Tamira Thayne is the founder of Dogs Deserve Better, a national nonprofit working to bring dogs out of the backyard and into the home and family. She is an artist and animal advocate living in rural PA, the author of Scream Like Banshee: 29 Days of Tips and Tales to Keep your Sanity as a Doggie Foster Parent, and editor of Unchain My Heart: Dogs Deserve Better Rescue Stories of Courage, Compassion, and Caring.
With 29 Days of Tips and Tales for Animal Rescuers who Struggle with Foster Dogs from a Leading Animal Activist and Non-Profit Founder
March 2009, Tipton, PA — Termed “A really insightful book and a no-bullshit diary,” Scream Like Banshee: 29 Days of Tips and Tales to Keep your Sanity as a Doggie Foster Parent hits the market with a unique edge over other animal-related books.
The book combines not only tips for both adequate training and containment of foster dogs, but also tips for the rescuer’s mental health, as well as pleas to those who have not yet stepped up to foster a dog.
Says Cherie Smith of SmithVirtualOffice.com: “I finished reading your book and all I can say is WOW!!! You are an inspiration…you had me crying, laughing, and then crying again! The story of Banshee had me on edge the entire book.
I liked how you incorporated wellness; this book is not only for those who foster or want to foster but for everybody because it is a ‘feel good book.’ It has joy, love, sadness, grief, and how to love yourself.”
Thayne combines seven years of foster knowledge gained from housing America’s formerly chained or penned dogs with an M.S. in Naturology, the study of the body/mind/soul connection, to send a positive message of hope for mental stability while fostering.
“Fostering dogs is one of the hardest yet most rewarding experiences an animal advocate will ever have. Many of us struggle with it, and many of us feel we are failing because we are not doing it perfectly. Screw perfect! I say just do it, and I hope the tips and tales of my own struggles will inspire those who haven’t yet fostered to step up, and those who overdo to take a sanity break because their own health is important too,” states Thayne.
The book is available from lulu.com and soon will be available at all online booksellers. Dogs Deserve Better will receive $2 per every book sold on lulu.com, and—as a fundraiser for chained and penned dogs—signed and dedicated books can be purchased on the DogsDeserveBetter.org website for an additional $9.99. All additional funds will go directly to Dogs Deserve Better’s work.
Tamira Ci Thayne is founder and CEO of Dogs Deserve Better, an award-winning national nonprofit working on behalf of America’s chained and penned dogs.
Thayne holds a B.A. in Visual Arts from the University of Maryland, and a B.S. and M.S. in Naturology (study of the Body/Mind/Spirit connection) from American Institute of Holistic Theology.
She has written articles for nationwide publications including American Dog, and has been the subject of articles in magazines such as Bark, Animal Sheltering, The New Barker, and Dog’s Life, which won a Genesis Award Honorable Mention.
She has created over 30 animal advocacy art pieces, available for viewing and purchase on littlegirllooking.com, and illustrated Puddles on the Floor for Dogs Deserve Better, a humane education book written by Lorena Estep.
Scream Like Banshee is Thayne’s first book.
Thayne is available for interviews, author visits, and book signings. Please contact her at 814.941.7447 or Tami@littlegirllooking.com to request an appearance.
Tipton, PA -- March 19, 2009 -- Dogs Deserve Better today posted "Pennsylvania's Wall of Shame: Chained Dogs Still Waiting for a Law" on its website at DogsDeserveBetter.org, starting with photos of dogs in seven counties who are still living chained, and plans to expand the collection to every county in Pennsylvania.
Tamira Ci Thayne, founder and CEO of Dogs Deserve Better, spent much of the former weekend documenting dogs who've spent their lives at the end of a chain, sadly looking to all passers-by for help. "By far the worst town we found so far was Blandburg, Cambria County. Driving down a single alley netted us an easy 10-12 dogs chained and begging for attention. It's time for even the mountain boys to understand what a dog needs, and it's not life at the end of a chain."
Thayne also documented a small black and white fufu dog in Blair County whose caretaker is an old middle school boyfriend. The little dog still lives chained despite personal letters and yearly Valentines; its yardmate, an old shepherd mix, died last year, still chained and never knowing human kindness.
One photo already causing upset amongst viewers features a tan dog chained to a blue doghouse with "Do Not Water or Feed This Dog" painted in large white letters on the side.
Thayne says, "It's obvious that a neighbor was worried about this dog and was trying to give it aid, so the owners felt a need to make sure no one came near 'their property.' Good people in Pennsylvania are tired of watching dogs suffer and die at the end of chains and in pens. It's time our lawmakers 'get it' and put a stop to it. We will not back down and this year we are stepping up the pace. We aim to picture dogs from every single county of Pennsylvania on our site. Any lawmaker who thinks the dogs deserve this life of misery can face irate constituents who want answers after viewing the dogs from their county. We are requesting that citizens in every county send us photos of chained dogs to photos@dogsdeservebetter.org so we can post them in the appropriate county."
Thayne reminds lawmakers of the December 19th death of Brianna Shanor, an 8-year-old girl killed in Beaver County by a chained mixed breed dog.
"If state legislators had acted to pass our all-too-reasonable law limiting chaining of dogs for life last session, there's a good chance that this attack would not have happened. How many lives must end—both dogs and children—before legislators take the action that is both needed and demanded by our citizens?"
