A proposed Toledo dog chaining law would include "a 15-minute limit for chaining a dog outside unsupervised and prohibiting chaining a dog within 500 feet of a school."
I love the 15-minute limit unsupervised! Presumably it's longer supervised, which I can understand and live with, but by stating this and also putting it into context of the proximity to the school, they are recognizing the fact that chained dogs can and do become more aggressive than other dogs, and are seeing it as a measure to protect their children too, as a community solution, and not just a--gasp--'animal rights' solution.
In West Palm Beach, Florida, officers are doing sweeps for suffering animals in the heat.
"Take this dog for example, a female pitbull named Diamond. Animal care and control has her now. She was seized last week, after authorities took these photos of her tied up outside in the heat in a yard in West Palm Beach. The temperature that day was a sweltering 93 degrees and Diamond had no shade, except for a small dog house.
Captain Walesky said, "we try and explain to 'em it's a bad idea. but not only is it a bad idea, it's a law. You can't do this. In Palm Beach County, it's illegal to tie a dog up outside between 10 in the morning and 5 in the evening."
Having a law enables the officers to do what is right and just and what people are asking them to do: save the dog's life, and stop the suffering.
But while most Pennsylvania residents 'get it,' there's still that 10-20% who just don't get it, and need to have their actions legislated. I don't care if you're intelligent or not, you have two eyes, and it's time you open them and your heart and have a good look around at the suffering of chained dogs and the suffering of neighbors forced to endure watching it.
This message on the DDB Facebook fanpage shows the typical ignorance we fight: "I'd like to know what your alternative is for an outside dog other than chaining? We had a beagle and he was an outside dog for 16 years chained to a doghouse with shade, food, water, and attention several times of day. He broke his chain several times and ran to neighbors luckily or would have been run over by traffic...or train. In late years, was blind and deaf. Isn't it just as cruel to pen up a large dog in a 3X5 cage in a house for 12-16 hours a day, lying in their feces and urine? What about their rights? What about the handicapped persons in nursing homes who have to sit in a wheelchair or bed for most of their day? Are you standing up for them too?"
This message is so problematic on many levels. First, it attempts to confuse, by dragging in totally unrelated issues and assuming that it's our responsibility to advocate for all societal wrongs: "What about the handicapped persons in nursing homes who have to sit in a wheelchair or bed for most of their day?"
Second, it states their beagle was an 'outside' dog. If you look in any of the breed books, there is no such thing as an 'outside dog;' these are just regular dogs of every different breed, every single one of which has many others just like it living inside as part of a family. The only difference is the level of responsibility assumed for that dog's happiness and well-being by the dog's caretakers.
Third, she states that: "for 16 years chained to a doghouse with shade, food, water, and attention several times of day." Attention several times a day? My arse! I'm 100% sure that dog was lucky to get any food/water on a daily basis, let alone attention several times a day. Every chainer tries to make out like THEIR dog is the exception to the rule that chained dogs are neglected, and puts a beauty of a spin on it so it appears like the dog led a dandy of a life. In truth, any dog spending 24 hours a day on a chain is by that very virtue neglected and in my opinion abused.
Fourth, she says "He broke his chain several times and ran to neighbors luckily or would have been run over by traffic...or train." My question is, if he were so happy there, why was he breaking his chain? Why was he running to the neighbors? Maybe because he was seen there and treated with love and respect?
Fifth, she tells us, "In late years, he was blind and deaf." There is no mention that in those years he was indeed given a reprieve from the chain due to his immense physical challenges, but it appears that he was left chained, unable to see, and unable to hear. I can imagine very few greater horrors than to not only be unable to see and hear, but to be nothing more than a sitting duck for any animal or human intending to do you harm. You may smell him coming, but without seeing or hearing, there is no way you could avoid him or fight him off. You are totally vulnerable to death at each and every moment, and without love or light to guide you and give you safety, death would indeed come as a welcome release from the crushing fear.
Sixth, she implies that there is only one alternative to chaining your dog outside: "Isn't it just as cruel to pen up a large dog in a 3X5 cage in a house for 12-16 hours a day, lying in their feces and urine?" Why in God's name would any human with an ounce of decency cage a dog for 12-16 hours in his own feces and urine? Who wouldn't take their dog out to the bathroom? Did you not know that crates are to be used only as tools and only as long as it takes to get the dog trained, then the dog can have the run of the house without incident? What about your dog living in your home with you as a companion, not a prisoner? What about building a fence so your dog can go outside to potty and then come back inside with his pack? Have you heard of walking a dog on a leash? Why are none of these humane possibilities even thought of as an option?
And lastly, she states: "What about their rights?" Here's the one place we agree, Anita, because that's exactly what I want to know. WHAT ABOUT THEIR RIGHTS?
Having just spent five 10-hour days on a chain on their behalf, I'm asking that same question of my state legislators. WHAT ABOUT THEIR RIGHTS? Despite having endured one week of absolute and mind-numbing 10-hour days of torture on that chain, I still cannot fully comprehend the horror of being there ad infinitum. I so looked forward every day to the magic hour of six o'clock, and I watched as the minutes and seconds dragged on. What if getting off the chain were not an option? What would I do?
I can honestly say I've never waited for a weekend more in my entire 46 years--EVER--and I've pledged to enjoy every single second of my freedom before I force myself back on that chain on Monday. To think that these dogs cannot look forward to freedom for any amount of time is truly unconscionable. I cannot endure the mere thought of it for their sakes.
Pennsylvania legislators, I am personally holding you accountable for opening your eyes and seeing the suffering of our friends. I am asking those 80-90% of PA citizens who agree with me to join me in holding them accountable.
It's time for this abuse to end, and it's time for people like Anita to grow up, and go buy a dog book for Pete's sake. Some things are common sense, and if you don't have any, then don't have a dog or find a way to buy some. Common sense, that is.
Pennsylvania, and the world, MUST stop tolerating this abuse of Man's Best Friend. If this is how we treat our best friend, I would hate to see how we treat our enemies.
Random incidents or thoughts from the day:
1. My new friend Cathie (don't know her last name) brought me water, sun chips, and magazines. I told her I wasn't allowing myself to read as it wouldn't be fair to the dogs, but I would save the chips for later. She's a very sweet and caring woman.
2. A young girl who works at the Capitol brought me out a bag of pretzels and a water. I wonder if she read my blog from yesterday? Oops!
3. Oddly, by sheer coincidence, an Altoona man I met at a Sheetz one time came wandering by. When I met him before, he was very interested in getting involved, so I had him go to a street in Blandburg, Cambria County (Senator Wozniak's district) where there was a chained dog at every house, and see if he could do any ejumakatin'. He told me that he was physically threatened there by the residents when he tried to discuss their dogs with them. He described it as 'a scary place, man.' Ah, welcome to my world!
4. Deb Smith came and chained up with me for a couple of hours. She was very excited because her house rep hasn't been supportive of chaining legislation, but she is being challenged in the upcoming election by Gene Stilp. She spoke to Gene, and he's fully in support of the legislation, so she called Sue Helms and told her that. Her office immediately said she'd call Deb back on Monday. We all need to push the issue with our reps. Enough is enough.
5. A college student at Harrisburg Area Community College was inspired to do her speech on the issue after seeing the news articles this week. She came to interview me, and was super excited about making a difference and spreading the word that chaining has to stop.
6. Joe surprised me in his beautiful Camaro around 3:00, took me to dinner at 6:00, and played professional photographer, again.
7. So many of you in the Harrisburg area are bringing me water, worrying about me all day (just like the dogs), and wanting in some way to make a difference. I truly am in awe of your kindness, and humbled by it. Thank you.
8. I'm asking any of our supporters who might have business attire in sizes 10-14 (assuming the fasting drops some weight off me, which would be the 10, I'm currently a 14) that they no longer want, to send it along to me. If I receive clothes that don't fit me, I will share them with some of the needy people I meet on the streets of Harrisburg. I want to be decently dressed every day to present a positive image of our work for chained dogs, but have very few business clothes myself. If you have anything, please send to P.O. Box 23, Tipton, PA 16684.
9. I'm embarrassed to admit what I thought was blood in my urine and a uti was actually red from the beet juice in the veggie drink I got at the corner Juicy Rumors each day! My test from Tuesday night came back fine, and I got suspicious it could be the beet juice, and I was right! Well, at least now we all know…if you drink beet juice, and it turns red, don't panic like I did...
http://www.rawfoodsupport.com/read.php?2,130704,130747
From the above website: "It's quite normal for the wee to turn red on consuming large amounts of beetroot juice. I'm not sure it's down to depleted HCL, as it's rare to find someone whose wee doesn't turn red after consuming beetroot juice. Mine does, and I've been raw for two years (100%)."
10. Enjoy your weekend, everyone. Please, if you haven't contacted your Senator yet, it's SO important. Please make the call on Monday.
To view pics from Day 5, visit the webpage at: http://www.dogsdeservebetter.org/FidosFreedom/day5aug6.html
Showing posts with label chain. Show all posts
Showing posts with label chain. Show all posts
Friday, August 06, 2010
Tuesday, August 03, 2010
Day 2, Operation Fido's Freedom: My Mission, Should I Choose to Accept It
Click the link above to view this blog on the site and see pics.
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.
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.
Monday, August 02, 2010
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.
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.
