Dear Tammy,
Do Not Water or Feed This DOG! That's
what is written on the side of this dog house in Pennsylvania as the
dog in question waits by a dusty, empty bowl. What's this dog's
sad story?
Was
a Good Samaritan caught tending to the dog's needs because the guardian
wasn't? How long
will it take before these dogs become lean, hungry and mean if the
Samaritan
heeds the warning? And the bigger
question: How many dogs will
continue to needlessly suffer a 24/7 existence in backyards all across
Pennsylvania if House Bill 1065 doesn't
pass? That's not a question we want to
consider. Every picture tells a story and Pennsylvania dogs want theirs
to be heard. The "Pennsylvania Chained Dog Wall of Shame" is under
construction as we gather chained dog pictures from across the state
and lobby in support of
PA HB 1065.
Know any chained dogs in Pennsylvania? Grab your camera and we will
not only add them to the wall, but will use them to help get this law passed!
If you have pictures of ANY chained dogs in PA, please send them to us at
photos@dogsdeservebetter.org
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Thayne awarded Key to the City in Fort Pierce, Florida
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 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, 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." Watch it!
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DDB Calls
On YOU to Take ACTION!
ACTION ALERT! Urgent response needed
in Nevada!
Nevada -A Nevada
bill to restrict tethering and penning of dogs, has been set for hearing before
the Senate Natural Resources Committee on March 19, 2009 at 3:30 p.m. PST - Thursday, 3/19/09 YES! That's
tomorrow! Please email ALL 7 Senators on this committee and
ask them to support and pass SB132. If you live in their district, please
include your address and let them know that you are their constituent. If you
are a Nevada resident, please let
them know. If you aren't sure who your state senator is, we have a link on the
website at AnimalLawCoalition.com or you can email us at: breakthechain@charter.net for help.
Restrictions on Tethering, Bill Number: NV S.B. 132
"Prohibits tethering a dog with a restraint less than 12 feet long or for more
than 9 hours a day; prohibits keeping a dog in an outdoor enclosure for more
than 9 hours a day unless certain weight and size requirements are met;
requires state emergency management plans to include provisions ensuring the
evacuation of service animals with their owners."
This committee will decide whether the bill should be voted on by the
entire Nevada senate. Nevada
state Senators on the Natural Resources Committee:
Write or call each of these committee members before 3:30 p.m. PST (Hurry, do it now!) urging them to stop cruel
chaining/ penning of dogs by supporting Sen. Townsend's bill, now called S.B.
132. If one of them is your state senator, let him or her know that when you
fax, email or call these state senators in support of the bill. Forward to
every Nevada resident you know who
may help.
Bonus Help! Go to www.AnimalLawCoalition.com
for helpful talking points for these 7 Senators (there are also sample letters
on the website). Download Nevada SB132 Flyer
Feel free to print copies of the flyer to
distribute.
PLAN TO ATTEND! The hearing will be at the Legislative Building, 401
S. Carson St., Carson
City, NV
in Rm. 1214. This is NOT the usual hearing room for
the Senate Natural Resource Committee. It is a much bigger room because of the
interest in this bill. You can listen to the hearing in Southern
Nevada at the Grant Sawyer Bldg, 555
East Washington Ave, Las Vegas,
Room 4412.
Will the 3rd Time Be the Charm for PA House Bill 1065?
 Pennsylvania -Tamira Ci Thayne says she is "all over" the new bill
limiting chaining in Pennsylvania. Good that she's on top of it because it is about to be
introduced by Rep Scavello. Thayne urges, "This is our 3rd year (trying to pass
HB 1065 in PA), let's make it the WINNING year for chained dogs!"
Once again, Dogs Deserve Better expresses our sincere
gratitude for PLAN (Pennsylvania Legislative Animal Network),
Mary
Jo McClain and Representative Mario Scavello
for their tireless efforts backing the Pennsylvania bill
to limit dog chaining.
Much
of the urgency behind Dogs Deserve Better's pressure to pass the bill now stems
from another child's death as a result of a chained dog attack in Pennsylvania. It was
only late January of this year when Thayne
and Dogs Deserve Better condemned Pennsylvania State Legislators for failing to
enact the bill last year which may have prevented 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." Thayne
said in her statement.
"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." -Tamira Ci
Thayne, Founder, Dogs Deserve Better, Inc.
Reminder! We need
photos of chained dogs in Pennsylvania and the county they are from.
Please email to: photos@dogsdeservebetter.org
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Poster Dog for the Cruelties of Chaining and Abuse
Graham, NC
 Last week North Carolina DDB Rep
Shari Strader told us that she was taking a break and what a short break until she was called about a dog in Graham, North
Carolina. "He was dragging part of a tether he
apparently chewed in half or broke free from." Shari
told us. He is
partially blind, emaciated, has been shot with pellets and both of his front
legs have been broken and healed without treatment.