Dogs Deserve Better has been one of the organizations at the forefront of the push for a state law, and in the last two sessions house bills were put forward to limit chaining. Animal advocacy groups banded together to lobby for the legislation, which last year made it out of the House and to the floor before being blocked and left to die.
Connecticut, California, and Texas have all enacted some legislation limiting chaining, and over 150 cities and counties have followed suit.
For more information on Dogs Deserve Better, visit their website at dogsdeservebetter.org.
Woman convicted of dog theft in Pennsylvania Receives 'key to the city' in Fort Pierce Florida for her compassionate act
Tamira Thayne, founder of Dogs Deserve Better, honored at ceremony in late February 2009
March 1, 2009, Altoona, PA — Tamira Ci Thayne, founder of the award-winning non-profit Dogs Deserve Better, was granted the Key to the City of Fort Pierce Florida by the Mayor's office at a ceremony in late February. Thayne, formerly Tammy Grimes, was found guilty of theft and receiving stolen property in December 2007 after a three-day trial in Blair County, Pennsylvania. The case, which pitted dogs as property against the inherent rights of animals kept as companions, made headlines nationally and was featured on Inside Edition and in a host of news publications and Internet blogs.
Thayne was presented the Key to the City by Mrs. Donna Benton, wife of Mayor Bob Benton, who commended Thayne for her actions in helping Doogie, telling the audience "When you see a dog in distress, take heart and give it some aid—because they should all have a home with a family."
Thayne was arrested September 11, 2006 after rescuing a dog that had lain on the ground in a yard in East Freedom, Pennsylvania for three days, unable to stand and pleading for help. A distraught neighbor tried repeatedly to convince humane agents to help the dog, but no officer ever returned calls or showed up. Finally, the neighbor turned to Dogs Deserve Better.
Thayne, touched and honored by receiving the key to Fort Pierce, was also amused by the contrast between the actions of Fort Pierce, Florida and the actions of those in power in her hometown of Altoona, Pennsylvania.
"It's a night and day reaction," she explains with a grin. "In Altoona I am treated as a pariah, a criminal, and in fact was termed 'worse than his worst hardened-criminal' and 'a piece of trash' by District Attorney Richard Consiglio. Yet here, and in many other areas, I am honored for my efforts to help the aging shepherd, and people are able to recognize the truth for what it is.
"I want to thank Fort Pierce and Mayor Benton and his wife Donna for their courage in coming to stand behind me. No dog should be left outside for life, and no dog should ever be left to die there, unable to stand, still chained, and flailing about in the mud and his own feces.
"We are still working to bring private cruelty charges against the caretakers of this dog, and will be back in court in June to attempt to override the DA's denial of the case. We will always remember Doogie, and I never, EVER, have regretted for one moment my actions in helping him."
During the case, jurors were permitted to view photos of the dog’s emaciated condition on the day of rescue; however video taken at the scene, photographs of the dog’s much-improved condition post-rescue, and expert vet and investigation procedure testimony were barred from the courtroom. An appeal is still pending.
To learn more about the Doogie case, visit the website at http://www.dogsdeservebetter.org/doogie.html.
Dogs Deserve Better, a 501c3 nonprofit organization headquartered in Tipton, Pennsylvania, is the 2003 First Place Winner of the ASPCA Pet Protector Award. The group has 130 area reps in 35 states as well as in Canada and Hong Kong. Thayne was also a Top Ten Finalist for the 2006 Animal Planet Hero of the Year Contest.
YouTube Video Link of Award Plus Animal Control Ride-Along
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.
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.
Tamira Ci Thayne, DDB founder and CEO, is publishing her first book in February, entitled "Scream Like Banshee: 29 Days of Tips and Tales to Keep your Sanity as a Doggie Foster Parent". She is now opening the field to a limited number of book sponsorships. Each sponsorship will get you: your logo or name/business name printed on the back cover and listed as a sponsor, as well as either a 1/2 page (measured at 5"x4") or full page ad (measured at 5"x8"). Books will be sold and available at all online booksellers, as well as via the DDB website and at all DDB booths and events. To learn more or grab one of the few sponsorships available, contact Tamira at Tami@littlegirllooking.com.
Organization condemns Pennsylvania State Legislators who Failed to Enact chaining law, says "Girl's Blood is On Your Hands"
Calls for Immediate Ban on Dog Chaining in Pennsylvania after Death of Child in Chained-Dog Attack
Tipton, PA -- January 26, 2009 -- Tamira Ci Thayne, Founder of Dogs Deserve Better, an organization working to end the chaining of dogs and bring them into the home and family, issued harsh words today for those legislators who blocked a proposed law on dog chaining in the past two sessions: "Her blood is on your hands."
"Her blood" refers to the death of Brianna Shanor, an 8-year-old girl killed in Beaver County by a chained mixed breed dog on December 19th.
"If state legislators had acted to pass our all-too-reasonable law limiting chaining of dogs for life, there's a good chance that this attack would never have happened. A law which, adequately enforced, would have cut back on chaining, causing most people to either socialize dogs by bringing them into the home and family or at a minimum erect a fencing barrier between the dog and small children, would have and could have saved the life of this child.