Sunday, June 06, 2010
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
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
Monday, February 08, 2010
The world's most unusual Valentines go to the dogs
The world's most unusual Valentines go to the dogs
15,000 Valentines to be delivered to America's 'Forgotten Dogs'
Tipton, PA, February 7, 2010—15,000 Valentines will be delivered this week to some very unusual recipients: dogs. Dogs of every breed, size, and color may receive one, but all that do have one thing in common—they are America's 'Forgotten Dogs.'
Dogs Deserve Better, a national rescue and advocacy group dedicated to ending the suffering endured by chained and penned dogs, annually sends Valentines and dog treat coupons to canines across the country. The 2010 campaign has reached a milestone: 15,000 Valentines will be mailed between February 7-14 to chained and penned dogs nationwide.
Dogs of every breed, size, shape and color end up outside through no fault of their own. Caretakers claim they are not housetrained, too big for the house, or too dirty to be inside. Yet through it all dogs just want to be with humans, part of our pack, and putting a dog outside for life when he/she becomes a burden is not an acceptable solution.
The mailing includes a Valentine for the dog and a brochure for the dog’s caretakers, explaining why the practice of chaining dogs for life is a form of abuse. The materials encourage people to bring their dogs into the home and family or to find better homes for the animals.
“We call these dogs the Forgotten Dogs, because they may technically have a home, but do they really? Left alone in the elements, enduring extreme heat and cold, often withstanding inadequate or no shelter, food, or water, there's no doubt that these dogs suffer, and suffer immensely. Winter is a critical time to reach out directly to the people who chain their dogs, and what better excuse than Valentine’s Day to send these forgotten animals a little love,” says Tamira Thayne, founder and director of the eight-year-old non-profit. “Every winter our rescuers see dogs that have frozen in the snow, suffered frostbite, or otherwise endured horrific living conditions because of the longstanding misperception that it is ok to chain a dog and let it out there for life. It isn't.”
“This is the perfect opportunity for people who pass chained dogs every day but feel powerless to help them to make a difference,” continues Thayne. “People anonymously provide us with the addresses of these dogs, or make us a batch of Valentines, and we do the rest.”
Schools, scouting troops, and other similar organizations create the Valentines, expressing love and such unusual sentiments like "Chains Break Hearts" or "I Promise to Spread the Love, Not the Fleas." “Children have a natural affinity for animals and they enjoy making art projects,” says Thayne, an artist herself. "In this way we remind children of proper pet caretaking, and educate guardians as well."
Although the practice of 24/7 chaining is pervasive in many parts of the country, states and cities have started to pass laws against the practice. So far four states have passed limitations on chaining: California, Texas, Connecticut, and Nevada. Hundreds of cities and counties have passed limitations or flat-out bans.
Meanwhile, countless backyard dogs are spending yet another winter in the cold. Often, they shiver day and night in hole-riddled doghouses, suffer from thirst because their water is frozen, and pace neurotically from lack of exercise and attention.
Perpetually chained dogs often become aggressive from their constant confinement, thereby posing a danger to people, especially small children.
For more information about the Valentine’s Day outreach, go to http://www.dogsdeservebetter.org/Valentines2010.html or email info@dogsdeservebetter.org.
For general information about Dogs Deserve Better go to www.dogsdeservebetter.org.
END
Contact: Tamira Ci Thayne • founder, Dogs Deserve Better • www.dogsdeservebetter.org
P.O. Box 23, Tipton, PA 16684 • 1.877.636.1408 • 814.941.7447
Note: For hi-resolution photos, please visit the site at
http://www.dogsdeservebetter.org/Valentines2010.html.
15,000 Valentines to be delivered to America's 'Forgotten Dogs'
Tipton, PA, February 7, 2010—15,000 Valentines will be delivered this week to some very unusual recipients: dogs. Dogs of every breed, size, and color may receive one, but all that do have one thing in common—they are America's 'Forgotten Dogs.'
Dogs Deserve Better, a national rescue and advocacy group dedicated to ending the suffering endured by chained and penned dogs, annually sends Valentines and dog treat coupons to canines across the country. The 2010 campaign has reached a milestone: 15,000 Valentines will be mailed between February 7-14 to chained and penned dogs nationwide.
Dogs of every breed, size, shape and color end up outside through no fault of their own. Caretakers claim they are not housetrained, too big for the house, or too dirty to be inside. Yet through it all dogs just want to be with humans, part of our pack, and putting a dog outside for life when he/she becomes a burden is not an acceptable solution.
The mailing includes a Valentine for the dog and a brochure for the dog’s caretakers, explaining why the practice of chaining dogs for life is a form of abuse. The materials encourage people to bring their dogs into the home and family or to find better homes for the animals.
“We call these dogs the Forgotten Dogs, because they may technically have a home, but do they really? Left alone in the elements, enduring extreme heat and cold, often withstanding inadequate or no shelter, food, or water, there's no doubt that these dogs suffer, and suffer immensely. Winter is a critical time to reach out directly to the people who chain their dogs, and what better excuse than Valentine’s Day to send these forgotten animals a little love,” says Tamira Thayne, founder and director of the eight-year-old non-profit. “Every winter our rescuers see dogs that have frozen in the snow, suffered frostbite, or otherwise endured horrific living conditions because of the longstanding misperception that it is ok to chain a dog and let it out there for life. It isn't.”
“This is the perfect opportunity for people who pass chained dogs every day but feel powerless to help them to make a difference,” continues Thayne. “People anonymously provide us with the addresses of these dogs, or make us a batch of Valentines, and we do the rest.”
Schools, scouting troops, and other similar organizations create the Valentines, expressing love and such unusual sentiments like "Chains Break Hearts" or "I Promise to Spread the Love, Not the Fleas." “Children have a natural affinity for animals and they enjoy making art projects,” says Thayne, an artist herself. "In this way we remind children of proper pet caretaking, and educate guardians as well."
Although the practice of 24/7 chaining is pervasive in many parts of the country, states and cities have started to pass laws against the practice. So far four states have passed limitations on chaining: California, Texas, Connecticut, and Nevada. Hundreds of cities and counties have passed limitations or flat-out bans.
Meanwhile, countless backyard dogs are spending yet another winter in the cold. Often, they shiver day and night in hole-riddled doghouses, suffer from thirst because their water is frozen, and pace neurotically from lack of exercise and attention.
Perpetually chained dogs often become aggressive from their constant confinement, thereby posing a danger to people, especially small children.
For more information about the Valentine’s Day outreach, go to http://www.dogsdeservebetter.org/Valentines2010.html or email info@dogsdeservebetter.org.
For general information about Dogs Deserve Better go to www.dogsdeservebetter.org.
END
Contact: Tamira Ci Thayne • founder, Dogs Deserve Better • www.dogsdeservebetter.org
P.O. Box 23, Tipton, PA 16684 • 1.877.636.1408 • 814.941.7447
Note: For hi-resolution photos, please visit the site at
http://www.dogsdeservebetter.org/Valentines2010.html.
Sunday, February 22, 2009
They Cannot Kill Truth with Poison
Today is February 22, 2009, and I’m officially off probation for the theft of a dog left flailing about in the mud and his own feces—unable to stand for three days—yet who, regardless of his plight, remained chained indifferently to the same doghouse he’d known forever.
History of the Doogie story: http://www.dogsdeservebetter.org/doogie.html
One year ago today I was called a piece of trash by a DA who’s sole concern was that I’d removed property from the yard of an East Freedom home.
One year ago today I was told I was no hero by a judge who withheld video evidence of the dog’s condition and instructed the jury to convict me.
The breach in morality by those in power so overwhelmed me that I spiraled into the abyss known solely as hell, even losing my daughter because I couldn’t face another day in the courtroom that terrified me and drew me back to childhood traumas.
I was forced to confront the demons of my past. I saw the cycle of abuse repeat itself, and struggled to make sense of it, find a way through the darkness back to the light I believed in and which gave me a reason to exist.
For 60 days I could barely lift my head. Could scarcely put one foot in front of the other. Could hardly lead the organization I loved with such passion, nurtured from its essence, grew from a pebble.
Yet today, I know that truth still stands. Those in power may seek to control a truth they find bothersome, may seek to destroy those who fight for that truth, may cover the truth with so many lies it is damn near impossible to extract from the poison.
But extract it we will.
Fight for it we will.
Die for it we will, and gladly.
Because you will never kill the truth, or the souls of those who protect it.
Truth has a power you cannot have. Truth has the power of purity, of God strength, of a massive uprising that can only be suppressed by immorality for so long before bursting forth with a power so fierce there are no bounds to contain it.
Dogs do have rights, and protecting Doogie from abuse was not only my responsibility but my moral obligation, and ironically my duty under the law just as his owners. If one has knowledge of abuse and does nothing then they are just as guilty of that abuse as those committing the crime. You have not destroyed that knowledge.
Dogs do not belong on chains, nor does any other, man nor beast. Freedom belongs to us all, and is not the domain only of man, or only of men.
We will be free, and we will continue to fight for freedom for those who have not. Join me in this battle; they have not killed the truth with their poison.
Truth still lives, and the truth will be set free.
SHARK Video of the Doogie Story
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V8OI58JoufU
History of the Doogie story: http://www.dogsdeservebetter.org/doogie.html
One year ago today I was called a piece of trash by a DA who’s sole concern was that I’d removed property from the yard of an East Freedom home.
