Day 2, Operation Fido's Freedom: My Mission, Should I Choose to Accept It

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Long before I started Dogs Deserve Better, I was on a mission to discover my mission. I knew I didn't want to die without making a difference, and judging by the nasty comments on the article posted in Penn Live today, I guess it's working.

I'm annoying the hell out of those people who's mission it is to cut down anyone with a mission.

Pretty crappy mission, if you ask me, but they're the ones who have to look themselves in the mirror every morning and say, "Well, who shall we abuse today?"

I spent a lot of time in the self-help book section attempting to point my life in a positive direction. Every time I would ask God what my mission was, a picture of the dog up the road would come into my mind, just like one of those little thought bubbles. I would shake my head and say, "no, God, that one's too hard. I'm gonna' need an easier one."

The dog up the road, Worthless (yes, that truly was his name), was a black lab mix with a stumpy tail, and a sweet as sugar disposition. I loved him dearly, but there he was, chained to a post in the yard, and always tangled around a tree. I used to sneak up and give him food and water, until they told me to stop. For two years I watched him suffer and grow old, until I finally could bear it no more.

I accepted my mission.

After today's chaining, I'm thinking about that old me who just knew chaining was too hard of a mission…and I'm wanting to agree with her.

What was I thinking committing to doing this every Monday through Friday? Not eating? Working late each night to catch up on the work I missed while I spent ten hours chained to a doghouse? Nursing sunburn, aching bones, stinky feet?

I am thinking that YES, it IS a very hard path to treed, but that's exactly why I'm here. If it were easy to live chained to a doghouse, for dogs OR for me, I wouldn't be here. But it's not easy.

It downright SUCKS.

And I know all the naysayers and nasty-grammers will say "people aren't dogs." OK, that's the one thing you've got right. People AREN'T dogs, people are MUCH more capable of living by themselves than dogs are. People don't need people the way dogs need people. Dogs are the neediest creatures on the planet, bar none, and to chain them up like their social nature doesn't matter is just beyond insensitive…it's genuinely apathetic.

One man touched my heart today. He was a big, strong-looking man from Juniata County with a short, marine-style haircut. He told me he hates seeing chained dogs, and every time he drives by this one mangy dog near him who spends his life chained, he feels so much empathy for the dog he almost wants to cry. This is one aspect of the whole need for a chaining law that people don't get…not only are the dogs suffering, but those of us who have to watch them suffer right along with them.

Why should we have to suffer because you can legally torture your dogs? It's not acceptable.

Today I sat for the dogs in Mifflin County. May you know your voices were heard, mores than ever before. In fact, we were part of a bit of a media frenzy, a big thank you to any media who came out to interview. Wave hi as you drive by about your Capitol beat in the next few weeks, you know where my house is: the Doghouse in the Shadow of the Capitol, Harrisburg, PA.

Observations from today's chaining:

1. Another big "I'm Grateful" to Juicy Rumors Smoothies and Juice Bar for allowing me bathroom breaks and supporting our mission. And to Deb Carr, Gordon Bakalar, and Linda Cribb for coming out to hang with me.

2. People here are still giving me funny looks, but the natives are starting to accept me. This would be a time that being extroverted would help, but alas, I look at them warily, as a chained dog who's been beaten before and doesn't know if he can trust again.

3. The weather wasn't too bad today, although I still got a little sunburned, hot, and sweaty. Unfortunately the next two days are supposed to be much hotter AND have a 50% chance of showers. Sweet!

4. A few people from the Capitol started to come out and tell me "We heard you were here." Can you imagine the water cooler conversation?

5. My new computer programmer friend I met yesterday made signs for us. They helped draw people in, which was cool. But, then they kept blowing over, and I felt annoyed that I had to keep putting them back up. Really? Like I had anything better to do?

6. LOVED the Channel 8 guys, they spent over an hour videotaping and asked really insightful questions.

7. Two guys in a pickup truck drove by and shouted "You're the only one protesting." Well, at least they can count to one. Probably have a chained dog at home.

Day One, Operation Fido's Freedom: Thayne's on a Chain. A-Gain (pronounced with a long A there, you know, for rhyming purposes.)