Now she is dead, and her mother is forced to mourn her for the rest of her life. There is no easy way to say this: I place the blame for her death at the hands of those in the Pennsylvania House who blocked HB1065 last session. I am calling for an immediate and total ban on dog chaining in the state of Pennsylvania. How many lives must end—both dogs and children—before legislators take the action that is both needed and demanded by our citizens?"
According to an article in the Beaver County Times, Brianna " went near one of several dogs at the property, a more than 100-pound, mixed-breed dog, which was chained outside an old camping trailer that the dog used for shelter. The dog was on a chain 15 to 20 feet long."
A child of Brianna's size and age has no defense against a dog that large—an unsocialized, unneutered, male—bent on attacking and killing.
Dogs Deserve Better has been one of the organizations at the forefront of the push for a state law, and in the last two sessions house bills were put forward to limit chaining. Animal advocacy groups banded together to lobby for the legislation, which last year made it out of the House and to the floor before being blocked and left to die.
Connecticut, California, and Texas have all enacted some legislation limiting chaining, and over 150 cities and counties have followed suit.
For more information on Dogs Deserve Better, visit their website at dogsdeservebetter.org.
I'm doing a TV interview here in Connecticut on Sunday about the chaining of dogs for life, in which case I decided to investigate how chaining is being addressed in Connecticut...in case you don't know it, there is a chaining law in CT which states that dogs cannot be chained for 'an unreasonable amount of time.' Granted, that's not the best law, it's very vague, but it certainly implies that dogs cannot be chained 24/7, right? Check out what occurred in only 1 hour of being in the state:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PdzIvpAP0H0
I had already found the AC phone number this morning, and had it ready to call when I found this chow who I had received complaints about, only to discover at 3:43 p.m. I was already too late to actually get to speak to a Middletown, CT Animal Control officer! I then transferred myself to a policeman, who had no idea what the state law was, and found it much more prudent to argue with me about the fact that although I called at 3:43 my time, probably her time it was actually 3:45 p.m. and it was already 3:44 p.m. his time, which means that the AC was totally justified in closing up shop a few minutes early due to time differences...
He did say that the cops would 'go by there a few times tonight' looking for infractions of state law, and would inform the animal control officer of their findings. I asked him if the police would inform me of their findings if I left my number, but he told me that no, they indeed would not, and if I wanted any help to contact the AC again. I insisted he transfer me to the AC, where I left the following message:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m96yW-M93L4
I have not had a chance to edit yet or add photos and make a 'real' video of this, but check out these two videos of a dog chained in Middletown, CT on Friday, January 23, 2009.
Last night I had a dream that I was in a lush forest with tall, tall evergreen trees. I could barely see the sky because the tops of the trees came together, forming a canopy, blocking out the distant but grey sky.
I could hear dogs scattered all throughout the forest, crying for help and begging for me to come for them; but I couldn’t see them. I knew they were gonna die.
I hated the feeling, and I rushed around the forest trying to find them, to no avail. It was useless.
Then I woke up, only to discover that my dream wasn’t much different than my reality.
Last night it was -5 degrees here in Pennsylvania, with a wind chill at -20. As I snuggled up cozy in my bed with my dog and foster dogs and cats reading Breaking Dawn for the millionth time, my guts wanted to rip out of my stomach. I couldn’t even focus.
I just wanted to go to sleep so I wouldn’t have to feel the stress of knowing they were out there dying. But I felt guilty that I got to sleep warm and cozy and they are left out there to suffer another endless night and another endless day of subzero temperatures.
I feel helpless and hopeless.
I know that careless caretakers really don’t care that the dogs are frozen to the ground outside or in their pitiful excuse for a doghouse.
My brain can’t process that mentality.
When they get up in the morning, they will see if the dog is dead or not. If so, they will toss it away quickly, get rid of the evidence, before whatever local and in most cases wretchedly pathetic humane agent actually gets a call from the neighbor and may show up later to find out why they left their dog outside to die last night.
You know, just curious and all.
But it really doesn’t matter why they did it, because it’s too damn late. The dog is already dead. The dog already suffered, looking for help that never came, and died, frozen to the ground right where he lay.
And there’s nothing I can do about it.
But maybe, just maybe, if we all get angry enough, we can rise up and make some kind of damn difference. Maybe.
I spent much of the last two days faxing press releases and begging for news stories from the local news stations and papers. I did hear that the Altoona Mirror actually ran an article about animals freezing, so that’s something. I know they didn’t bother to interview us, even though that is our specialty. Maybe the TV stations did a mention, but I do know that not one of them got back to me for an interview.
I’m only local news when I get arrested, just another criminal. It’s laughable.
It really is that time, people. Don’t you feel it? Can’t you hear it calling to you?
What will it take to put the dog lovers in action? How many atrocities have to occur in America before we say enough is enough?
STOP taking the abuse. When careless caretakers abuse their dog and leave it to die in their yard, they are abusing us as well. Their pain is our pain.
When we hear and know they are suffering, we suffer right along with them. Because we’re connected.
I’m tired of being abused.
I’m tired of uprising alone.
It takes a village, people. Go uprise!
If you see a dog suffering in your area, plant yourself in front of that damn house and don’t move until you are arrested or they are. It’s really that simple.
Sooner or later the cops will know we’re not taking the abuse anymore, and they’ll start arresting the right person.