One year ago today I was told I was no hero by a judge who withheld video evidence of the dog’s condition and instructed the jury to convict me.
The breach in morality by those in power so overwhelmed me that I spiraled into the abyss known solely as hell, even losing my daughter because I couldn’t face another day in the courtroom that terrified me and drew me back to childhood traumas.
I was forced to confront the demons of my past. I saw the cycle of abuse repeat itself, and struggled to make sense of it, find a way through the darkness back to the light I believed in and which gave me a reason to exist.
For 60 days I could barely lift my head. Could scarcely put one foot in front of the other. Could hardly lead the organization I loved with such passion, nurtured from its essence, grew from a pebble.
Yet today, I know that truth still stands. Those in power may seek to control a truth they find bothersome, may seek to destroy those who fight for that truth, may cover the truth with so many lies it is damn near impossible to extract from the poison.
But extract it we will.
Fight for it we will.
Die for it we will, and gladly.
Because you will never kill the truth, or the souls of those who protect it.
Truth has a power you cannot have. Truth has the power of purity, of God strength, of a massive uprising that can only be suppressed by immorality for so long before bursting forth with a power so fierce there are no bounds to contain it.
Dogs do have rights, and protecting Doogie from abuse was not only my responsibility but my moral obligation, and ironically my duty under the law just as his owners. If one has knowledge of abuse and does nothing then they are just as guilty of that abuse as those committing the crime. You have not destroyed that knowledge.
Dogs do not belong on chains, nor does any other, man nor beast. Freedom belongs to us all, and is not the domain only of man, or only of men.
We will be free, and we will continue to fight for freedom for those who have not. Join me in this battle; they have not killed the truth with their poison.
Truth still lives, and the truth will be set free.
SHARK Video of the Doogie Story
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V8OI58JoufU
Sunday, October 05, 2008
Maria Daines "Chained to You" for Shepp, Proceeds to DDB
Please
Help get Justice for Shepp, a German Shepherd
left to Starve
on the End of a Chain
Maria
Daines, who is becoming known
as the Goddess of Animal Rights Music, has
written an incredibly moving song for Shepp,
and is generously allowing DDB to keep any money raised from downloads. The
song is now up, please listen and download at: www.indiestore.com/dogsdeservebetter or
listen and download it from this widget, below:
Details
of the case since DDB heard of it:
9/22/2008
After being dumped off at an abandoned
home in Corpus Christi, TX, a German Shepherd was found in horrific
conditions last week on 9/16/08. Parts of his bones were exposed
due to constant friction from trying to move. No arrests have been
made.
Laying on the concrete, unable to even get up from his side and
with what appeared to be a wound on his neck was a dog laying under
a carport. Barely within reach was an overturned bucket with some
dry food.
Shepp, a German Shepherd, squirmed in an attempt to move when
the Animal Control people arrived. The dog was unable to budge
but a few inches. His ribs were protruding through the skin due
to him weighing 43 lbs., less than half of what would be considered
a healthy weight. Skin was actually growing over his collar and
there were wounds all over his body. The skin and the muscle had
worn through due to the friction of him struggling on the cement,
with approximately one inch of shoulder bone exposed. It is being
labeled as the worst case of animal neglect that local officials
have ever seen.
A neighbour told reporters that
a man in a tan coloured Ford Ranger pickup dropped the dog off
about a month ago at a vacant home. She said in the news report
that she knew the dog was indeed thin but didn't know to what extend
until this past Monday when it had apparently gotten loose from
whatever means the individual had used to tie it up.
The pickup was found at another residence in Corpus Christi. The
owner of the residence claimed to know who owned the pickup but
couldn't remember his name despite it being her brother-in-law.
She said he found the dog, according to the KZTV news report.
Sadly, Animal Control director,
Kelli Copeland explained how this case and so many other animal
abuse cases fall short of proper investigation and prosecution
due to limited resources. When there is a child abuse case versus
and animal abuse case, current available resources go to the children.
Shepp was removed from the horrific conditions in which he was
found but he died in a local animal facility last Friday. The owners
have not been charged with any crime and police are not confirming
that they know who owned Shepp.
Here is a link
to the footage of Shepp by KZTV 10, but be warned,
it is graphic and very disturbing.
To sign a petition to bring justice for Shepp which will be sent
to local officials, please
visit this link.
10/01/2008
A major development
in the animal cruelty case of Shepp the Dog. TWO PEOPLE HAVE BEEN
ARRESTED! A 44-year old man named
Daniel Luna, and a 45-year old woman named Norma Luna. Both charged
with animal cruelty. We will continue to update as we get more
information.
According to ACO Richard Golb, the DA who is prosecuting the case
is Deborah Rudder - here is contact info for that office :
PROSECUTORS' OFFICE
Office Hours: Monday – Thursday, 8:00 a.m. – 5:00
p.m.
Physical Address: 120 North Chaparral, Room 240
Mailing Address: P.O.
Box 9277 Corpus Christi, Texas 78469-9277
Telephone Number: (361)
826-2530
Fax: (361) 886-2567
E-mail: Prosecutors@cctexas.com
A comparison of Shepp's
photos (graphic) to Doogie's photos
follows:
We are struck by the similarity
between photos of Doogie and photos of Shepp. Doogie
was lucky we found him when we did, and that the neighbor did not stop looking
for help when humane officers failed to respond. Yet, despite
vets best efforts, Shepp died of the cruelty bestowed upon him.
Why does it seem that when concerned citizens and neighbors do
the right thing and get help to save the dog before it's too late,
advocates are arrested for providing that help, and when they don't,
the poor creature dies and then maybe, maybe, cruelty
charges are filed? We maintain that these dogs have MORE rights
than to die BEFORE cruelty charges are filed. They deserve to LIVE!
And, where is the new
Texas law on this?
Friday, April 04, 2008
Dognamic Tour Update: Plus, Watch Oprah Today for Puppymill Show!
Today, as I'm sure most of you know, the animal advocacy world is abuzz with news of the Puppymill issue making it to the Oprah show. It is our understanding that much of that was due to an ingenious billboard installed near Harpo Studies by Bill Smith of Mainline Rescue...if that is indeed the case, all we can say is, You Go, Bill! Thanks for breaking through what seemed to be an impenetrable barrier for our friends. Please, on behalf of the puppymill dogs, watch the Oprah show today, then send the show a message thanking them for showing the horrible lives of puppymill dogs; be sure to ask for a show on America's chained dogs next! We'll have plenty of footage to share after this trip too!
Email Oprah Thanks and Ask for a Show on Chained Dogs Next
Update April 4, 2008. We've received over 120 tips from dog lovers from all twelve states, thanks so much for you help and support! We have offers of lodging, speaking, and media help in many of the areas, which we are gratefully accepting when it is at all possible or feasible logistically. Most pleas for our help came from North Carolina, where there is either a large awareness of the problem, or a very large problem statewide. Unfortunately since we are spending only one day per state, we have had to choose only those pleas or offers of lodging that are within or near our driving path between states. If we were to spend two days we could meet you all, but with the intention of the tour being to find as many as we can in only one day, we will be very pressed for time. Please know that we are very grateful for your caring and worries for chained dogs near you, regardless if we make it to your area or not! Keep on working for them, do not give up even when it seems hopeless.
Here are just a few of the heartbreaking tips we've received so far, some of which we can't even get to because they are too far out of our path:
I live in Alabama & it is considered "normal" for people to chain or pen their dogs.Dogs are not considered family members & few get to live inside with humans. Very few people have fenced yards. You could easily find a lot more than 10 dogs on chains within a 30 mi radius (Colbert, Franklin, & Lauderdale Counties).
I live in Georgia, my back yard neighbor has 4 pits chained and pad locked in his yard.
In Missouri, a Chihuaha and its yellow friend have been tied out on the coldest days of this winter in the freezing temperatures, snow, slush, and ice. The poor little Chihuahua laid shivering in its "doghouse" on a damp blanket not even looking up when a friend went to check on it. These 2 dogs deserve such a better life.
I live in North Carolina and my county really needs you!! I am sure you hear that from everyone but I really mean it. I live in Johnston County and people here have what I refer to as the good ole' mentality. They think they are suppose to have a dog in the yard no matter if they want it or not. It is a lawn ornament to them. You can not go 1 mile without seeing a chained dog. I know your goal is ten and that could be done within 1 short strip of highway. I have a dog in my neighborhood that has lived chain the whole time they have lived here. They even have him way off from the house along the tree line. He has a delapitated plywood doghouse and I NEVER see anyone go over to him. Well I take that back, a few weeks ago the little boy was out there taunting him with a hoe in his hand. He just lies out there in the rain. He doesn't go in the doghouse...I doubt it has a bottom. I know there may be dogs treated worse but he is my "special" one. I see him everyday !
I live in GA, just over the TN state line. One block over has five houses in a row with chained dogs in their front yard 24/7. The last house has two chained in the back also. I have hung signs on their street about "how inhumane it is, 13 GA counties has banned chaining for a reason and to have some compassion and bring your dogs in." One of them finally built a small fenced area. Sent Valentines this year to them to no avail. One beautiful golden retriever has been chained 24/7 since I moved here almost six years ago, he has worn away all traces of vegetation and lives in the dirt. Please come visit!
High Point, NC. The neighborhood near the police dept has hundreds of chained dogs.
