Breaking the Chain
It is a sight guaranteed to put a knot in the pit of your stomach - a bored, lonely dog chained to a doghouse, far from his people.
For Tammy Grimes of State College, Pennsylvania, founder of Dogs Deserve Better, that sick feeling has served as a call to arms, and over the Fourth of July weekend, she took action.
And what better way to call attention to the plight of chained dogs everywhere than to don a nice skirt and blouse - and chain yourself to a doghouse for 33 hours in a very public setting?
That is exactly what Grimes did as part of Chain Off 2004.
Prior to the event, she said, "There are many people in America who don't even know this goes on, or can't believe these dogs live chained outside for their entire lives. My hope is to bring this national problem to their attention. My business attire illustrates that these dogs start out just like every other dog - beautiful, clean and worthy of attention. After 33 hours chained, I am sure my suit will be a mess. The same thing happens to dogs who live chained without regular attention, grooming or baths."
Serving as unofficial poster dog for the event was Snowball, a white German shepherd cross who lives in State College, and, according to many accounts, has been chained outside for 15 years, adjacent to a local restaurant. His major socialization apparently came from contact with restaurant patrons.
According to Grimes, many people had made aborted attempts to gain freedom for Snowball over the years, but all attempts had failed.
Unfortunately, a month prior to Chain Off 2004, Snowball's owners erected a privacy fence, separating their dog from the public.
And when Grimes showed up for her much-publicized stay, Snowball was gone.
Local reporters covering the event were told by the dog's owners that Snowball had been moved to avoid him being a focus of the event. Grimes has since learned that the dog is still chained up - just in a different location.
Overall, Grimes says Chain Off 2004 was very successful. But, the inability to improve Snowball's lot in life has left her feeling that she had failed in at least one sense.
"It is very frustrating for us and so many people. It was a real push to get him (Snowball) off that chain," she said.
The day was certainly not a total loss, however.
Grimes spent nine hours next to Snowball's former home, then moved to a downtown State College location. She was the subject of much curiosity, and feels her message was well received. And, the organization took in $878 in donations to further the cause.
With the local media covering the event, Grimes is hopeful the message will eventually find its way to a national audience.
Aiding in that cause is the organization website, www.dogsdeservebetter.com. On it, readers can find a diary Grimes kept during her 33 hours in captivity, appropriately titled "Diary of a Woman Chained."
One of the more compelling entries in the diary occurred at 6:30 a.m., as she neared the end of her protest.
"I feel an overwhelming sadness and anguish," she wrote. "I haven't sobbed like this in a long time. I'm always so busy, there's no time for such things. My body heaves with my sobbing. This is so not right. Why can't they see it?"
Grimes's organization will continue to fight the good fight in the State College area, distributing information to people and occasionally fostering a dog that is freed from his chains.
They also disseminate advice to anyone who asks for help. The message is rather simple:
"The very best thing you can do is get the law changed in your area," Grimes said, noting that considerable progress has been made in a number of communities.
She recognizes, though, that when people contact Dogs Deserve Better, their immediate objective is to help a particular dog. Dogs Deserve Better offers help by sending out letters to owners of chained pets. They also contact animal control officers to have them check on the dogs' condition.
But animal control can only check on the physical condition of the animal, and Grimes is quick to point out that animals who are chained outside for long periods of time also suffer serious psychological scars.
"They crave people," she says, sadly. "They want to be with people more than anything."