Abusers abuse, that’s what they do. They abuse us, they abuse animals. As long as we take it without fighting back, we’re just as wrong as they are.
As long as we’re big cowards, the big bullies will win.
Sorry I have been blogging in a long while...I don't know what go into me! Besides Twilight, that is...man, where are all the gorgeous, hot vampire men in this world?
Anyway, we really need some action this year for Have a Heart for Chained Dogs Week! As we're expecting to mail 12,500 valentines to chained dogs, we first and foremost need some kids and adults making the valentines...and then we need a ton of addresses of dogs to send them too...so please, please, crosspost this and help us get some action. Below is the press release, with links to the page on our site if you need more information...
Group Seeks Crafty Kids to Create Canine Valentines
Elementary School Students, Clubs, Groups, and Individuals Needed to Make Valentines for Delivery to Chained Dogs Nationwide
Tipton, PA -- January 06, 2009 -- As Valentine’s Day approaches, non-profit organization Dogs Deserve Better is asking for help from dog lovers nationwide in a direct mail outreach campaign 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 of perpetually chained dogs, annually sends Valentines and dog treat coupons to chained canines across the country during its Have a Heart for Chained Dogs Week, February 7-14.
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. Last year's campaign reached 10,435 dogs.
By the end of January, the group needs 12,500 Valentines to pair with addresses for chained and penned dogs. Each Valentine should measure no more than 4"x8.5"so that it readily fits into a mailing envelope.
"The creation of the Valentines is an ideal project for schools, scouting troops, and other similar organizations because children have a natural love for animals, especially dogs, and enjoy making art projects,” says founder Tamira Thayne, an artist herself. "We receive thousands of heart-touchingly creative Valentines made by schoolchildren each year, sending the dogs good wishes and hopes for a brighter future."
Although the practice of 24/7 chaining is pervasive in many parts of the country, especially in rural areas, states and cities have started to pass laws against the practice. California passed a law in 2006 and Texas followed suit in 2007. 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/Valentines2009.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.
Welcome to our Second Annual Group Vote for the "Formerly-Chained-but Now Free-and Lovin'-Life" Dogs Deserve Better 2009 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 2009 Cover Model! (But don't worry...they will all find a place INSIDE the calendar.) Please limit your votes to 15 per person, in order to make the contest fair to all income levels...any votes over 15 per person will not be counted, but we'll be grateful for the additional donation! The last day to vote is October 16th, so hurry!
We had a tough year at DDB...our economy stinks...so what's the solution? Get Jiggy with It! Sometimes there's nothing you can do about bad things. They happen. And sometimes we just need to bring a little joy into our lives anyway; so we know it will be OK, that if we keep fighting for our own rights and the rights of dogs not to die at the end of a chain, that someday we will come out on top.
This year let's choose happiness, let's choose the vision that our dogs will be Dancing and Free this year!
Get them in batches of 12, 25, 40, or 50, with price breaks as you order more. Send a humane message wrapped in a beautiful and fungreeting card this Holiday Season.
This lighthearted art, donated by Rocky Shepheard, shows four Unchained Rescues dancing in their ballet slippers in the snow.
By purchasing your Jiggy holiday cards with our message, you too will spread the word about chained dogs in a feel-good way, shining your own light this holiday season.
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.
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 :
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!
As Election Day approaches, both candidates are filling the airwaves with talk of change...and here at DDB we're joining in by talking about some CHAIN-GE of our own!
Help us by using your spare Change to create some lasting CHAIN-GE for America's chained and penned dogs.
It's a simple but effective idea: Help Dogs Deserve Better through Election Day by taking all your spare change, tossing it in a jar, and saving it up through November 4th. If everyone on our e-mail list saved only $5.00 in change, an amount that won't be missed by ANYONE, we'd have over $25,000 dollars by November 4th! This would go a long way toward vetting dogs, building fences, and printing educational materials in preparation for the winter onslaught of dogs who are suffering and need our help.
So, on Election Day when you go out to vote for the Candidate you believe will bring the most Change, stop by your bank or grocery, change that change into dollar bills, and send it along to Dogs Deserve Better at P.O. Box 23, Tipton, PA, 16684.
Make sure you let us know it's for our Chain-ge We Can Count On Campaign, so we can total the amount raised, and give the individual sending in the most money a free Puddles Pak of her/his choice!
Join us today in turning that Change into Chain-ge for Chained Dogs!
In a downward economy such as we're facing right now, it's the smaller nonprofits who really suffer and whose programs really suffer. Nonprofits without a 'nest egg' of bequests (DDB has not as of this date received any major bequests to enable us to build a nest egg) that have built up over time cannot hope to make it through hard times when donations dry up.
Dogs Deserve Better has always put our funding to use as it comes in month to month, expanding programs as possible, expanding vet care, and expanding educational programs whenever funding permits. We feel it's our obligation to put our donor funds to the best possible use, and sitting on it doesn't do our 'clients' any good.
I personally pledge to you that Dogs Deserve Better will keep going no matter what. Our programs are already suffering, and we will continue to cut back as necessary, yet we will not quit.
If you are not suffering financially, now is the time to step up your support for smaller nonprofits, and hopefully Dogs Deserve Better. Our monthly donor programs start as low as $5.00-$10.00 a month (we all can give that much!), and can be set up through our paypal account or through our merchant account by calling us at 814.941.7447. Monthly donations form the basis of our monthly budget, and without that money to count on, we start at square one each and every month.
