 |
| Adam Goldfarb/The HSUS |
| Dawn penned or chained herself for 12 hours in protest. |
By Rebecca Simmons
If Dawn, a resident of Waldorf, Md., had her way, all dogs would live indoors with their family. All dogs would have plenty of food, water and love.
But thousands of dogs across the nation live their lives outside at the end of a chain. That's why the 29-year-old animal advocate caged and chained herself up for 12 hours on July 7—she wanted to draw attention to the cruel practices of penning and chaining.
Along the way, she gained an appreciation for the emotions that chained pooches likely experience.
"Dogs who are chained or penned must feel sad, depressed, lonely, abandoned and forgotten," Dawn said. "They must think: What did I do wrong? Why do I have to be out here for so long? Why doesn't anyone come out to play with me or talk to me? They must wonder what they did to be treated this way."
Dawn was one of more than 100 participants in "Unchain the 50", a nationwide campaign organized by Dogs Deserve Better, a non-profit organization based in Tipton, Penn. The campaign aimed to educate people about the inhumane and harmful practice of keeping a dog continuously chained or penned. The practice is common among dog owners, despite it being regulated in several states and illegal in many communities.
"Dogs have been bred for thousands of years to form strong attachments to their human families," said Adam Goldfarb, issues specialist for the Companion Animals section of The HSUS. "They can't help but want to be inside with their people, to experience that companionship. Being chained or penned outside alone is an incredibly lonely, frustrating and depressing experience for a dog."
In addition to being psychologically damaging, chaining can be dangerous.
"A chained dog can become extremely territorial of his small space," said Goldfarb. "And if a dog becomes scared or nervous and their 'fight or flight' response kicks in, they will instinctually 'fight' since they cannot run away. In fact, chained dogs are nearly three times more likely to bite than dogs who don't live chained."
Chained dogs are also at risk—from attack by wild or domesticated animals who enter the yard.
Chaining and penning are common in communities nationwide, but animal advocates are hoping to see that change as events like Unchain the 50 gain more attention.
"This is happening all around my community," Dawn said, "So, I feel like I need to speak out for the dogs that often don't have fresh water or food day after day, who cannot escape the elements, who never get to come inside, run around the yard or interact with family members. Chaining and penning is a real problem that we need to confront."
Rebecca Simmons is the outreach communications coordinator for the Companion Animals section of The HSUS.
Get a free HSUS kit with all of the tools you need to pass an anti-chaining ordinance in your community. Simply send your name and email address to 