Seems like I just got off a chain. I guess Chain Off was about a month ago now, though…it just sticks in your mind.

Well, we all know why I'm here, if you read my Open Letter to PA State Senators and House Reps…and you all know what I want.

And a big part of why I'm here is to inspire YOU ALL to take action on behalf of chained dogs…so please, please, please contact your reps, and contact them again, etc. They don't come back to session until September, but if we all pitch in, we can get them ready to take action by then.

First things first, though, let me just tell you that I made it eleven hours without peeing today! I know, that's personal information that you really were happier not knowing, but how can I not share a record like that? If you knew me, you'd indeed know how much of a miracle that really is!

Granted, I know it can't really be a good thing for my kidneys and bladder. But still, there it is, and now you know.

And, I want to know who's pea-brained idea it was for me to fast for the dogs who are starving on a chain with no way to get food for themselves as I type? I know it was mine, but still…now I'm starving (well, very hungry at least, I know I have a buffer that the chained dogs don't have before starvation sets in) too and I don't like it. Not one bit.

I'm on the record as against keeping up the not-peeing thing, which is problematic given that I shouldn't abandon my 'stuff' for the time it takes to tinkle, and can't see myself dragging a doghouse and chain into the nearest bathroom. The dogs have it made over me in that area, what with their ability to cop a squat wherever they damn well please…as long as it's within the 10 square feet of their doghouse, of course.

Right across the street from my doghouse (hey, maybe I could get an address for my house? Like on Harry Potter…Tamira Thayne, the doghouse in the shadow of the Capitol, Harrisburg, PA) there's two establishments, the Caffeine Connection and Sammy's Authentic Italian Restaurant. Maybe one or both of them will give me bathroom privileges in exchange for mentioning them repeatedly in my blog? Which won't be hard to do, given that I'm thirsting and starving to death, and I just stare longingly and with drool hanging down my chin across the street at their tantalizing signs all day.

Anyway, I hope I don't get a bladder infection. I got this dog off a chain once who was peeing blood in the snow. The vet said he'd just gone too long without enough water and it messed him up pretty bad in the kidney zone. He was one of the lucky ones who got off the chain, into rescue, and into a home where he was able to know love and live as part of the pack.

Each day I will sit for different dogs, dogs in different counties, etc. Today I started off for all those that have died on the end of a chain, and there are many that I know of—at least 5 I can think of right off the top of my head—that got old, and then just disappeared from this earth. Poor things. They never knew love, never knew laughter or hugs or a family to call their own. Rest in peace babies, we're fighting for you. We won't give up until others don't have to suffer the same fate that you did.

Odd or funny observations from today's chaining:

1. I sat down at numerous and sundry times on the oh-so-hard granite wall, but I'm confessing because it felt like cheating. But I don't think I can stop. My feet hurt too bad, and I can only pace for so long.

2. I wondered why the flags were at half-mast. I'm sure one of you smarty pants has an answer to this.

3. People were taking their lunchtime walks, going to Sammy's, and just taking their freedom for granted. Chained dogs deserve this too.

4. I didn't explain this one right in my 140 character tweet, so have to try again. Three foreign people, older people, came up and asked me in a heavy accent if I had quarters for parking. I said "No, I'm chained to this doghouse." They wanted to know why, so I explained it. The woman agreed with me, and took a paper. Then she said, "It would be good if you had coins too." lol

5. Note to self. Obviously, wearing white shirts in the rain isn't a good policy. Granted, Weatherbug said only a 30% chance today, but obviously the bug was wrong.

6. Really, really, REALLY not looking forward to that all day rain. I couldn't sit down at all, so I had to pace the whole time, and I think it rained for half hour…what am I going to do in the all day rain?

7. Joe came up and took pics for me, and I just wondered if I ever mentioned how much I love that man?

I'm SO glad I don't have to go back tomorrow…oh, shit, wait!

(If you want to follow my daily tweets during the chaining, follow me @tamirathayne. If you want to see more pics, etc., every evening, fan the campaign on facebook at Operation Fido's Freedom.