Just outside the city of Birmingham--the west side of town. Dogs tied everywhere. Some houses have multiple dogs tied in one yard. It makes me sick.
12 Days, 12 States, 120 Chained Dogs
Day 1: April 6th, Missouri
Day 2: April 7th, Arkansas
Day 3: April 8th, Lousiana
Day 4: April 9th, Mississippi
Day 5: April 10, Alabama
Day 6: April 11, Georgia
Day 7: April 12, South Carolina
Day 8: April 13, North Carolina
Day 9: April 14, Tennessee
Day 10: April 15, Kentucky
Day 11: April 16, Virginia
Day 12: April 17, West Virginia
We plan to offer new collars and leashes for as many dogs as we can afford, plus give out treats and dog food in addition to educational materials and discussions. If you can help fund the trip and the supplies we'd like to deliver, it would be very much appreciated.
We Can Now Take Donations Over the Phone at 1.877.636.1408
If you'd like to donate via regular USPS mail, you may print out this
form in .pdf format, and send to P.O. Box 23, Tipton, PA 1668
Email Oprah Thanks and Ask for a Show on Chained Dogs Next
Update April 4, 2008. We've received over 120 tips from dog lovers from all twelve states, thanks so much for you help and support! We have offers of lodging, speaking, and media help in many of the areas, which we are gratefully accepting when it is at all possible or feasible logistically. Most pleas for our help came from North Carolina, where there is either a large awareness of the problem, or a very large problem statewide. Unfortunately since we are spending only one day per state, we have had to choose only those pleas or offers of lodging that are within or near our driving path between states. If we were to spend two days we could meet you all, but with the intention of the tour being to find as many as we can in only one day, we will be very pressed for time. Please know that we are very grateful for your caring and worries for chained dogs near you, regardless if we make it to your area or not! Keep on working for them, do not give up even when it seems hopeless.
Here are just a few of the heartbreaking tips we've received so far, some of which we can't even get to because they are too far out of our path:
I live in Alabama & it is considered "normal" for people to chain or pen their dogs.Dogs are not considered family members & few get to live inside with humans. Very few people have fenced yards. You could easily find a lot more than 10 dogs on chains within a 30 mi radius (Colbert, Franklin, & Lauderdale Counties).
I live in Georgia, my back yard neighbor has 4 pits chained and pad locked in his yard.
In Missouri, a Chihuaha and its yellow friend have been tied out on the coldest days of this winter in the freezing temperatures, snow, slush, and ice. The poor little Chihuahua laid shivering in its "doghouse" on a damp blanket not even looking up when a friend went to check on it. These 2 dogs deserve such a better life.
I live in North Carolina and my county really needs you!! I am sure you hear that from everyone but I really mean it. I live in Johnston County and people here have what I refer to as the good ole' mentality. They think they are suppose to have a dog in the yard no matter if they want it or not. It is a lawn ornament to them. You can not go 1 mile without seeing a chained dog. I know your goal is ten and that could be done within 1 short strip of highway. I have a dog in my neighborhood that has lived chain the whole time they have lived here. They even have him way off from the house along the tree line. He has a delapitated plywood doghouse and I NEVER see anyone go over to him. Well I take that back, a few weeks ago the little boy was out there taunting him with a hoe in his hand. He just lies out there in the rain. He doesn't go in the doghouse...I doubt it has a bottom. I know there may be dogs treated worse but he is my "special" one. I see him everyday !
I live in GA, just over the TN state line. One block over has five houses in a row with chained dogs in their front yard 24/7. The last house has two chained in the back also. I have hung signs on their street about "how inhumane it is, 13 GA counties has banned chaining for a reason and to have some compassion and bring your dogs in." One of them finally built a small fenced area. Sent Valentines this year to them to no avail. One beautiful golden retriever has been chained 24/7 since I moved here almost six years ago, he has worn away all traces of vegetation and lives in the dirt. Please come visit!
High Point, NC. The neighborhood near the police dept has hundreds of chained dogs.
Just outside the city of Birmingham--the west side of town. Dogs tied everywhere. Some houses have multiple dogs tied in one yard. It makes me sick.
12 Days, 12 States, 120 Chained Dogs
Day 1: April 6th, Missouri
Day 2: April 7th, Arkansas
Day 3: April 8th, Lousiana
Day 4: April 9th, Mississippi
Day 5: April 10, Alabama
Day 6: April 11, Georgia
Day 7: April 12, South Carolina
Day 8: April 13, North Carolina
Day 9: April 14, Tennessee
Day 10: April 15, Kentucky
Day 11: April 16, Virginia
Day 12: April 17, West Virginia
We plan to offer new collars and leashes for as many dogs as we can afford, plus give out treats and dog food in addition to educational materials and discussions. If you can help fund the trip and the supplies we'd like to deliver, it would be very much appreciated.
We Can Now Take Donations Over the Phone at 1.877.636.1408
If you'd like to donate via regular USPS mail, you may print out this
form in .pdf format, and send to P.O. Box 23, Tipton, PA 1668
Monday, January 28, 2008
Just Another Piece of Garbage? I Don't Think So!
Online link to the article
Every week at Dogs Deserve Better we receive pictures of chained dogs that are obviously just another piece of trash, left and forgotten, in the caretaker's yard. The dog sits, day after day and year after year, amidst old junk cars, broken toys, rusted tools, and nameless and sundry other used up and broken paraphenalia, becoming too sad to even bark or make a fuss anymore.
I believe a good portion of the blame for the pervasiveness of this attitude rests upon the shoulders of this state's law enforcement agencies and judicial system. Three recent Pennsylvania cases not only support this argument, but were, in fact, what has led me to this conclusion.
Contrary to what many of us may think, Pennsylvania DOES in fact have anti-cruelty laws in place. They state: A person commits a summary offense if he wantonly or cruelly ill-treats, overloads, beats, otherwise abuses any animal, or neglects any animal as to which he has a duty of care, whether belonging to himself or otherwise, or abandons any animal, or deprives any animal of necessary sustenance, drink, shelter or veterinary care, or access to clean and sanitary shelter which will protect the animal against inclement weather and preserve the animal's body heat and keep it dry. A person convicted of a summary offense should pay a fine of not less than $ 50 nor more than $ 750 or to imprisonment for not more than 90 days, or both.
So why does Pennsylvania have so many cases of dead and dying dogs, oftentimes abandoned on the end of a chain or locked in a shed where they remain until death?
The problem seems to lie in the actual ENFORCEMENT of these laws. More often than not they are simply not enforced. The police feel it is not their job to enforce them, and the humane officers, few that there are, are both overwhelmed and beaten down by a judicial system that all too frequently sides with the abusers. They become lackadaisical about enforcement because they know whatever work they put into building a case, the judge may very well throw it out and let the abuser walk. There is no reward for their efforts on behalf of the animal, only loss after loss in the courtroom, leading to an eventual paralysis of both heart and mind.
Recently in Centre County, PA, Dogs Deserve Better volunteers twice tried to get a humane officer to go look at chained dogs to ascertain if laws were being broken. They were told both times that the officer had more than 30 counties to oversee, and there was no way she could get there anytime in the near future. What happens to a dog who is near death in these counties without adequate humane enforcement and police who feel it's not their job? I think we all know the answer to that. And I think it's happening daily, with no one held accountable for yet another death of another helpless companion.
The attitude that dogs in Pennsylvania are JUST PROPERTY, and can be treated as such, is archaic and in need of some serious overhaul. In a sad nod to the effects of this 'just property' notion, and in what may horrifyingly become a legal trend, is convicting animal abusers of 'scattering rubbish' instead of the actual crime of cruelty to animals.
Scattering rubbish, a dead dog? With insane verdicts such as these appearing in our state newspapers and other media, the court system and law enforcement agencies are putting forth and reinforcing the notion that dogs are just another piece of garbage; that it's ok to kill a dog as long as you dispose of it properly. This lends credence to the already prevalent notion amongst Pennsylvania's animal abusers that dogs are not living breathing creatures deserving of our respect and just treatment according to the law, but merely chattel, refuse, something worthless and of no value. That you can dispose of one and get another with no consequences and no thought.
On January 8, 2008 in Stroudsburg, PA, Arnold Wheeler was acquitted of animal cruelty charges in the 2006 shootings of three of his dogs. Wheeler use a .22-caliber rifle to shoot a 2 year old male dog 4 times, an 8-month-old female dog 3 times, and another female with puppies 1 time, and then dumped their bodies off along the road. For these crimes he walked, but was instead convicted of scattering rubbish for dumping the dog's bodies. He was ordered to pay a $200 fine and sentenced to 30 days in jail.
Then on January 24th, 2008, Cheryl Magnotta of Smethport, PA was sentenced for 6 counts of animal cruelty, after pleading guilty to abandoning 21 Great Danes and leaving them to die of starvation on her property. She was initially charged with 44 counts of 'scattering rubbish' and 21 counts of animal cruelty, but she pled out of all 44 counts of rubbish charges and all but 6 of the animal cruelty charges. She received time served and probation.
On September 11, 2006, I helped a dog left to die on the end of a chain in a yard, a useless 'piece of refuse' who could no longer stand or even bark. Despite video and photo evidence of cruelty, as well as eye-witness and vet testimony, no charges were ever filed by either the police or the humane officer against the dog's caretakers. Private criminal charges filed by myself and Dogs Deserve Better remain 'in limbo', probably in a 'let's avoid this' stack of charges on the DA's desk. Instead, I was arrested for 'stealing their property', and refusing to give it back when it was demanded of me. I was convicted and will be sentenced on February 22th...for standing up for 'just another piece of Pennsylvania garbage'.