Remember Dogs Deserve Better in your will or planned giving. Your gift can help our dreams come true by building a Rehab Center for America's Chained and Penned dogs and helping us expand our services exponentially.
Support our fencing or vetting programs, or give a donation to the general fund which covers our educational materials and costs of mailing to homes with chained and penned dogs.
There's so much we need, there's so much we do, there's so much this nation would lose if Dogs Deserve Better were not here. We deserve to be here, and we will not stop no matter how bad the economy becomes.
On a personal note, just this month alone someone dropped a black lab boy at my home, probably due to a foreclosure, and Sweetpea, a foster dog who was in a home for a year and a half, came back due to the economy. These are unexpected costs and unexpected guests, but I could not turn these dogs away. In tough times, our 'clients', the chained and penned dogs, are suffering even more and need our help even more. But without funding we cannot make that happen.
So continue to support the work of Dogs Deserve Better. Save your change, and help us make CHAIN-GE. Thank you.
Tamira Ci Thayne, founder and CEO, Dogs Deserve Better
Artist Insists Censorship Violates First Amendment Rights and Will Exhibit "When the Circle of Compassion Extends to All" in both Shows.
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September 18, 2008, Tipton, PA - Artist Tamira Ci Thayne, formerly known as Tammy Grimes and founder of Dogs Deserve Better, will be featured in two one-woman art shows during Pennsylvania Week for the Animals. During the exhibits at Chatham University in Pittsburgh and The Rotunda in Philadelphia Thayne will exhibit a piece entitled "When the Circle of Compassion Extends to All", a work which a Blair County, PA Judge has attempted to censor.
"When the Circle of Compassion Extends to All" has previously won an Honorable Mention at the Blair County Arts Festival.
Thayne created the piece based on her experience in rescuing a dog who lay chained and unable to stand, flailing about in the mud and his own feces. When police refused to charge the owners with cruelty and insisted Thayne (then Grimes) return the dog to its abusive situation, she refused, and was thereafter convicted of theft for helping him.
Video of the dog was withheld from the jury by the judge as well as 'after' photos and video of him standing and walking again. The judge subsequently ordered Grimes to remove all images of the dog from the Dogs Deserve Better website and her art. The case is currently in appeal.
Thayne has removed the dog's photos from items for sale on the Dogs Deserve Better site, but has refused to remove the dog's images from its history of the case page or her artwork, citing violations of first amendment rights.
Thayne states, "Doing what any concerned citizen should have done for a suffering animal was not wrong and will never be wrong—no matter what a corrupt 'justice' system says. I feel this in my gut. I have been subjected to what amounts to emotional torture as a result of helping Doogie—yet I could have done no other.
Creating a piece of art based on my experience which speaks to a time when animals will be treated with the reverence they deserve is my right as a human being and an American citizen. I will continue to show "When the Circle of Compassion Extends to All" on my website and at any shows where I am able. I am no criminal."
20 pieces of Thayne's work will be shown Saturday, September 20th from 4-8 p.m. at Eddy Theatre at Chatham University, Woodland Road, Pittsburgh. The show runs with three films shown, I Am Unseen by Dogs Deserve Better, The Witness by Tribe of Heart, and Uncaged, Second Chances for Puppy Mill Breeders by Ann Metcalf and Chris Shaughness.
The works will show in Philadelphia from 6-9 p.m. on Tuesday, September 23, at The Rotunda, Walnut Street, also in concurrence with I Am Unseen and Uncaged.
To view Thayne's art, visit her website at http://www.littlegirllooking.com. 20-50% of all proceeds from sales of Thayne's art benefit Dogs Deserve Better.
Thayne can be reached at 814.941.7447 or Tami@littlegirllooking.com for comment, and is available for art shows, commissioned works, or interviews. She holds a B.A. in Visual Arts from the University of Maryland, and a B.S. in Naturology from the American Institute of Holistic Theology.
Dogs Deserve Better was founded in 2002, is an international nonprofit with 140 area reps in the U.S. and Canada, and works to bring dogs out of the backyard and into the home and family. The site can be viewed at http://www.dogsdeservebetter.org.
'Puddles Paks' Provide Phenomenal humane education props for prepubescent pupils
'Paks' press home issues plaguing companion puppies and prime classroom pontification
September 15, 2008, Tipton, PA—Dogs Deserve Better, a non-profit bringing pups out of backyards and into the presence of people, today made public its Humane Education 'Puddles Paks' for prepubescent pupils. (Or students in Grades 2-6 for the layperson who might not do P-speak...)
Tamira Thayne, founder and CEO of Dogs Deserve Better, states, "Our 'Puddles Paks' will provide phenomenal Humane Education props for pupils in grades 2-6 (and try saying that 3 times fast!). We've noted the absense of a plethora of humane education props for our issue, that of chaining dogs for life, and so promptly set out to produce our own peppy program!"