Dog Caretakers who charge animal advocate with trespassing later release dogs to her organization

Cite Desire for Dogs to be a Success Story

June 6, 2010, Altoona, PA — In January 2010, Dogs Deserve Better Founder Tamira Thayne was charged with trespassing for providing food, water, and straw to two underweight chained dogs in Lilly, PA. Thayne lost the case in magisterial court, but the charges were not prosecuted on appeal.

In a twist that is being described as miraculous, dog caretakers Jason and Krystal Cann came to her and Dogs Deserve Better in June with the willingness to release the dogs to her organization. On June 6, 2010, everyone got their miracle.

Says Thayne: "I have renewed faith in miracles today! When Jason called me and expressed a desire to relinquish ownership of the dogs to DDB, I admit I was suspicious there was some kind of trick. But both he and wife Krystal desired a better life for the dogs, and they wanted their dogs to be a Dogs Deserve Better success story.

"I commend them for their courage in doing the right thing. That's a first for me, and I'm happy to say that tonight these two dogs have gotten their miracle. They will spend tonight sleeping in the home and will now learn how to live inside as part of the family."

Video of the rescue can be seen on YouTube at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iuzyIjIY4m8.

Dogs Deserve Better is a national 501c3 nonprofit organization based in Pennsylvania, and asks all Pennsylvania residents to stand against this form of abuse by joining the coalition to Unchain Pennsylvania Dogs. The coalition seeks to pass a bill setting time limits on chaining, and creating better conditions for Pennsylvania's dogs. Sign up today at Unchainpadogs.com.

Please visit the website at DogsDeserveBetter.org to learn more about dog chaining, the reasons it is cruel to dogs and dangerous to humans, and to find a local area representative or other areas that have laws in place.

Contact:
Tamira Ci Thayne • CEO, Dogs Deserve Better
Dogs Deserve Better • P.O. Box 23, Tipton, PA 16684 • 814.941.7447 • www.dogsdeservebetter.org

Organization Condemns PA State Legislators who Failed to Enact Chaining Law, says "Girl's Blood is On Your Hands"

Organization condemns Pennsylvania State Legislators who Failed to Enact chaining law, says "Girl's Blood is On Your Hands"

Calls for Immediate Ban on Dog Chaining in Pennsylvania
after Death of Child in Chained-Dog Attack

Tipton, PA -- January 26, 2009 -- Tamira Ci Thayne, Founder of Dogs Deserve Better, an organization working to end the chaining of dogs and bring them into the home and family, issued harsh words today for those legislators who blocked a proposed law on dog chaining in the past two sessions: "Her blood is on your hands."

"Her blood" refers to the death of Brianna Shanor, an 8-year-old girl killed in Beaver County by a chained mixed breed dog on December 19th.

"If state legislators had acted to pass our all-too-reasonable law limiting chaining of dogs for life, there's a good chance that this attack would never have happened. A law which, adequately enforced, would have cut back on chaining, causing most people to either socialize dogs by bringing them into the home and family or at a minimum erect a fencing barrier between the dog and small children, would have and could have saved the life of this child.

Now she is dead, and her mother is forced to mourn her for the rest of her life. There is no easy way to say this: I place the blame for her death at the hands of those in the Pennsylvania House who blocked HB1065 last session. I am calling for an immediate and total ban on dog chaining in the state of Pennsylvania. How many lives must end—both dogs and children—before legislators take the action that is both needed and demanded by our citizens?"

According to an article in the Beaver County Times, Brianna " went near one of several dogs at the property, a more than 100-pound, mixed-breed dog, which was chained outside an old camping trailer that the dog used for shelter. The dog was on a chain 15 to 20 feet long."

A child of Brianna's size and age has no defense against a dog that large—an unsocialized, unneutered, male­—bent on attacking and killing.

Dogs Deserve Better has been one of the organizations at the forefront of the push for a state law, and in the last two sessions house bills were put forward to limit chaining. Animal advocacy groups banded together to lobby for the legislation, which last year made it out of the House and to the floor before being blocked and left to die.

Connecticut, California, and Texas have all enacted some legislation limiting chaining, and over 150 cities and counties have followed suit.

For more information on Dogs Deserve Better, visit their website at dogsdeservebetter.org.