Day 9, Tami suffering through a long downpour

Day 9, August 12, 2010. Operation Fido's Freedom.
I bit a child today.

I bit a child today.

I spend my life at the end of a chain, so to me this thing called "child" is nothing more than prey or an underling I neither love nor respect. Maybe it squeaks like an animal, or makes quick movements that I don't understand or frighten me and trigger my flight or fight instinct.

I cannot flee. I'm chained. Fleeing is therefore not an option for me, so I must fight.

You never taught me how to live in your world, yet you expect me to abide by its rules.

I bit a child today.

You got me as a puppy and I chewed something up. You tossed me outside with a doghouse and chain.

I'm a big dog. What breed am I? Doesn't matter. Wait, I know my breed: the chained dog. We come in all shapes and sizes, but I'll tell you one thing we're not: the beloved family pet.

I bit a child today.

I am unsocialized with humans. I don't recognize a small child as human, at least not one I am beneath in pack order. I sit on this logging chain day in and day out, come sun, rain, sleet, or snow. I am male, unneutered, and chained, and am more likely to be aggressive than any other dog.

I am full of pent up energy from never getting to run or stretch my legs, pent up sexual frustration from a constant and unfulfilled urge to mate, and pent up anger from living a solitary life when I'm meant to live as part of your pack.

I have been domesticated by man to be a partner to man, a companion to man, a helper to man. Yet man is now so disconnected from himself that he sees nothing wrong with chaining me to this doghouse and abandoning me here to rot.

I bit a child today.

This is my territory. I have no life except to guard my solitary patch of dirt. If you cross into my territory despite my warnings, there is a good chance I will attack you to protect myself and the dirt I see as mine.

I bit a child today. Now they've come with a big pole, they're taking me away; I'm scared, and I don't know what I did wrong.

I bit a child today, and now I will die. You have made me thus, and now both the child and I have paid your price.

Chained dogs DO attack and kill children. On Monday, August 9, a toddler was attacked by a chained dog that broke free in Philadelphia, PA. We need laws limiting chaining to better socialize our dogs and better protect our children from aggressive dogs. Please read this article, call your Senator, and tell him/her to support SB1435.

http://cbs3.com/topstories/Philadelphia.Olney.Rosemar.2.1851583.html

Miscellaneous events of the day:

1. I couldn't even tweet about the pouring rain because, well, I was in the pouring rain! It was crazy, I tell you, crazy.

2. Special thanks to Daly Gonzalez, a Temple student who came out to film today. Not only did she do a great job filming for her project, but got herself pretty darn wet by staying out in the rain to film and photograph me. I hope your project get's an A, Daly!

3. I thought I dodged the rain bullet when it stopped as I got to 'work'. But turns out it just gathered up momentum for the afternoon rain fest!

4. Apparently some of the city streets flooded, and the traffic was a nightmare…it took 40 minutes to get back to the hotel instead of 10.

My new friend Cathie MacArther brings me water with ice every day. She's pictured here with her daughter Andrea Beers, and granddaughter Adrianna Ayala

Daly Gonzalez sitting in for me

Big, big rain!

Day 9, Sitting for the dogs of Centre County

Find your Senator and House Rep at: http://www.legis.state.pa.us/
Please contact them TODAY and tell them “I’m here for their law.”
Remember, they work FOR us. Insist that they support SB1435.

I will be actively blogging, facebooking, and tweeting daily from my chain.
To follow me, fan me, or read the nightly blog, check out the links below:

Follow the campaign, Operation Fidos Freedom on:

Can you donate for this campaign which aims to save tens of thousands of dogs from life at the end of the chain? To donate by phone, call 814.941.7447.

Dogs Deserve Better is a 501c3 nonprofit organization.
To donate by mail, send check made out to Dogs Deserve Better,
P.O. Box 23, Tipton, PA 16684