'Puddles Paks' consist primarily of a new paperback printed precisely for Dogs Deserve Better, Puddles on the Floor, penned by Lorena Estep and pictured by Thayne herself. They are parceled with a CD of 3 Powerpoint Presentations, one which puts forward the pictures and captions manually as presenters read to pupils, a second which autoforwards and is read by Thayne for a stand-alone performance, and a third which speaks to chaining in an age-appropriate primer. Pupils are prompted to pontificate on preferred patterns of possible pup care by the book and CD. The CD also plays Puddles as an audiobook.
Thayne continues, "We are most pleased at the perspicacity of the puppy issues presented in Puddles, including overpopulation, spay/neuter needs, misuse of caging, chaining, and problems of stray pups. The Paks combine the paperback, the CD, and other paraphernalia including DDB stickers, rescue angel temporary tattoos, DDB brochures, Buddy Unchained books, and DDB posters. We hope many humane educators, classroom teachers, and parents take advantage of these packages to promote better treatment of Man's Best Friend. The preponderance of laws limiting chained and penning of pups nationwide—3 states and over 120 communities—postulate chaining will soon be a predicament of the past. We must prepare our children on proper puppy parenting posthaste!" The six 'Puddles Paks' can be perused and purchased on the website at dogsdeservebetter.org/puddlesbook.html
Puddles on the Floor is available wholesale to rescue groups and non-profits for fundraising programs. Phone the organization at 814.941.7447 for pricing.
Dogs Deserve Better 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.
I don't normally ask for 'favors' from you all, but this one is so easy and can REALLY bring awareness to our cause. Based on video I've taken from my latest foster dog, I put together a very short, 45-second 'ad' for chained dogs and the work of Dogs Deserve Better. It's short and sweet, and If EVERYONE watches this ad and passes it along, it will get a ton of views and will start hitting 'your average joe' who doesn't even know about our cause. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VBgna_M-50M
Our vet bills are at an all-time high, with new requests for vet help from area reps coming along daily. We cannot fulfill all this need as it stands now! But if we are able to get people to really understand chaining dogs as an issue and start supporting this cause, we can meet the immense needs of our foster dogs.
So, please take one minute of your time for Chained Dogs! Watch this video, and then pass this along to your list and ask them to watch too. I would be very grateful, and so will the dogs we'll help.
Guess What! We have a brand new way you can help us free chained dogs and bring our 'best friend' into the home and family.
Our PSA ad has been running on TVs across the nation, but now there's a new twist: we have a new application on our site that allows our supporters to run the ad with their name on it! The final 5 seconds of the ad will say “Paid for by: YOUR NAME” when it runs on television.
How Exciting is That!
In partnership with SaysMe.tv, we are excited to provide you with an empowering opportunity to truly get our message out.
Now you can tell everyone that Dogs Deserve Better than life on a chain! This is an easy and extremely effective way to do something meaningful in the fight for Man's Best Friend.
How it works:
Follow the link below and choose the city where you want the ad to be seen. Enter your name where indicated and click “see it” to see how the ad will look on tv with your name attached. Next select the cable network and timeslot for your ad. After you complete the purchase and email will be sent to you letting you know when the ad will air so you can tell all your friends to watch and air their own ads. The time to act is now. To help save chained dogs start here:
Even though each ad is VERY reasonably priced, usually from $10-$30, there is currently a $100 minimum total order for the ad. Brendan from SaysMe.TV tells us that he is hopeful soon they will be buying enough ad space to get rid of the minimums per customer. Remember, for your $100 you can get DDB's message on a station as many as 5-10 times, which will include your name each time! For example, you can run 10 commercials in your name on ANIMAL PLANET for $100 during prime time hours in Los Angeles (90071)! Also, try to find others in your area to chip in...if 4 of you go in on 10 commercials, and find a way to include all your names or make up a funny name which will represent all of you, you can get the NO CHAINS message out at a very low cost!
After being informed by my parole officer (it's not often you get to say that!) that if I didn't start my community service by August 22nd, I'd be back in front of the judge, I reluctantly went to see the man who is the highest paid man in the WORLD. No shit! He spent about a 1/2 hour with me, took my basic info, and gave me two choices of places to work near me...the Bellwood-Antis Library, and St. Vincent de Paul. Since the library is closer, I chose it (after all, I DO love books), and he sent me on my way with a stack of timesheets and contact info for Hazel Bilka, head librarian. I was to call Hazel within a week and set up a schedule.
(Wouldn't you think for a rate of $3000/hr. he could at least call her himself and get me set up?)
$3000/hr? Yeah. The reason I've bulked at the community service for so long —besides the fact that I don't get why you have to do the work even when you're appealing...if you do all the 'punishment', and win on appeal, is someone going to come to your house and do 300 hours of work to make up for the time you spent doing work which turns out you didn't need to do at all?—is that I'm expected to PAY $5 per hour, $1500 total, for this man's 'services'. Now, unless I'm getting something extra that no one has told me about (oh, the mind could indeed wander), paying $1500 for 1/2 hour of this man's time makes him the highest paid man I've ever met!
He doesn't contact the workplace, he doesn't come with me to hold my hand, to my knowledge he doesn't even come by or call to make sure I'm doing the work, so what exactly am I paying him $5 per hour FOR?
Mind you, I have no intention of paying it...unless they want to cut it down to a nifty $100 or so—I'm not an unreasonable woman—but as it turns out, apparently I don't even GET to not pay it, because in their infinite wisdom and power, they've placed a lien against my home for whatever unGodly amount they've decided that I owe them. Without even telling me of course. Such is the power of the powers that be.
