a dog; during Dog Bite Prevention Week they advise all parents NOT to leave children unattended with chained dogs, especially unneutered males to keep them safe and unharmed.

Tammy Grimes, founder of Dogs Deserve Better and leader of the Mothers Against Dog Chaining initiative, explains, “Statistically, the largest bite factor come in the package of an unneutered male dog who spends his life on the end of a chain. The dog is angry, unsocialized, full of testosterone, and with easy access to children; children who don’t understand, who trust and just want to pet the dog. Why don’t communities see the danger inherent in allowing this to continue?

Each of the 16 dog attacks I’ve catalogued since we warned about spring dog attacks last month has been an unneutered male on a chain. The largest percentage of them has been pit bulls, and so each community screams pit bull ban. But instead they need to look at the larger picture...Each of these male pits has been unneutered, unvetted, chained, and unsocialized. Pits are the most abused dog in America, and addressing the irresponsibility of pit bull owners, breeders, and fighters will be much more efficient in stopping attacks than banning the breed. Stop them from chaining and breeding dogs in backyards and we will have a much lower incidence of pit bull attacks and pit bull bans.”

From October 2003 through May 2007, there have been at least 139 children seriously injured or killed by chained dogs. Chained dogs, unsocialized with humans, can and do attack and kill small children who wander into their territory. The trend toward anti-tethering legislation continues, with currently over 100 cities, counties, and states in the nation banning or limiting chaining; California installed a 3 hour a day chaining limit in fall 2006.

For more information, to see a breakdown by month and state, view pics and mother’s testimonials, and the latest updates on attacks, please visit the website at http://www.mothersagainstdogchaining.org/attacks.html.

Artist, Arrested for Helping Dying Dog, Wins Award for Piece which Pays him Tribute

Artist, Arrested for Helping Dying Dog, Wins Award for Piece which Pays him Tribute

"When the Circle of Compassion Extends to All"
Receives Honorable Mention in Pennsylvania Art Show
May 19-20, 2007

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Tipton, PA, May 15, 2007—Tammy Grimes, artist and founder of Dogs Deserve Better, has won Honorable Mention for her work memorializing a chained and dying dog at the Blair County Arts Festival in Altoona, Pennsylvania. She will receive the award at a banquet honoring the winners at the Penn State Altoona Arts Center Thursday, May 17th.

Grimes, scheduled to stand jury trial in June 2007 after her arrest for helping the dog who lay chained and unable to stand, created the piece as a tribute to Doogie and all others like him suffering and dying in backyards across America.

"When the Circle of Compassion Extends to All" puts forth the questions uppermost on the minds of Grimes and her supporters: "How long must we wait until the Circle of Compassion extends to ALL? How long must we wait until life is more valuable than property?"

States Grimes, "I am deeply moved by the Honorable Mention for Circle of Compassion, and very thankful that the emotion put into the piece was visible and noticed. I will always be proud of coming to the aid of Doogie, and I know if he could thank me, he would. Nothing man can do to me could ever take that feeling away."

Grimes holds a B.A. in Visual Art and Design from the University of Maryland, and a B.A. in Naturology from AIHT. She is currently pursuing a Master's in Naturology from AIHT, as well as working as an artist and Executive Director of Dogs Deserve Better.

50% of all profits from sales of "When the Circle of Compassion Extends to ALL" will benefit Dogs Deserve Better through June 2007. Other art sales continue to donate 20% of proceeds. The artwork can be viewed at http://www.littlegirllooking.com/circlecompassion.html.

Grimes can be reached at 814.941.7447 or Tammy@littlegirllooking.com for comment, and is available for art shows, commissioned works, or interviews.

Dogs Deserve Better was founded in 2002, is an international nonprofit with 150 area reps in the U.S., France, and Canada, and works to bring dogs out of the backyard into the home and family. The site can be viewed at http://www.dogsdeservebetter.org.

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Note: Members of the press may obtain a hi-res image for print or television by e-mailing Tammy@littlegirllooking.com