Dogs Deserve Better, 2003 First Place Winner of the ASPCA/Chase Pet Protector Award, is a voice for chained and penned dogs, whose sadness speaks only through the eyes. As the days become years, many of these dogs sit, lay, eat, and defecate within the same 10-foot radius. Chained by the neck, they exist without respect, love, exercise, social interaction, and sometimes even basic nourishment. They live as prisoners, yet long to be pets.

Chaining is not only inhumane for dogs, but has taken a severe toll on this nation’s children as well. In the period from October 2003 through April 2006, there were at least 86 children killed or seriously injured by chained dogs across the country. Chained dogs, unsocialized with humans, can become very territorial of their tiny space, and any two year old who wanders into this space can be attacked and killed before adults can intervene. A recent attack in Missouri, March, 2006 left 3 year old Quillan Cottrell dead from head and neck wounds More>

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Dogs Deserve Better - No Chains!

Duo Still Kickin' After 3,453 Miles, 1051 Dogs, 12 Days, and 240 Caretakers

April 24, 2008 : 11:59 PM

April 24, Altoona, PA — Their families and friends feared for their lives and elicited promises of daily phone calls, but the Dognamic Duo braved the trip anyway; 3,453 miles, 12 states, 240 dog caretakers, and 1051 chained and penned dogs, all in the space of just 12 days. The Dognamic Duo, consisting of animal activists Tammy Grimes, founder of Dogs Deserve Better, and Dawn Ashby, Public Liaison Director of Dogs Deserve Better, hit the road to prove two things: just how prevalent chaining and penning are in America, and how crucial it is to dog advocates in every state to step up to chain-ge minds via education and legislation.

The Duo encountered lunging and biting dogs, the effects of flooding, tornadoes, and fireworks, and confrontations with a few guardians who didn't like the message they were sending.

Says founder Tammy Grimes, "Most of the fireworks occurred in South Carolina, widely known on the East Coast as the Fireworks Capitol. However, the fireworks we encountered were of a different variety...a mastiff wanting us for dinner, a paranoid woman freaking the moment she saw us, and a couple of inebriated folks vowing to 'put lead in someone's ass if they didn't stop talking to them about their dog.' Luckily for us, they were mostly bark with little bite, and they weren't bearing any firearms upon their person at the time—except for the mastiff with his 42 teeth and over 300 pounds of pressure per square inch—and we weren't getting close enough to him to test that weaponry!"

Dawn was bit by a chained shepherd who faked nice and then grabbed her ear, and lunged at by a rottie as she tried to give him water. Tammy talked a chow puppy out of its cage and to the vet's for emergency wound care, and was able to sqeeze into every conversation a tidbit about how dogs really DO want to live in the home with the family—no matter how big they are (the usual excuse for why the dog had to stay outside).

"We found we caught a lot more chained dog caretakers with offers of free fencing than vinegar; we also offered free collars, leashes, dog treats, and toys, which we handed out with a smile and a friendly attitude. This willingness to meet them where they were went a long way toward fostering good relationships, and hopefully was instrumental in opening some minds," Grimes continued.

The duo found a lot more than they bargained for; 1051 dogs as opposed to the sought-after 120, as well as many more aggressive dogs than they expected. Each day they interacted with around 20 caretakers, and left information for at least 20 more who were not home. Each night they posted videos and a diary of the day's events online.

Said Ashby, "All I can say is send out the troops! What Tammy and I saw blows our minds...Everywhere we went there were more and more dogs on chains and in pens with no water, no food, nothing! Their spirits were either broken or they had already become so aggressive no one could step near them. How can people just forget about their friends like that?"

The tour encompassed the following states: 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.

To read Grimes Top Five List
http://www.dogsdeservebetter.org/dognamictourwrap.html
of the Things she Learned on the Tour, and see videos, diaries and photos of the tour, visit the website at
http://www.dogsdeservebetter.org/dognamictour.html

To watch Daily Videos of the Tour, Click the Below Links:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TkIKTy-t8iM
Day One, Missouri

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=89zrlX42cVg
Day Two, Arkansas

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MA889lfwn3Y
Day Three, Louisiana

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n5jHqt2YGe4
Day Four, Mississippi

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2DTWjWyj5oU
Day Five, Alabama

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nfy1758gT3g
Day Six, Georgia

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y771gtCYbcQ
Day Seven, South Carolina

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LtL85mha9_s
Day Eight, North Carolina

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6hcQHZAbpVY
Day Nine, Tennessee

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2gzMj3kHMW8
Day Ten, Kentucky

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J2W7Tlghxbg
Day Eleven, Virginia

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PFCDeEbKQDg
Day Twelve, West Virginia

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CXv2k6OtXww
Tour Wrap-Up Video

Comments

April 28, 2008 at 3:38 PM
posted by: isabel

marys is right, you girls certainly walk the walk and do what many of us want to do or should do. bipedal, that story brought tears to my eyes.

keep up the good work Tammy, Dawn and company.

April 27, 2008 at 10:11 AM
posted by: Bipedal

You give voice to all those who know right verses
wrong, but are too afraid, 'polite' , concerned about
legal repercussions, concerned the dog may be
shot in retaliation etc. etc. to do anything overt.

I know of 2 little kids, 8 and 12 years old who snuck
out of the house at 4 in the morning to unchain a 2
year old dog next door who was going to be killed
that day, because she barked too much. They took
her to the woods a mile away with a cardboard box
for a house. They tied her to a tree to try to keep
her safe and went back to feed her. The 'owners'
of the dog felt so bad when they saw she was mis-
sing it changed their minds and they fenced in
their yard instead of killing her. The young dog
'came home on her own' a couple days later and
lived a long life after that. She was a Golden Retriev-
er named Honey.
That was 40 years ago and I was the 8 year old
kid. My sister was my 12 year old mentor. I've been
rescuing animals since I was 6 years old.

April 27, 2008 at 9:57 AM
posted by: marys

Tammy, you and Dawn walk the walk, and are now more admired than ever. What heroines!!! My meek thank you is not enough. Your strength and committment is admirable. Go Girls!!! May you be blessed over and over again as you help the animals.