Tennessee animal welfare advocate takes part in Chain Off 2009
Tracy Clark, animal advocate and Best Friends Network member, has successfully completed her lonely vigil on behalf of the many dogs in Tennessee and around the country, unfairly forced to live on chains.
Far from the normal Independence Day celebration, she represented
Dogs Deserve Better for 24 hours on Saturday, June 27. Donning a chain around her neck and spending her time in a small kennel located in her front yard, she helped others in her community become aware of what a chained dog endures.
With only occasional visits from her family, both two and four-legged, she says the boredom was “staggering.” She also suffered from sunburn and dehydration, as the day’s temperature reached a sweltering 107 degrees.
However, she realizes that she had to only bear the isolation and discomfort for one day; many dogs suffer their entire lives. Despite the struggle, Clark reports that she plans to repeat her performance next year.
However, her entire experience was not reported in the newspaper. Read in her own words, how the lonely barking that night affected her:
Just after dark, all of my neighborhood 'outside' dogs start calling out to each other, barking and yipping and howling. One group started and then came an answer from the group a couple blocks away, and so on.
And it goes on like this, unnoticed or simply ignored by the humans in the area, all night long. Even by me, before now.
So they all carry on, like a party line, sharing news and telling stories I assume, except for this one dog... this one poor soul... who just barked. And he barked. And he barked and barked and barked. And it wasn't a news telling kind of bark.
He was not sharing where the best mud puddles were or that sweet rabbit hole he found... He just barked. This mindless, monotone, maddening bark that didn't say anything to anyone... He just barked and barked because maybe his people have ignored his barks for so long that they have lost all meaning... so he made noise to let it be known he was still alive. Maybe he was just telling himself that.
I cried for this dog. I still cry for this dog. I have no idea where he is, but I named him Tommy. I named him Tommy after The Who's rock opera. I named him Tommy because I heard in his barks him saying "See Me. Hear Me. Touch Me. Heal Me." And, oh God, I wanted to.
I wanted to rip off that chain and find him and comfort him and stop his hurting. But I committed to the cause and I had to complete my time. So I did. But I'll tell you all this... I will find him. I will not stop until I do. I think he is to the Northwest of my home and probably about a 3/4 to a mile away by the sound and the way the wind carried that night. I will find him and I will let him know - I heard him. Dogs DO deserve better.
How you can help:
- Contributions to Dogs Deserve Better to support Tracy have already exceeded $500 and donations are still being accepted. Support Tracy in her endeavor by sponsoring her.
- For more information about Chain Off 2009, see the Dogs Deserver Better website.
Photos courtesy of Tracy Clark