Now
known as Jeremiah, he will be placed in the care of a skilled
specialist and into the loving arms of compassionate rescuers. The
family who found him called quite a few rescues, so he will go where
his needs will be best met.
Chained dogs like Jeremiah suffer
without vet care, are left to starve in their own backyards, break
loose from the chain only to be hit by a car, or sadly they often
face an even worse danger when they are left alone in the open with no
defense against the cruelty of humans. Shari
is searching for leads to find out who is responsible for this
senseless and
unjustifiable act of cruelty on such a sweet and trustworthy creature.
Dogs Deserve Better Reps all over the country are breaking chains and
changing laws to protect dogs like Jeremiah.
.
Donate to Stop This Abuse
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Why
My Dog Loves Me
Meet
Sampson! A Very Special Senior Rottie
Sampson,
our 10 year old Rottweiler loves us because we rescued him
when he was six years old or should I say he rescued us. Sampson wasn't severely abused, he
wasn't starved or badly beaten; he was neglected. He was crated the majority of
the day in a basement without a window or light.He rarely went for walks. He never went in
the car. What bothered me most was he recoiled if you raised your voice.What happened to this
sweet boy?
Sampson's
life didn't start out like this, but changed when his guardians moved to Pennsylvania and had
their first child. When we first moved to the area, we lived in a townhouse
development and Sampson was one of our neighbors.
I fell in love with him immediately.We convinced his guardians to let us take care of
him on weekends because we missed having a dog in our lives. Then we would take
him for a week each month of the summer. On
Labor
Day, the caretaker surrendered Sampson to us. The holiday weekend this
occurred was appropriate, because having Sampson join our
family was truly a labor of love. It took
us over five months of patience,
heartache and hard work.
Sampson
now lives with us on our farm. He has a bed in every room, he likes a hot
breakfast after daily walks
with his friends in the park, he loves provolone cheese with his thyroid pill
(he is a senior), he eats graham crackers with his dad,he swims in our pool, takes long naps and
kisses anyone who will let him (some watch dog).We never have to worry about finding a petsitter, our family and
friends fight over him. He is one special guy. I often
wonder why he
was crated, he never chews, has accidents,he doesn't go through the garbage.He is so well behaved and
kind.We are
thankful every day that get such pleasure from
this silly little guy.He is a bundle of love. People often are afraid to adopt an older
dog.I highly recommend it.It has been one of the
smartest choices we have ever made and it
changed all of our lives. - Renee Ambrosio and Todd Alexander
 From
Our Readers-Why My Dog Loves Me
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DDB Missouri Rep, Melody Whitworth
Interviews on Local Talk Show Columbia, Missouri - Dogs Deserve Better Representative Melody Whitworth interviews on Pepper &
Friends. Pepper and Friends is central Missouri's
only weekday local variety-talk show. Hosted by thirty plus year veteran of
KOMU Paul Pepper and co-hosted by "Uncle" James Mouser, the show is
now in its 27th year as a mid-Missouri staple.
Melody is Missouri
Region 2's Rep Coordinator. Watch Melody
as she talks with Pepper about Dogs Deserve Better.
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Do Tethering Laws Work?
 You think chaining a dog 24/7 is cruel, harmful,
negligent or even dangerous? You know
you'd prefer to live in a safer, happier, healthier more animal friendly
community, but can your community ever really become that? You believe you'd
like to see a tethering ban or limit in your area, but with people presenting
so many different arguments, what should you believe?
Here are seven statements from seven communities where tethering laws/limits are already in place.
Don't take our word for it, read for yourself.
Here you will find a link to model
laws to use as possible guidelines when writing an ordinance, a basic
1-10 "To-Do" list to changing laws, sample letters, supporting material
and advice for successful lobbying
This article by Monica Schreiber focuses on Pennsylvania's
HB 1065, however, the information included, especially the "Responses to Typical Questions" section provides excellent information and advice to use
with Anti-Tethering Legislation anywhere.
How enforceable are tethering laws? "Interviews with Communities with Chaining Laws" by Ambuja Rosen lists statistics from 12 Communities
that limit tethering:
And again, The 7 Communities Testimonial will give answers
from those who have gone on before to enforce tethering limits and bans:
Articles and information which provide answers as well as equip
to help during the transitional stages of a new tethering ordinance or law can
be found here.
Towards the bottom of the page you will find articles on How to Address Common Complaints from those
who Chain, Help to Train and
Fence Your Dog and even How Far People
will go to Stop Laws. See also, Info and Tips
Get the facts about
dog chaining at www.dogsdeservebetter.org
You have questions, we have answers. If you have a question or concern about
tethering laws or limits, please contact us, we are here to help.