So yesterday, August 20, 2008 I started my community service, working 5 hours at the Bellwood-Antis Library, and then going in today for another 5 hours, just to sorta start myself off with a bang.
First I sorted all the book catalogs and threw out the old ones, For Doogie. Next I carried books to the basement and stacked them up, For Doogie. Then, I got to pull weeds and deadhead flowers, For Doogie. Today, (even better!), I was lucky enough to clean bookshelves, For Doogie.
Having accomplished all these tasks, I'm now 1/30th of the way to completion of my community service hours. For comparison's sake, let's look at some recent 'punishments' of those convicted of HARMING animals, rather than helping them:
Domaneek Bradley, Baltimore MD, got 16 hour community service for starving his rottie to a weight of 42 lbs. (Heck, I'd be almost done if I'd STARVED Doogie instead of helping him.)
John Blank was convicted of 8 animal cruelty charges for 23 puppymill dogs in horrible conditions in PA. He received 2 years probation, with apparently NO community service. (I wouldn't even have had to start community service if I'd taken Doogie and 22 of his friends and put them in cages and abused them for years.)
Ashley DeCent, Nebraska, starved 2 dogs, merely paid a fine and surrendered ownership of the barely-alive dogs. (I could have left Doogie and his neighbor white dog without food and water for weeks and just paid a little fine?)
Terry Moore shot a neighbor's dog in North Carolina, and got a whopping 24 hours community service. (So I could have walked up and SHOT Doogie and only gotten 24 hours...instead of 300 for taking him to the vet's!)
Amazing.
As I sat pulling weeds, something I don't even do at my own house, I was struck by how we animal advocates are much like the poor weeds I 'got rid of'. Is there really any difference between what is deemed 'the flower' and what is deemed 'the weed'?
Who makes that decision?
Any human who goes against the ingrained social order is plucked out like a weed, ostracized, punished, and humiliated. Here in backwoods Pennsylvania, like many other locations across the country, anyone who stands against the good-old-boy network of animal abusers, wife abusers, and child abusers will be treated as scum, compared to the 'worst hardened criminals', and put soundly 'in their place'.
I really don't know how they manage it, or how any of these people sleep at night. In fact, that's something I wonder every single day of my life.
How DO those who abuse and condone abuse of anyone...animals, women, children, truly THINK they are doing the right thing, and how do they sleep at night knowing deep inside what horrible injustices they are perpetrating against society?
I hated pulling the weeds yesterday, not because it could be construed as 'menial labor', but because I was forced to take out plants who were 'different' than the rest, just doing their best in a world that was hostile to them and their goals.
I replanted a tiny maple tree into a new home in back of the library in which I hope he can take root and grow. I didn't pull out a 'weed' that was a gorgeous sole trooper for others of it's kind, with little yellow flowers, soaring above the rest. I'll leave the extermination of that little guy to someone other than myself.
To say my faith in our system is shattered would be putting it mildly. Between my two cases and seeing the abusers win time and time again I sometimes don't know how I can go on in this world.
But I will go on, I will rebuild my life, and I will conquer. There is no other way. Doogie demands it, every chained dog out there demands it, my very essence demands it. Sometimes you don't or can't see your way out of the fog, but you must feel your way out regardless.
By believing in myself and my abilities, I will grow and build anew from the ashes of my former life. By believing in DDB and what this wonderful organization does for mistreated and abused animals, I will see the day when animal abusers will be the ones behind bars, and not those who merely step up to offer a hand to a suffering soul.
Mark my words...there are already many out there who see it! Let us remove from power all those who condone animal abuse. Let us walk them to the front door, escort them out, and unceremoniously kick them to the curb.
I spoke of Doogie to a plenary session full of animal advocates Friday night, and was gifted with a standing ovation. I was so touched by the support that I sat in my chair and cried, overwhelmed with emotion and gratitude. Two different waiters where I live have paid for my meals out of their own salary, because 'they know who I am, and they know what I did for that dog'. You know these angels aren't making $3000 an hour.
My daughter told me 'I'm her hero for the animals', and two little girls in her class came up to me and thanked me for 'helping that dog.'
There are those out there who see it. Those who do not deny the suffering, those who stand with me in theory.
I need to ask you all to stand with me now in practice. Stop the abuse, stop the abusers, and build a new world where EVERY dog lives inside as part of a living home and family.
Help us build our Rehab Center, where chained dogs can come to be healed, loved, and renewed.
Most of all, learn to love yourself and those around you, even those you struggle not to hate. If only in theory. We have to stop this cycle of abuse, and hating the abusers will only draw more hatred to us and the dogs we love so much. They aren't worth it, but you are worth everything, and so are the souls we protect.
Animal activist changes name to translation of "Peaceful Dog Warrior"
Tammy Sneath Grimes legally changes name to Tamira Ci Thayne
[Special thanks to Christine Jaksy, who took this beautiful, professional photograph of me (with many others) at Chain Off in Chicago. She's a model herself, and amazing to work with! Visit her site at http://www.dogdayart.com]
July 22, 2008, Altoona, PA—Tammy S. Grimes, an animal activist, artist, and founder of Dogs Deserve Better, has legally changed her name to Tamira Ci Thayne, which roughly translates in its Czech, Welsh, and Gaelic heritage to "Peaceful Dog Warrior".