Maybe, and that's a big maybe in East Freedom, Pennsylvania, if Doogie had died that day and been dumped along the road by the Arnolds, they too would have been convicted of 'scattering rubbish'. We will never know, because this one time someone stepped in and picked up the trash before it was all the way dead. With my conviction, the message being sent once again to the Pennsylvania public is that it's ok to kill your dog, because it's just another piece of junk laying in your yard; treat it as you see fit.
Just make sure you dispose of it properly when you're done.
Tammy S. Grimes, founder, Dogs Deserve Better, www.dogsdeservebetter.org
Every week at Dogs Deserve Better we receive pictures of chained dogs that are obviously just another piece of trash, left and forgotten, in the caretaker's yard. The dog sits, day after day and year after year, amidst old junk cars, broken toys, rusted tools, and nameless and sundry other used up and broken paraphenalia, becoming too sad to even bark or make a fuss anymore.
I believe a good portion of the blame for the pervasiveness of this attitude rests upon the shoulders of this state's law enforcement agencies and judicial system. Three recent Pennsylvania cases not only support this argument, but were, in fact, what has led me to this conclusion.
Contrary to what many of us may think, Pennsylvania DOES in fact have anti-cruelty laws in place. They state: A person commits a summary offense if he wantonly or cruelly ill-treats, overloads, beats, otherwise abuses any animal, or neglects any animal as to which he has a duty of care, whether belonging to himself or otherwise, or abandons any animal, or deprives any animal of necessary sustenance, drink, shelter or veterinary care, or access to clean and sanitary shelter which will protect the animal against inclement weather and preserve the animal's body heat and keep it dry. A person convicted of a summary offense should pay a fine of not less than $ 50 nor more than $ 750 or to imprisonment for not more than 90 days, or both.
So why does Pennsylvania have so many cases of dead and dying dogs, oftentimes abandoned on the end of a chain or locked in a shed where they remain until death?
The problem seems to lie in the actual ENFORCEMENT of these laws. More often than not they are simply not enforced. The police feel it is not their job to enforce them, and the humane officers, few that there are, are both overwhelmed and beaten down by a judicial system that all too frequently sides with the abusers. They become lackadaisical about enforcement because they know whatever work they put into building a case, the judge may very well throw it out and let the abuser walk. There is no reward for their efforts on behalf of the animal, only loss after loss in the courtroom, leading to an eventual paralysis of both heart and mind.
Recently in Centre County, PA, Dogs Deserve Better volunteers twice tried to get a humane officer to go look at chained dogs to ascertain if laws were being broken. They were told both times that the officer had more than 30 counties to oversee, and there was no way she could get there anytime in the near future. What happens to a dog who is near death in these counties without adequate humane enforcement and police who feel it's not their job? I think we all know the answer to that. And I think it's happening daily, with no one held accountable for yet another death of another helpless companion.
The attitude that dogs in Pennsylvania are JUST PROPERTY, and can be treated as such, is archaic and in need of some serious overhaul. In a sad nod to the effects of this 'just property' notion, and in what may horrifyingly become a legal trend, is convicting animal abusers of 'scattering rubbish' instead of the actual crime of cruelty to animals.
Scattering rubbish, a dead dog? With insane verdicts such as these appearing in our state newspapers and other media, the court system and law enforcement agencies are putting forth and reinforcing the notion that dogs are just another piece of garbage; that it's ok to kill a dog as long as you dispose of it properly. This lends credence to the already prevalent notion amongst Pennsylvania's animal abusers that dogs are not living breathing creatures deserving of our respect and just treatment according to the law, but merely chattel, refuse, something worthless and of no value. That you can dispose of one and get another with no consequences and no thought.
On January 8, 2008 in Stroudsburg, PA, Arnold Wheeler was acquitted of animal cruelty charges in the 2006 shootings of three of his dogs. Wheeler use a .22-caliber rifle to shoot a 2 year old male dog 4 times, an 8-month-old female dog 3 times, and another female with puppies 1 time, and then dumped their bodies off along the road. For these crimes he walked, but was instead convicted of scattering rubbish for dumping the dog's bodies. He was ordered to pay a $200 fine and sentenced to 30 days in jail.
Then on January 24th, 2008, Cheryl Magnotta of Smethport, PA was sentenced for 6 counts of animal cruelty, after pleading guilty to abandoning 21 Great Danes and leaving them to die of starvation on her property. She was initially charged with 44 counts of 'scattering rubbish' and 21 counts of animal cruelty, but she pled out of all 44 counts of rubbish charges and all but 6 of the animal cruelty charges. She received time served and probation.
On September 11, 2006, I helped a dog left to die on the end of a chain in a yard, a useless 'piece of refuse' who could no longer stand or even bark. Despite video and photo evidence of cruelty, as well as eye-witness and vet testimony, no charges were ever filed by either the police or the humane officer against the dog's caretakers. Private criminal charges filed by myself and Dogs Deserve Better remain 'in limbo', probably in a 'let's avoid this' stack of charges on the DA's desk. Instead, I was arrested for 'stealing their property', and refusing to give it back when it was demanded of me. I was convicted and will be sentenced on February 22th...for standing up for 'just another piece of Pennsylvania garbage'.
Maybe, and that's a big maybe in East Freedom, Pennsylvania, if Doogie had died that day and been dumped along the road by the Arnolds, they too would have been convicted of 'scattering rubbish'. We will never know, because this one time someone stepped in and picked up the trash before it was all the way dead. With my conviction, the message being sent once again to the Pennsylvania public is that it's ok to kill your dog, because it's just another piece of junk laying in your yard; treat it as you see fit.
Just make sure you dispose of it properly when you're done.
Tammy S. Grimes, founder, Dogs Deserve Better, www.dogsdeservebetter.org
Wednesday, January 23, 2008
10,000 Addresses? No Sweat...Just Get Me One Each!
Meet my newest foster, Delilah. (Rumor has it is considering me for her new mommy...she talks in her sleep when she's snuggled up to me at night, and I swear I heard her say it!)
She, like Riley who so many of you generously sponsored this Holiday Season, had been living on a chain without even the ability to see to relieve the daily boredom, loneliness, and yearly sojourn into Pennsylvania's winter cold. For she's blind.
Can you imagine even for a moment living your life on the end of a chain not able to see? How terrifying, so helpless to even defend yourself against intruders.
Thanks to a network of Pennsylvania volunteers, Delilah is now free and loving her inside home and family here with me, even sharing in the Christmas joys with her siblings.
Sadly, her beagle friend remains on a chain at the home where she lived; he's a 'huntin' dog', and they would not release him. I have sent them a special letter offering fencing if he could come into the home to live with them, but have not heard back yet. He will be one of the 25 new addresses I am personally pledging for our 2008 Have a Heart for Chained Dogs Campaign. But I know there are hundreds of thousands more of them out there across America and Canada!
I don't need you to pledge 25, but I am asking each of you to send us just 1 ADDRESS.
If everyone who reads this sends in 1 address, we will have well over 10,000 dogs receiving Valentines this year, and our 2008 HAVE A HEART FOR CHAINED DOGS campaign goal will be met and even exceeded!
To make it 'more anonymous' and easier than ever, I've put a form on the Valentine's page where you can submit your addresses simply and quickly, and include pertinent information such as how many dogs live there and whether they are chained, penned, or in some cases, both.
Drive by chained dogs Daily? Weekly? Please get those addresses today!
Truly don't see a chained dog anywhere near you? Consider making Valentines, sending coupons, or donating to cover the cost of the campaign.
Here's the link to our Valentine's page
Read this great article by Sandy Eckstein of the Atlanta Journal Constitution about the Valentine campaign:Some construction paper, glue and scissors could help a dog get a better life... Read More
She, like Riley who so many of you generously sponsored this Holiday Season, had been living on a chain without even the ability to see to relieve the daily boredom, loneliness, and yearly sojourn into Pennsylvania's winter cold. For she's blind.
Can you imagine even for a moment living your life on the end of a chain not able to see? How terrifying, so helpless to even defend yourself against intruders.
Thanks to a network of Pennsylvania volunteers, Delilah is now free and loving her inside home and family here with me, even sharing in the Christmas joys with her siblings.
Sadly, her beagle friend remains on a chain at the home where she lived; he's a 'huntin' dog', and they would not release him. I have sent them a special letter offering fencing if he could come into the home to live with them, but have not heard back yet. He will be one of the 25 new addresses I am personally pledging for our 2008 Have a Heart for Chained Dogs Campaign. But I know there are hundreds of thousands more of them out there across America and Canada!
I don't need you to pledge 25, but I am asking each of you to send us just 1 ADDRESS.
If everyone who reads this sends in 1 address, we will have well over 10,000 dogs receiving Valentines this year, and our 2008 HAVE A HEART FOR CHAINED DOGS campaign goal will be met and even exceeded!
To make it 'more anonymous' and easier than ever, I've put a form on the Valentine's page where you can submit your addresses simply and quickly, and include pertinent information such as how many dogs live there and whether they are chained, penned, or in some cases, both.
Drive by chained dogs Daily? Weekly? Please get those addresses today!
