When Coalition to Unchain Dogs learned that Oreo and Mama were chained outside, they wanted to help the dog’s owner Belinda, the elderly woman who rescued them. Her landlord doesn’t allow pets inside the house, so the dogs were tethered outdoors.
The Coalition to Unchain dogs has a mission to improve the welfare of dogs living continuously chained outdoors by offering to build fences for their owners and providing free spay/neuter, vaccinations and non-judgmental assistance.
In the case of Oreo and Mama, the two dogs were abandoned by their previous owners in Belinda’s North Carolina neighborhood and she took them in. She does the best she can on her limited income, making sure they are fed and loved. She just didn’t have the means to build them a safe enclosure.
The non-profit group came out to the house and helped build a fence and lay down straw to keep the dogs warm and dry. Watch the video below to see the joyous moment Oreo and Mama get to run around in their new enclosure. They have giant smiles on their faces!
The Coalition to Unchain Dogs builds says they build around 120 fences per year and rely solely on donations. Their volunteer outreach builds trusting relationships with the community, which leads to more owners asking that their dogs be spayed, neutered and vaccinated too.
Their approach is to not take a dog, but instead work with the dog’s owner to improve the dog’s living conditions and educate the owner.
“We have built thousands of fences. We’ve done this at street level, door-to-door, face-to-face, building trust and a reputation in our community. We often work in the same neighborhoods where fence recipients have family, friends, and neighbors who, of course, hear about the Coalition from them. We can’t tell you how many times we hear, ‘You built that fence for my brother (or aunt, or grandmother, or neighbor)’,” the group writes on their website. “If we started taking people’s dogs, the network of trust and the reputation we have built would disappear overnight.”
In their experience taking a dog, doesn’t solve the problem as the dog’s owner usually goes out and gets another dog. Also with the increasing number of dogs looking for homes, finding a new home can be a challenge. They aim to make a longer-lasting change by showing people another way.
The group’s approach is different than other rescues, but it works. Seeing dogs like Oreo and Mama running and smiling and knowing that their mother Belinda has help looking after them, is a happy outcome for all!
