Diary
of a Woman Chained 2
Chain Off 2005, State College, PA
 Tammy
Sneath Grimes lived chained to a doghouse for 33 hours July 2-3,
2005 in State College, PA as part of the Dogs Deserve Better
Chain Off event.
For
the second year, she created a diary of the event and her thoughts,
feelings:
9:25
p.m., July 1st.
I
try to get to bed early, just realize tomorrow is Chain Off. This
year seemed so busy that I didn't notice it sneaking up, and with
Terri Bunge and Amy Smith being so capable (plus Mary Williamson,
our bake sale manager), I didn't have to worry about much except
myself, the chain/collar, and booth materials.
I
wanted to wear the same clothes as last year (not much of a shopper!),
but decided that wouldn't do. So I'd found a pink light jacket/shirt
with a pair of black calf-length dress pants, and black flat-heeled
sandals. Not quite as dressy as last year, but still professional-looking.
I
start to get nervous, realizing the Big Day is here, and damn, I
didn't lose those five pounds again! Plus, I just dyed my hair today,
but rather than turning out it's normal shade of auburn, it is decidedly
pink...Oh, well, it will match my shirt, and is probably the least
of my worries. I take a melatonin, and it zonks me out for the night.
5:00
a.m., July 2nd.
The
alarm goes off way too early! I wanted to get out the door by 6:00
a.m. this year to have breakfast at Denny's beforehand. Rocky asks
if I want to skip breakfast and sleep another hour. As inviting
as that sounds, I know I'll be bummed about it later, so I drag
my pink hair out of bed and get in the shower.
6:00
a.m., July 2nd.
 Only
five dogs in house right now! I told everyone who wanted help with
dogs to hit me up after chain off, because I could not afford to
be worried about the dogs while I was out there. We are taking Dallas
with us, he's been looking for a home for a long time now, and he's
from the State College area which is good. Willow, a scaredy-dog
black lab mix, would freak out too much, and no telling what big
old Mojo the Akita might do, especially with other male dogs coming
around. So Dallas it is! Mary is bring Teddy, a golden retriever
who needs a home.
7:30
a.m., July 2nd.
Breakfast
never takes as long as you think it will...after going to the bathroom
twice, just in case, we head on down to Hi-Way Pizza. We're the
first to arrive, so wait 5 minutes for Terri to show up, and then
Amy.
7:45
a.m., July 2nd.
 Things
are moving pretty quickly, and we're all doing our share of the
setup. Tim Bertram, Amy's husband, pulls up with the doghouse which
came from his family's farm, and I belatedly realize it's somehow
passed 8:00 when I wasn't looking! This year there was no media,
so it slipped me by, quite uneventfully. I hurried to put on my
collar and chain, same ones as last year, with Terri helping.
8:10
a.m. July 2nd.
A
woman drives up in a car, gets out, hands us $20, and leaves again
without a word.
8:30
a.m., July 2nd.
Steve
Dershem, Centre County Commissioner arrives, not sure yet if he'll
chain himself with me.
Mary
Williamson and her friend Karan get the bake sale set up and rolling.
9:30
a.m., July 2nd.
 People
are showing up, some have seen our signs as they come by, some heard
us on the news/radio and wanted to show support. Steve chains himself
to his beltloop. A photographer from the Centre Daily Times arrives
and takes some photos of Steve, Dallas, and I while we talk.
10:30
a.m., July 2nd.
 A
little girl is playing with Barkley, Stephanie's dog, and both girl
and dog are loving it!
11:30
a.m., July 2nd.
I
call Monica Kinley-Kuhn who is chained in Richmond, Indiana to see
how she's doing. She's all alone right now. I feel badly, because
here we're quite lively, with a booth and a bake sale, and Steve
is drawing some people in.