Thayne, a Czech linguist in the U.S. Air Force, added the word for peace, 'mir', to her given name of Tammy to create Tamira. Her family ancestry hails from Wales, so she chose the Welsh word for 'dog', 'Ci', as a middle name and added the Gaelic word for 'warrior', 'Thayne', as a surname.
Thayne, convicted of theft in late 2007 for helping a chained dog who could no longer stand and refusing to return him to his abusers, realized during the course of her trials that abuse had been a recurring part of her life since childhood. Men who abuse women and children and people who abuse animals are no different from one another: they seek to control and dominate those they see as 'less than', and use all methods at their disposal to harm and diminish them, keeping them 'in their place'.
She states, "Unfortunately all too often, both in courtrooms and in homes across the world, the abusers conquer and their victims are left helpless and hopeless. As I sat in the courtroom at my sentencing and listened to the DA tell me I was 'worse than his worst hardened criminal'—for helping a dog?—I was transported back to the supper table of my family home, 12 years old, enduring the shame of verbal abuse from my father. The cycle had once again repeated itself, and even though I thought I was 'the good girl', I was being told by a man that I was nothing more than a piece of trash in an attempt to 'put me in my place'.
I vowed to drop my chains of abuse, seek my own independence from domination, and continue to fight for freedom for those still abused—animals, women, and children. Changing my name to symbolically become my own father, my own husband, is a step in that direction for me. I will never again bear the name of another, but carve my own path in this world. With this act I send out a prayer for freedom from abuse for every soul on this planet. You Deserve Better."
Dogs Deserve Better 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. Thayne was a top-ten finalist for the 2006 Animal Planet Hero of the Year Award, and the March 2007 In Defense of Animals Guardian of the Month.
Updates are pouring in, and we will be working all week to get them up, along with photos and articles from our chainees. In the meantime, please watch our video from Chicago's Main Event, and read the poem, written by Gordon Bakalar, that had me crying as I read it in the Chain Off Opening Ceremonies.
TOUGH LOVE / Chained
I am a dog with a story to tell A dog on a chain, my life a living hell.
I was unlucky enough to be born in a “mill” Though they passed new laws, it’s probably there still.
I was born in a small wire pen Along with my brothers, six of us kin.
We were not kept together for very long Before taken to auction and sold for a song.
Sold to a pet store, my home a glass cage I was one of those designer dogs, “all of the rage.”
So again I was sold in about a week Little did I know it was “up the creek.”
I was bought for a Christmas present for the kids But that didn’t last long before I hit the skids.
At first it was a happy and playful time I lived in a big house, everything was fine.
Played with two children, my master and his wife This was the greatest, this was the life.
But then all of a sudden things got real hard I was thrown outside to live in the yard.
Maybe it’s because I do shed a little Or once on the rug I did a little piddle.
No explanation and no reason why All night alone I would whimper and cry.
When the sun came up I barked all day But no one, not even the kids, came out to play.
I’ve grown a little older now living on a chain They say I’m too big for the house, too much trouble to train.
This is my story, and my lament I'm nothing more than a lawn ornament.
I’ve been waiting for my master for close to 15 years Tied in the back yard, choking back my tears.
I hope you think of me when you see a dog on a chain And know that dog is lonely, hurting, and in pain.
Maybe you’ll even stop a while and pat him on his head Or just sit beside him and talk to him instead.
If you stay long enough to say a friendly word It’s sure to be a kindness that for years he’s never heard.
\When you see a chained dog and know of his plight You'll know in your heart and mind, it just ain’t right.
Please come to the Chicago Chain Off if you live in that area to support the efforts of Dogs Deserve Better. (Of, if you're not local to there, please try to support anyone chaining in your area. Visit the site at http://www.UnchainOurWorld.org to see all the locations and contact people near you to support them.)
DuPage County Fairgrounds • Wheaton, Illinois
Support Freedom for Chained and Penned Dogs June 28, 11-5 pm. Visit Us to get these great benefits!
• FREE to pets and people • Dogs available for adoption, with 40-plus exhibitors • 1,000 FREE microchippings by N.A.W.S. • Free goody bags to the first 200 attendees • Test out a chain and doghouse to put yourself in their paws • Meet DDB founder, reps, & 15 others in 24-hour effort for Chained Dogs • Food and drinks available • On-site canine massage
Demos Include: 11:00am-12:00pm Hoops & Hounds by Trainer Dawn Vendegna 12:00pm – 1:00pm Pet First Aid by Pet Tech Trainer, Kandra Witkowski 1:00pm-2:00pm Healing Touch & Essential Oils by Charla Sirtoff 2:00pm-3:00pm Basics of Canine Massage with Alexia Macri, Hands On Paws 3:00pm-4:30pm Leadership Fundamentals/Doggie Manners 101, Dawn Vendegna
For more info, visit www.UnchainOurWorld.org or call Susan at 425.293.4492
First I sorted all the book catalogs and threw out the old ones, For Doogie.
Next I carried books to the basement and stacked them up, For Doogie.
Then, I got to pull weeds and deadhead flowers, For Doogie.
Today, (even better!), I was lucky enough to clean bookshelves, For Doogie.