Truly don't see a chained dog anywhere near you? Consider making Valentines, sending coupons, or donating to cover the cost of the campaign.
Here's the link to our Valentine's page
Read this great article by Sandy Eckstein of the Atlanta Journal Constitution about the Valentine campaign:Some construction paper, glue and scissors could help a dog get a better life... Read More
DDB to Pair 10,000 Valentines with Chained Dogs
For Immediate Release
Contact: Tammy S. Grimes • founder, Dogs Deserve Better • www.dogsdeservebetter.org
tammy@dogsdeservebetter.org • P.O. Box 23, Tipton, PA 16684 • 1.877.636.1408 • 814.941.7447
Group set to pair 10,000 valentines with chained dogs
during "have a heart for chained dogs" week, Feb. 7-14
Seeks Elementary School Students, Clubs, Groups, and
Individuals to Make Valentines for Delivery to Chained Dogs Nationwide
Tipton, PA -- January 01, 2008 -- As Valentine's Day approaches, non-profit Dogs Deserve Better is asking for help from dog lovers and others in an unusual direct mail outreach which pairs Valentines created by schoolchildren with America's chained dogs.
Dogs Deserve Better, a national rescue and advocacy group dedicated to ending the suffering endured by perpetually chained dogs, annually sends Valentines and dog treat coupons to chained canines across the country. The group includes a brochure for the dog's caretakers, explaining why the antiquated practice of chaining dogs for their lives is a form of abuse. The materials encourage people to bring their dogs into the home and family or to find better homes for the animals.
By the end of January, the group needs 10,000 addresses for perpetually chained dogs, volunteers to make the Valentines, and donations of coupons for dog treats or dog food.
"Winter is a critical time to reach out directly to the people who chain their dogs, and what better excuse than Valentine's Day to send these forgotten animals a little love," says Tammy Grimes, founder and director of the five-year-old non-profit. "Every winter our rescuers see dogs that have frozen in the snow, suffered frostbite, or otherwise endured horrific living conditions because of the longstanding misperception that it is appropriate to chain a dog outside in any kind of weather."
"This is the perfect opportunity for people who pass chained dogs every day, or who live next door to these poor animals, but feel powerless to make a difference," continues Grimes. "People can anonymously provide us with the addresses of these dogs, or perhaps make a batch of Valentines, and we do the rest."
Dogs Deserve Better sees success stories every year from its grassroots direct mail campaign. "Of course, we get angry calls from people who are mired in habit or tradition and don't see anything wrong with chaining a dog for 10 or 15 years. However, on the flip side, we always learn of situations where the recipients of our Valentines take the opportunity to think about the suffering they are causing and either bring the dog inside or find the dog a better home."
The creation of the Valentines is an ideal project for schools, scouting troops, and other similar organizations. "Children have a natural affinity for animals and they enjoy making art projects," says Grimes, an artist herself.
Although the practice of 24/7 chaining is pervasive in many parts of the country, especially in rural areas, states and cities have, in recent years, started to pass laws against the practice. California passed a law in 2006 and Texas followed suit in 2007. Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and South Carolina are among the states currently considering laws that would put reasonable limits on how long a dog may be chained outdoors. Hundreds of cities have passed, or are considering, similar legislation.
Meanwhile, countless "backyard dogs" are spending yet another winter in the cold. Often, they shiver day and night in leaky, uninsulated doghouses, suffer from thirst because their water is frozen, and pace neurotically from lack of exercise and attention. Perpetually chained dogs can become aggressive or insane from their constant confinement, often posing a danger to people.
Dogs Deserve Better provides a variety of services to people who agree to take their dogs off their chains, including providing help with socialization, housetraining, and fencing.
For more information about the Valentine's Day outreach, go to http://www.dogsdeservebetter.org/Valentines2008.html or email info@dogsdeservebetter.org.
Valentines, addresses and donations can be sent to: P.O. Box 23, Tipton, Pennsylvania 16684.
For general information about Dogs Deserve Better go to www.dogsdeservebetter.org.
END
Note: For hi-resolution photos, please visit the site at
http://www.dogsdeservebetter.org/Valentines2008.html.
Contact: Tammy S. Grimes • founder, Dogs Deserve Better • www.dogsdeservebetter.org
tammy@dogsdeservebetter.org • P.O. Box 23, Tipton, PA 16684 • 1.877.636.1408 • 814.941.7447
Group set to pair 10,000 valentines with chained dogs
during "have a heart for chained dogs" week, Feb. 7-14
Seeks Elementary School Students, Clubs, Groups, and
Individuals to Make Valentines for Delivery to Chained Dogs Nationwide
Tipton, PA -- January 01, 2008 -- As Valentine's Day approaches, non-profit Dogs Deserve Better is asking for help from dog lovers and others in an unusual direct mail outreach which pairs Valentines created by schoolchildren with America's chained dogs.
Dogs Deserve Better, a national rescue and advocacy group dedicated to ending the suffering endured by perpetually chained dogs, annually sends Valentines and dog treat coupons to chained canines across the country. The group includes a brochure for the dog's caretakers, explaining why the antiquated practice of chaining dogs for their lives is a form of abuse. The materials encourage people to bring their dogs into the home and family or to find better homes for the animals.
By the end of January, the group needs 10,000 addresses for perpetually chained dogs, volunteers to make the Valentines, and donations of coupons for dog treats or dog food.
"Winter is a critical time to reach out directly to the people who chain their dogs, and what better excuse than Valentine's Day to send these forgotten animals a little love," says Tammy Grimes, founder and director of the five-year-old non-profit. "Every winter our rescuers see dogs that have frozen in the snow, suffered frostbite, or otherwise endured horrific living conditions because of the longstanding misperception that it is appropriate to chain a dog outside in any kind of weather."
"This is the perfect opportunity for people who pass chained dogs every day, or who live next door to these poor animals, but feel powerless to make a difference," continues Grimes. "People can anonymously provide us with the addresses of these dogs, or perhaps make a batch of Valentines, and we do the rest."
Dogs Deserve Better sees success stories every year from its grassroots direct mail campaign. "Of course, we get angry calls from people who are mired in habit or tradition and don't see anything wrong with chaining a dog for 10 or 15 years. However, on the flip side, we always learn of situations where the recipients of our Valentines take the opportunity to think about the suffering they are causing and either bring the dog inside or find the dog a better home."
The creation of the Valentines is an ideal project for schools, scouting troops, and other similar organizations. "Children have a natural affinity for animals and they enjoy making art projects," says Grimes, an artist herself.
Although the practice of 24/7 chaining is pervasive in many parts of the country, especially in rural areas, states and cities have, in recent years, started to pass laws against the practice. California passed a law in 2006 and Texas followed suit in 2007. Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and South Carolina are among the states currently considering laws that would put reasonable limits on how long a dog may be chained outdoors. Hundreds of cities have passed, or are considering, similar legislation.
Meanwhile, countless "backyard dogs" are spending yet another winter in the cold. Often, they shiver day and night in leaky, uninsulated doghouses, suffer from thirst because their water is frozen, and pace neurotically from lack of exercise and attention. Perpetually chained dogs can become aggressive or insane from their constant confinement, often posing a danger to people.
Dogs Deserve Better provides a variety of services to people who agree to take their dogs off their chains, including providing help with socialization, housetraining, and fencing.
For more information about the Valentine's Day outreach, go to http://www.dogsdeservebetter.org/Valentines2008.html or email info@dogsdeservebetter.org.
Valentines, addresses and donations can be sent to: P.O. Box 23, Tipton, Pennsylvania 16684.
For general information about Dogs Deserve Better go to www.dogsdeservebetter.org.
END
Note: For hi-resolution photos, please visit the site at
http://www.dogsdeservebetter.org/Valentines2008.html.
Monday, December 17, 2007
Open Letter from Tammy Grimes December 17, 2007
On September 11, 2006, I rescued a dog that was dying at the end of a chain in a muddy yard in a small Pennsylvania town. I was subsequently arrested. A little over a year later, on December 15, 2007, I was convicted of theft and receiving stolen property.
The last year has been the most traumatic and the most inspirational of my life. I have been labeled a "terrorist" a "vigilante", and an "anarchist." I have been called a hero. I have been humbled by encouragement and well wishes from people all over the world. I have been attacked in person and in print in my small town, where the prevailing view is that it is fine and dandy to tie a dog to a tree or a dog house and leave it to pace back and forth for year after agonizing year, in skull-cracking cold or 100-degree weather, with nothing but parasites for company.
I don't regret what I did. Not for one second. And when it comes to rescuing dogs and changing minds and laws, I'm just getting started. Here's why.
The dog at the center of all this, a dog we would eventually name Doogie, had been lying in the mud and rain for three days, chained to the dog house he had been attached to for years. He was unable to stand and was pawing the air in desperation. His owners chose to go four-wheeling and to work on Monday instead of getting him the vet help he needed and deserved, but most importantly was entitled to by law. A distraught neighbor had called animal control repeatedly over the course of the three days. But as so often happens, no "humane" officer called back. No one ever showed up. (Surprised? Trust me, it happens all the time, and not just in my town.) The frantic neighbor eventually reached out to me and to Dogs Deserve Better.