I'm
rarely alone, and rarely have time to think about actually living
as a dog. Monica, on the other hand, is experiencing life of a chained
dog firsthand. She tells me she's beginning to identify with the
chained dogs...She even tried to get up and follow her brother,
and was jerked back by her chain, giving her an 'ah-ha' moment.
12:15
p.m., July 2nd.
 No
TV stations come, despite the allure of a County Commissioner chained
with me. We are disheartened by that. Steve leaves, but tells me
we're doing a great job, and he will have the county lawyer do some
more research on the proposal.
12:30
p.m., July 2nd.
I
sit for the first time. We're experiencing a bit of a lull, lunch
time I guess. I feel depressed that local media didn't show up even
with a County Comissioner supporting our efforts. I wonder how much
noise we must make to be heard!
I
experience my first of many parellels between our event and the
life of a chained dog. No wonder they bark so much! They have to
make a lot of noise to be heard, and are still ignored or abused
because of the barking. Just like any child, I they figure negative
attention is better than no attention at all. I wonder if I'd rather
be ignored or punished...
 A
boston terrier stops by to show off his ball handling abilities.
Dallas wants the ball, so Karan buys him a stuffed toy.
1:40
p.m., July 2nd.
I
call Dan Paden, who has chained himself in Richmond, Virginia until
2:30. He is carrying a 45 pound chain that he got from chained pit
bulls in North Carolina. I can't imagine how heavy that is! I just
have this two pound collar, and it's already chafing at my neck.
Dan says no media there either, but amazingly enough a stray dog
walked up to him, dragging a tether, emaciated and thirsty. They
immediately took it to a rescue group for help. This, to both of
us, seemed like a sign that we are needed and the work must continue!
I
take my first bathroom break of the day, which is long for me...I'm
trying not to drink too much. Last year I tried to only eat and
drink once in solidarity with the chained dogs, who are lucky if
they get food and water once per day. I notice my 'morals' slipping
a little this year. I've already had a cookie from the bake sale,
and a soda. I think to myself, "no one will know or care..."
2:00
p.m., July 2nd.
 I'm
tired, everyone is in siesta mode. My son, Rayne, starts his first
All Star Baseball Tournament game in an hour, and I will obviously
miss it. I'm wearing his pin so I can be with him in spirit. He
understands what I'm doing and why I'm doing it, and isn't upset
that I'm missing his game. But I love him very much, and wish I
could be there with him too. I'm so proud of him! He's a wonderful
son.
I
wear my Mother's Against Dog Chaining pin under Rayne's baseball
pin, as the two seem to go together. And then my Chain Off 2005
pin.
 Rocky
is holding the Mothers Against Dog Chaining Sign for awhile, symbolic
for me of my train of thought...children, dogs, how the two are
connected in both good and bad ways, depending on both dog and child—and
parents' responsibility to socialize them together.
 The
second of two couples shows interest in adopting Dallas. I ask them
to take him for a walk, because he's antsy and I obviously can't.
When they come back, they tell me I should be a car salesman, and
ask me if they can take him home for the night to try him out and
see how it goes with their cats. Terri goes with them to do a home
visit; turns out Amy petsits their cats for them when they travel,
so we're pleased with the match and hope it works out for everyone.
(Note: it does work out, and Barb and Diane ask to adopt him, totally
in love! He is a sweet dog.)
3:00
p.m., July 2nd.
Hal
and Judy from Animal
Radio call me on my cell to do a live update on their
radio show. I love those two! They are fun, caring, and do such
great work getting the word out nationwide about animal issues and
solutions. They remind me of why the fight must go on, they refresh
my sagging spirit.
I'm
sorta alone afterwords, an eery feeling since we've been pretty
steady all day. I look around, feel impressed by what Amy, Terri,
Mary, and Karan have accomplished with the booths. It's amazing
to have good people working with you who really show up and follow
through. It's invaluable, really!
3:30
p.m., July 2nd.
