Today I am acutely aware that my dogs have a life so much richer than many other dogs. This morning my teenage son and I joined with others to build a fence for a dog who has spent her life living outside attached to an overhead cable, with a small floorless dog house made of single-layer quarter inch plywood for shelter.
This sweet Staffordshire terrier's neighbors of the past two and half years have been coming over to walk her each day, often giving her only break from life on the cable. They provided straw for the floor of her little house, to help keep her dry and warm. The man built a new dog house with four inches of insulation filled with soft, warm bedding. When they learned about a non-profit organization called Fences for Fido, they applied to get a fence built to give this girl some freedom, once and for all.
"Fences for Fido" is an all-volunteer organization that put up its first fence in May of 2009. Since then, 43 dogs have been provided with fences, and unchained. There are no paid staff and about 400 volunteers. Today's fence build was well organized; materials, supplies, and tools at the ready, making it easy for first timers like me and my son to jump in and get to work. I met a lot of new people and quickly forgot names, but I readily recall the red-rimmed gentle eyes of the neighbor as he thanked us all for being there, for giving our Saturday morning to freeing this dog. Many hands made light work, and within a few hours, it was time to gather around our little client cameras in hand, for the moment when she was released from the cable.
My dogs would die of broken hearts – if not of cold, or heat, or loneliness – if left outside day after day, limited to the range of a chain or a cable, and I think of number of coming Saturdays will find me building fences. If you are interested in helping, please go to www.fencesforfido.org and find a way to contribute.
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