What I did next set in motion a chain of events that would eventually garner national attention, the wrath of some, the support of others, and an agonizing trial during which I had to listen to lies and mischaracterizations for three days: I removed that dog's chain and I took him to the veterinarian. It was all very clear to me as I lifted the emaciated, wet dog into my van. I had been in animal rescue long enough to know that I would probably be labeled the villain while the dog's caretakers wouldn't even be questioned for leaving a suffering dog on the ground for three days, not to mention all the years they tied him to a shabby box in the yard; letting his toenails to grow so long they were curling back toward his pads, denying him vet care when he most needed it.
But I also knew that what I was doing was morally correct. It was the compassionate thing to do. It was the only thing I could do. Time was of the essence. A dog was suffering. I felt he was dying.
In court, it became increasingly clear that our 'humane officer' left me "holding the bag." He had been offered the dog by me as part of what should have been a cruelty case against the caretakers 2 times on September 11th, but ignored me both times. On the witness stand the officer, in an attempt to cover his own ass, stated he told me and the vet assistants not to remove Doogie from the vets. This is absolutely untrue, and if he had done so I would not have been put in the position of choosing between Doogie's skin and my own.
So, now I'm guilty. Ah yes, guilty of caring about a dog that had been left to die. Guilty of putting myself and my reputation on the line because I can't stand to see suffering. Yes, call me guilty.
At Dogs Deserve Better, we see dogs in horrific situations every day. Sometimes these sad animals are neurotic or aggressive from years at the end of a chain. Sometimes, they are half-starved or have collars embedded in their necks. Sometimes they are dead. So, why go out on a limb for one old dog? Why take a moral stand in this one instance? Why challenge a law, when Dogs Deserve Better has stuck to the letter of the law in almost 1,000 rescues to date?
The answer is simple: because it was the right thing to do. Because our laws regarding personal property and animal welfare are contradictory and archaic. Because Michael Vick can't kill his dogs, but the Arnolds can. Because, at the end of the day, I knew I simply couldn't live with myself if I walked away from that dog and left him to suffer there in the mud.
Doogie blossomed after we got him medical care and showed him a warm bed and a little love. He not only walked again, but actually ambled around with a spring in his step. Imagine. A dog that for many years could not take more than a few steps before being yanked back by a chain, was trotting around a yard and enjoying soft hands and a warm home!
I have no illusions about my life's work. I know some people will never get it. I know some people think "it is just a dog." I know some people consider me the representation of all that is evil because I have compassion for animals and because in one isolated incident, where the clock was ticking and life was ebbing, I took someone's "property" -- property that the owners had for all intents and purposes abandoned on the ground like a used-up piece of junk. But I don't care what my detractors think because I now know that I have more support, more friends, more allies, than I ever dreamed possible.
The support I have received during the last year has made me stronger in my convictions and more steadfast in my work. I know that the vast majority of reasonable, educated, compassionate people believe that it is barbaric beyond imagining to chain a dog for its life. I know that anti-tethering laws will continue to be passed in states, cities and counties across this country. ("No-brainers" a recent news article called these laws.) And I'm going to work harder than ever to make sure that happens.
Five years ago, when I started Dogs Deserve Better, people laughed in my face when I talked about laws against chaining. Today, three states have passed laws that severely limit the practice, as have hundreds of cities and counties, some banning chaining altogether. I know that I will see the day when our society sees tying a dog to a doghouse for 15 years as abhorrent as eating a dog.
Oh yes, make no mistake: times change and morality and compassion eventually triumph over ignorance and stupid, blind habit. Slavery ended. Women got the right to vote. Wife beating is no long accepted. You don't see a lot of kids working in mines or sweat shops anymore. Even dog fighting was made a crime.
I can't help but think about Rosa Parks. We can be sure she never regretted refusing to budge from that Montgomery bus seat. And though I may never be as brave as she was, I'll never regret taking a half-dead dog from someone's yard.
In memory of Doogie. May he rest in peace.
The last year has been the most traumatic and the most inspirational of my life. I have been labeled a "terrorist" a "vigilante", and an "anarchist." I have been called a hero. I have been humbled by encouragement and well wishes from people all over the world. I have been attacked in person and in print in my small town, where the prevailing view is that it is fine and dandy to tie a dog to a tree or a dog house and leave it to pace back and forth for year after agonizing year, in skull-cracking cold or 100-degree weather, with nothing but parasites for company.
I don't regret what I did. Not for one second. And when it comes to rescuing dogs and changing minds and laws, I'm just getting started. Here's why.
The dog at the center of all this, a dog we would eventually name Doogie, had been lying in the mud and rain for three days, chained to the dog house he had been attached to for years. He was unable to stand and was pawing the air in desperation. His owners chose to go four-wheeling and to work on Monday instead of getting him the vet help he needed and deserved, but most importantly was entitled to by law. A distraught neighbor had called animal control repeatedly over the course of the three days. But as so often happens, no "humane" officer called back. No one ever showed up. (Surprised? Trust me, it happens all the time, and not just in my town.) The frantic neighbor eventually reached out to me and to Dogs Deserve Better.
What I did next set in motion a chain of events that would eventually garner national attention, the wrath of some, the support of others, and an agonizing trial during which I had to listen to lies and mischaracterizations for three days: I removed that dog's chain and I took him to the veterinarian. It was all very clear to me as I lifted the emaciated, wet dog into my van. I had been in animal rescue long enough to know that I would probably be labeled the villain while the dog's caretakers wouldn't even be questioned for leaving a suffering dog on the ground for three days, not to mention all the years they tied him to a shabby box in the yard; letting his toenails to grow so long they were curling back toward his pads, denying him vet care when he most needed it.
But I also knew that what I was doing was morally correct. It was the compassionate thing to do. It was the only thing I could do. Time was of the essence. A dog was suffering. I felt he was dying.
In court, it became increasingly clear that our 'humane officer' left me "holding the bag." He had been offered the dog by me as part of what should have been a cruelty case against the caretakers 2 times on September 11th, but ignored me both times. On the witness stand the officer, in an attempt to cover his own ass, stated he told me and the vet assistants not to remove Doogie from the vets. This is absolutely untrue, and if he had done so I would not have been put in the position of choosing between Doogie's skin and my own.
So, now I'm guilty. Ah yes, guilty of caring about a dog that had been left to die. Guilty of putting myself and my reputation on the line because I can't stand to see suffering. Yes, call me guilty.
At Dogs Deserve Better, we see dogs in horrific situations every day. Sometimes these sad animals are neurotic or aggressive from years at the end of a chain. Sometimes, they are half-starved or have collars embedded in their necks. Sometimes they are dead. So, why go out on a limb for one old dog? Why take a moral stand in this one instance? Why challenge a law, when Dogs Deserve Better has stuck to the letter of the law in almost 1,000 rescues to date?
The answer is simple: because it was the right thing to do. Because our laws regarding personal property and animal welfare are contradictory and archaic. Because Michael Vick can't kill his dogs, but the Arnolds can. Because, at the end of the day, I knew I simply couldn't live with myself if I walked away from that dog and left him to suffer there in the mud.
Doogie blossomed after we got him medical care and showed him a warm bed and a little love. He not only walked again, but actually ambled around with a spring in his step. Imagine. A dog that for many years could not take more than a few steps before being yanked back by a chain, was trotting around a yard and enjoying soft hands and a warm home!
I have no illusions about my life's work. I know some people will never get it. I know some people think "it is just a dog." I know some people consider me the representation of all that is evil because I have compassion for animals and because in one isolated incident, where the clock was ticking and life was ebbing, I took someone's "property" -- property that the owners had for all intents and purposes abandoned on the ground like a used-up piece of junk. But I don't care what my detractors think because I now know that I have more support, more friends, more allies, than I ever dreamed possible.
The support I have received during the last year has made me stronger in my convictions and more steadfast in my work. I know that the vast majority of reasonable, educated, compassionate people believe that it is barbaric beyond imagining to chain a dog for its life. I know that anti-tethering laws will continue to be passed in states, cities and counties across this country. ("No-brainers" a recent news article called these laws.) And I'm going to work harder than ever to make sure that happens.
Five years ago, when I started Dogs Deserve Better, people laughed in my face when I talked about laws against chaining. Today, three states have passed laws that severely limit the practice, as have hundreds of cities and counties, some banning chaining altogether. I know that I will see the day when our society sees tying a dog to a doghouse for 15 years as abhorrent as eating a dog.
Oh yes, make no mistake: times change and morality and compassion eventually triumph over ignorance and stupid, blind habit. Slavery ended. Women got the right to vote. Wife beating is no long accepted. You don't see a lot of kids working in mines or sweat shops anymore. Even dog fighting was made a crime.
I can't help but think about Rosa Parks. We can be sure she never regretted refusing to budge from that Montgomery bus seat. And though I may never be as brave as she was, I'll never regret taking a half-dead dog from someone's yard.
In memory of Doogie. May he rest in peace.
Thursday, October 04, 2007
Vote for the 2008 DDB Calendar Cover Model, Formerly Chained Dogs
Vote for the DDB 2008 Calendar
"Formerly-Chained-but-Now-Free-and-
Lovin'-Life" Cover Model of your Choice:
6 Choices, 6 Days to Vote, .60 Cents per Vote
Will it be Cassidy, Chia, Douwe, Flag, Sonny, or Taz?
Welcome to our First Ever Group Vote for the "Formerly-Chained-but Now Free-and Lovin'-Life" Dogs Deserve Better 2008 Calendar Model! Each dog pictured was rescued from a chained or penned life, and is now happy, loved, and FREE to enjoy life the way dogs were meant to do...living as part of the family, with responsible and understanding caretakers.