 My
cousin Janelle, her boyfriend Allen, and her children stop on their
way through to my mother's house for the weekend. They buy a t-shirt,
a round DDB sticker, a car magnet, and take a leftover cake from
the bake sale home to my mom.
4:10
p.m., July 2nd.
I
sit and ponder life for awhile. Why we get no media when we're trying
to do a good thing. Look at the Runaway Bride, covered in media;
for what, running away? Hell, I can do that! But the dogs
can't...
I
wonder if the dogs ponder life...probably not...they just wonder
what they've done wrong.
I
wonder how hard one must work to succeed...
Teddy
didn't get anyone interested in adopting him. I should have brought
the other orange vest so they knew right away he was up for adoption.
That seemed to do the trick for Dallas.
 Mary
tells us the bake sale made $218. A big thank you to Mary and Karan!
5:15
p.m., July 2nd.
 We
start the move downtown to Webster's Book Store. Each location is
vastly different, and I have no idea what we're in for throughout
the night. As it's more in the city, it can be both exciting and
scary!
Pluses
of being chained:
1. Don't have to help take down or set up booths.
2. Don't have to clean up dog poop.
Minuses:
Everything else!
6:00
p.m. July 2nd.
 I
hear Terri and Amy talking about who will be with me at what times.
I feel dependent, a feeling I do not like in the least. I feel left
out...they plan when they will slip out for a drink, what they will
have to eat, etc. This is another parallel with a chained dog: Everyone
around is part of the group, able to go and party or play, but the
dog must just sit, alone, left out.
A
drunk man, around 45 years old, stops and touches me, trying to
take my chain off. It turns ugly, he doesn't understand at all what
we're doing. He tells us to leave town, "We don't do this kind
of thing in our town." But they do! Maybe not to people, but
to dogs, which is why we're there...he never understands and finally
goes away.
7:00
p.m., July 2nd.
Promises
to be a lively evening...two younger drunk guys stop by, but they
are very into the cause, and quite enthusiastic in their support!
 Our
food arrives, supposedly veggie subs, but Rocky's and mine are full
of chicken. They have to go back. The delivery boy, a pierced young
man who you would think would be all for our cause and liberty,
had been bitten by a couple of dogs, and so wanted them on chains...of
course we had to explain to him that we didn't want them running
free, but safely in the house. He still said 'You'll get nowhere.'
Michele
Lunger and her daughter Elise drive up in support from Tyrone. I'm
touched by that, because I know what it's like to drag a little
one around...sometimes it's easier just to stay at home!
8:30
p.m., July 2nd.
 A
little white dog barks at me and the doghouse. I'm hoping he's in
agreement and showing his support! I'm already sleepy, and my knees
are hurting from sitting on the doggie bed.
9:30
p.m., July 2nd.
I'm
so excited, I got to go to the bathroom with my friends! I'm all
smiles, and I feel silly that I'm so happy about it. It's just a
trip to the bathroom! For a moment I felt like part of the pack
again, another parallel to the chained dog. Any moment a dog gets
off chains to be with it's family, it must be cause for joy!
10:30
p.m., July 2nd.
My
best friend Tracy Copes calls to see how I'm holding up. I exaggerate
the events of the day to make her laugh, the way we always do. My
phone calls with her usually end in laughter, which seems to me
the mark of a great friendship.
11:00
a.m., July 2nd.
 Eric
Bunge shows up to take the night shift, as he did last year. Rocky
is sunburned and sleepy, I don't think he'll make it through the
night. But, luckily he's invited our new friend Sue Morlang back
to hang with us. She brings her dog Lucas, a black lab mix who loves
to socialize.
Midnight,
July 3rd.
I
go to the restroom and brush my teeth, heavenly! It was already
cold, about 55 degrees, and I agreed to have a blanket and pillow
this year, which Tim kindly thought to bring me. I hate to be cold,
can't stand it! I look at the carpeted floor longingly in the building
where I use the bathroom...it looked like the Biltmore to me, compared
to the hard ground I would be sleeping on. The tiny devil sitting
on my shoulder tells me I could sleep in there, and no one would
ever know....but the angel on the other shoulder wins out, and I
trudge back to my doghouse to sleep.