Updates on recent anti-tethering action to be featured in the upcoming issue of DDB Enews! Find More "Calls To Action" on current lobbying against life on a chain.
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Sophie Messinger, Wisconsin
Our Featured DDB JUNIOR Rep
 Sophie Messinger, Wisconsin DDB
Junior Rep at 12 years old is already making positive changes for chained dogs
in her community. She is studying Julie Lewin's, "Get Political For Animals and Win the Laws They Need".
"I first started with Dogs Deserve
Better in September of 2008. I always used to feel really bad for the dogs that
I'd see chained up, and Dogs Deserve Better has really helped me do something
about them. This is our four-year-old boy,
"Raphael" he used to be chained up in a chicken coop." Says Sophie.
"I'm lucky to be working with a small
group from our local animal rights league to get a no-chain law passed,
and I'm
very confident that we'll be able to do it. We also hope to eventually
pass a more 'strict crimes against animals chapter' for our state." She
reports.
In a recent note to Marie Belanger, National Area Rep Coordinator, Sophie asked
for an extension on Marie's loan to her of the book she borrowed, "Get Political For Animals and Win the Laws
They Need". Sophie, if this is your
starting point at 12 years old, you'll be using that book for a long time to
come as you make progressive changes for animals throughout your lifetime.
Would you like to become a Student Member or a Junior Representative?
Click the links to find out more!
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Closer" - Another Compelling Look at Chaining
Through the Creative Eyes of Aubrie Kavanaugh
A labama's
Aubrie (Brie) Kavanaugh (pictured above with Jiminy , a former Best Friends
Sanctuary dog) creates humane videos under the signature of "Snakehaven Productions", also their rural property and in honor of their GSD mix, Snake, who crossed in April of 2006.
"Losing
her (Snake) changed me to the core and I became an animal welfare advocate
because I want to try to help other animals live a charmed life like Snake had
with us." Aubrie explained. Snake started her life on the end of a heavy logging chain
in Northern California until Aubrie's husband rescued her with
the help of a game warden (since she was half coyote). "I (feel) strongly that companion animals are members of our families and I firmly believe people who do not treat them that way should not have them at all. With Snake's beginnings, I've always had a soft spot for chained and tethered dogs." She detailed further.
Brie began making videos for nonprofit groups, about specific subjects like mills and shelter animals. When she made a video for Tami during the time
when she was being prosecuted for saving Doogie, Tami aired it on Youtube.
"That inspired me to make videos for other groups in different states which led to me making them based on specific subjects so they can be used by multiple groups. Rescue people are so busy that sometimes it's easier for a group to use a video I've already made." Aubrie explained. View current Snakehaven Videos.
Aubrie entered a PSA contest sponsored by The Best Friends Animal Society and her video was chosen as one of three finalists. "I was told by Jon Dunn at Best Friends my video lost the competition by a mere handful of votes. That empowered
me to make PSAs on my own. That's
my latest venture. I continue to make videos for specific nonprofits
and about specific subjects but have branched out to making 30 second PSAs to be aired by television stations to help spread the word about animal welfare issues."
Mindful of copyright issues with music used in her videos and PSAs,
Brie feels
fortunate have talented friends in the music business who have given
her free use license to their tunes. The pop duo "Fisher" which
consists of Ron Wasserman and Kathy Fisher, based out of Los Angeles
allows Aubrie to use their music to benefit non-profits. Watch Closer by Aubrie Kavanaugh "SnakeHaven
Productions" with music and lyrics written and performed by Ron Wasserman and Kathy Fisher, www.fishertheband.com
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Your Own Billboard?
Yes! You Can and DDB Can Help!
This billboard designed by South Carolina Rep Alicia Schwartz can buy you some peace of
mind when you put this one up in your town. Alicia reports she drives by it
daily as a dose of therapy. . See More Billboard Designs
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Dog's Life Magazine
Subscribe to Dog's Life today and 50%
of your subscription fee will be donated to Dogs Deserve
Better! Order Today
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Dogs Deserve Better Checks and Credit Cards!
Help Spread the Word, No More Backyard Dogs!
 
And PLEASE SUPPORT the work of Dogs Deserve Better. Watch
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DDB's "Forgotten"A Video/DVD Presentation of Dogs Deserve Better
DDB's
"Forgotten", an educational dvd, speaks to
the plight of chained dogs and how you and DDB can
help bring them into the home and family.
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Our movement is growing, expanding, making HUGE strides, thanks to your help. Please stick with us, we really CAN change the world for chained and penned dogs.
Sincerely,
Dawn Ashby, Rescue & Public Liaison dawn@dogsdeservebetter.org
1.877.636.1408 · http://www.dogsdeservebetter.org
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