The rules are simple: the dog with the most votes will be our 2008 Cover Model! (But don't worry...they will all find a place INSIDE the calendar.) Also, please limit your votes to 15 per person, in order to make the contest fair to all income levels...
http://www.dogsdeservebetter.org/2008calendarvote.html
Cassidy
Chia
Douwe
Flag
Sonny
Taz
http://www.dogsdeservebetter.org/2008calendarvote.html
"Formerly-Chained-but-Now-Free-and-
Lovin'-Life" Cover Model of your Choice:
6 Choices, 6 Days to Vote, .60 Cents per Vote
Will it be Cassidy, Chia, Douwe, Flag, Sonny, or Taz?
Welcome to our First Ever Group Vote for the "Formerly-Chained-but Now Free-and Lovin'-Life" Dogs Deserve Better 2008 Calendar Model! Each dog pictured was rescued from a chained or penned life, and is now happy, loved, and FREE to enjoy life the way dogs were meant to do...living as part of the family, with responsible and understanding caretakers.
The rules are simple: the dog with the most votes will be our 2008 Cover Model! (But don't worry...they will all find a place INSIDE the calendar.) Also, please limit your votes to 15 per person, in order to make the contest fair to all income levels...
http://www.dogsdeservebetter.org/2008calendarvote.html
Cassidy
Chia
Douwe
Flag
Sonny
Taz
http://www.dogsdeservebetter.org/2008calendarvote.html
Monday, September 03, 2007
Grimes Responds to DA Attempt to Bar Defense Evidence
Woman accused of dog theft issues statement in response to Pennsylvania DA's attempt to bar defense evidence from trial
Tammy Grimes says "Let's make it easy for you—I did it."
Tipton, PA — September 3, 2007 — Tammy Grimes, founder of Dogs Deserve Better, a national nonprofit working to end the suffering endured by dogs who are kept chained or penned for life, today released a statement in response to District Attorney Richard Consiglio's attempt to bar all defense evidence from the courtroom.
An article in Saturday, September 1st's Altoona Mirror states: "Consiglio on Thursday filed a request to exclude testimony during the trial [from]...a veterinarian as an expert witness to discuss the dog's condition," as well as videotape of the dog and any reference to the dog as being 'abandoned property'.
Grimes aided a dog September 11, 2006, who'd lain chained and on the ground for 3 days, unable to stand and without enforcement of existing cruelty laws. She was subsequently arrested after refusing to return the dog who she dubbed Doogie to his abusive environment.
Grimes response to the DA is as follows:
"Mr. Consiglio has stated that 'the Grimes case has nothing to do with canine rights.' On the contrary, this case has everything to do with Doogie's rights—his right to live free of abuse being already inherent in Pennsylvania anti-cruelty laws.
Whether you bar the evidence or not, the fact remains that laws were being broken for at least three days before I got there. Yet you've shown no interest in pursuing cruelty charges against the perpetrators.
It's a shame you choose not to uphold those laws, especially when the Michael Vick case clearly shows that most of America actually CARES about Man's Best Friend. I'm sorry the police force of East Freedom, Pennsylvania and District Attorney Richard Consiglio apparently do not.
My case not only has to do with the right of a dog not to be abused as per already-existing Pennsylvania laws, but also has to do with MY rights—my right to defend myself in a court of law being first and foremost.
If you take away my right to defend myself, which is what you are seeking to do, then let me go ahead and make it easy for you:
I T-O-O-K T-H-E D-O-G.
Throw me in jail.
I will not pay you a dime.
I have the right to defend my actions, and without evidence I have no defense.
This case has nothing to do with theft and everything to do with inadequacy. Inadequacy of enforcement, inadequacy of investigation, and inadequacy of prosecution.
In seeking to convict me, you actually seek instead to cover up your own inadequacies.
I will gladly go to jail for Doogie, and I would do so a thousand times over. I am not scared nor intimidated. Barring my evidence cannot stop it from being viewed by the public, which has happened over 50,000 times on YouTube, as well as on local and national news. You may seek to hide the truth, but the truth always finds its way out.
Doogie's truth is my truth, and HIS truth WILL set us BOTH free."
Dogs Deserve Better (www.dogsdeservebetter.org) is a 501c3 nonprofit organization headquartered in Tipton, Pennsylvania, is the 2003 First Place Winner of the ASPCA Pet Protector Award, and currently has over 150 area reps in 38 states as well as in Canada and France.
Tammy Grimes says "Let's make it easy for you—I did it."
Tipton, PA — September 3, 2007 — Tammy Grimes, founder of Dogs Deserve Better, a national nonprofit working to end the suffering endured by dogs who are kept chained or penned for life, today released a statement in response to District Attorney Richard Consiglio's attempt to bar all defense evidence from the courtroom.
An article in Saturday, September 1st's Altoona Mirror states: "Consiglio on Thursday filed a request to exclude testimony during the trial [from]...a veterinarian as an expert witness to discuss the dog's condition," as well as videotape of the dog and any reference to the dog as being 'abandoned property'.
Grimes aided a dog September 11, 2006, who'd lain chained and on the ground for 3 days, unable to stand and without enforcement of existing cruelty laws. She was subsequently arrested after refusing to return the dog who she dubbed Doogie to his abusive environment.
Grimes response to the DA is as follows:
"Mr. Consiglio has stated that 'the Grimes case has nothing to do with canine rights.' On the contrary, this case has everything to do with Doogie's rights—his right to live free of abuse being already inherent in Pennsylvania anti-cruelty laws.
Whether you bar the evidence or not, the fact remains that laws were being broken for at least three days before I got there. Yet you've shown no interest in pursuing cruelty charges against the perpetrators.
It's a shame you choose not to uphold those laws, especially when the Michael Vick case clearly shows that most of America actually CARES about Man's Best Friend. I'm sorry the police force of East Freedom, Pennsylvania and District Attorney Richard Consiglio apparently do not.
My case not only has to do with the right of a dog not to be abused as per already-existing Pennsylvania laws, but also has to do with MY rights—my right to defend myself in a court of law being first and foremost.
If you take away my right to defend myself, which is what you are seeking to do, then let me go ahead and make it easy for you:
I T-O-O-K T-H-E D-O-G.
Throw me in jail.
I will not pay you a dime.
I have the right to defend my actions, and without evidence I have no defense.
This case has nothing to do with theft and everything to do with inadequacy. Inadequacy of enforcement, inadequacy of investigation, and inadequacy of prosecution.
In seeking to convict me, you actually seek instead to cover up your own inadequacies.
I will gladly go to jail for Doogie, and I would do so a thousand times over. I am not scared nor intimidated. Barring my evidence cannot stop it from being viewed by the public, which has happened over 50,000 times on YouTube, as well as on local and national news. You may seek to hide the truth, but the truth always finds its way out.
Doogie's truth is my truth, and HIS truth WILL set us BOTH free."
Dogs Deserve Better (www.dogsdeservebetter.org) is a 501c3 nonprofit organization headquartered in Tipton, Pennsylvania, is the 2003 First Place Winner of the ASPCA Pet Protector Award, and currently has over 150 area reps in 38 states as well as in Canada and France.
Falling Star, Rising Son: The Football Player and the Pit Bull Art Auction
To read more and bid on this art, visit this link.
Tipton, PA — September 3, 2007 — Dogs Deserve Better, a national nonprofit working to end the suffering endured by dogs kept chained or penned for life, announced that auction has started today for a one-of-a-kind artpiece addressing dog chaining, dog fighting, and the abuse of America's pit bull type dogs. The piece, created by founder Tammy Grimes, is entitled "Falling Star, Rising Son: The Football Player and the Pit Bull", and contains stars and a shard border cut from actual NFL football tickets which were donated to the organization.
The tickets, from a DDB supporter, were for an August 26th pre-season game between the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Philadelphia Eagles, and were intended for use as a fundraiser for the organization. When the Michael Vick case came to light and organizations began boycotting NFL games, the decision was made not to sell the tickets. Ideas were solicited on YouTube, and the winning suggestion was to create an original piece of art on the issue and encompassing the actual tickets.
The piece features Phoenix, who many people fought to save and who became DDB's September's calendar dog, as the Rising Son. Grimes states her motivation as follows: "A star falls, breaking walls of depravity, immorality, inhumanity. From the ashes the son rises, conquering those who objectify him; his true champions hail and shield him...they, the Rescue Angels."
All proceeds from the auction will go to Dogs Deserve Better, with prints of the piece without the ticket stars and shards donating 50% of the proceeds to Dogs Deserve Better. In addition, the first 5 signed prints sold online will get 1 small star each cut from the remaining portions of the Steeler-Eagle tickets.
The auction will run on e-bay through September 13th, and can be reached through this link: http://www.dogsdeservebetter.org/fallingstar.html. To buy prints of the piece without the football tickets, visit http://www.littlegirllooking.com/fallingstar.html.
Dogs Deserve Better (www.dogsdeservebetter.org) is a 501c3 nonprofit organization headquartered in Tipton, Pennsylvania, is the 2003 First Place Winner of the ASPCA Pet Protector Award, and currently has over 150 area reps in 38 states as well as in Canada and France.
Thursday, May 17, 2007
“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.
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.
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