 I
put out my bedding, and Lucas promptly takes it over, which causes
a lot of laughter. The poor dog was thinking, "what, you don't
expect me to sleep outside here without a bed all night, do you?
You put a bed out, it's mine!"
1:30
a.m., July 3rd.
I'm
crashed, good thing for melatonin. I'm in and out of sleep, but
can hear the bar crowds walking by. What an odd feeling to be sleeping,
vulnerable when so many drunk people are swarming around you! I
can't hear Eric, Rocky, or Sue, but I have to trust they are there
watching over me.
 They
later tell me that Lucas was a lifesaver, because some of the drunks
seemed a bit belligerent, but he quickly melted hearts and they
became much more concerned with petting him. Some tell Rocky they
are very impressed with our stand, and they admire us.
Rocky
falls asleep beside me, but Sue and Eric stick it out as long as
they can.
5:00
a.m., July 3rd.
 Eric
hits the wall, he goes home to sleep. I wake up and doze off and
on for a little longer.
6:00
a.m., July 3rd.
Sue
leaves. I go to the bathroom and brush my teeth again. I contemplate
going to a local diner for breakfast, since no one would know (there's
that little devil again...). I conquer my longings and go back to
my doggie bed.
I
contemplate the media, or lack thereof, we'd received, even though
more people joined us this year. I feel ignored by the media, but
then realize that's because the chained dogs are viritually ignored
24/7. I guess it's fitting. We'd reached a ton of people driving
and walking by. We'd touched and educated, I knew, despite the tv
stations non appearance.
6:30
a.m., July 3rd.
I
pick up a Centre Daily Times; what was promised as a front page
pic is actually a small pic on page 2, tucked away. Our chaining
is called a "stunt". And yet, last weekend, commissioners
and local citizens spent the night in jail to raise money and awareness.
This event received great press and was in no way referred to as
a stunt. To me there seems to be no difference between the two.
 I'm
angry! None of these people have or ever will put themselves in
a chained dog's place. How dare they dismiss our efforts as little
more than a stunt? I put a hex on all of them (where's my voodoo
kit!)...may they live next to a chained dog immediately if not sooner.
May they know the pain of watching that dog day after day living
in sadness and pain and it's own filth. May they try to get help
for the dog, only to be laughed off and ignored. And may they then,
finally, realize that they are being treated like the very dog they
now long to help. Then, and only then, will they know the pain and
sadness I'm feeling at this very moment. And then, and only then,
will they give this issue and these dogs the respect they so richly
deserve.
Rocky
brings breakfast, crappy as usual, the english muffins are missing.
I complain that I've yet to have a great meal while chained. I don't
often dislike my food, usually I like food too much and am not a
picky eater! I make the connection...I haven't gotten good food
when chained because I'm in the shoes of the chained dogs; I'm sharing
their lot in life. I get it.
7:00
a.m., July 3rd.
 I
call Monica and Shelby to see how they made it through the night,
get answering machines at both. I later learn that Shelby did not
go through with the chaining in Kentucky, that it was called off
at the last minute.
I
hug Rocky, tell him I love him. He really comes through for me at
Chain Off, doing whatever needs to be done and taking most of the
photos. Just then a hot air balloon floats overhead, bringing hope
for a new beginning, a rising above.
 
7:50
a.m., July 3rd.
Terri
and Amy come back, and we commence with the street move. It's only
a block away, but this time we need the truck, the doghouse is too
unwieldy. Terri, Amy, and Rocky do a fabulous job of moving it,
and the last 'leg' of our journey begins.
10:00
a.m., July 3rd.
The
second day is much different than the first. Mostly we get people
staring at us from across the street, funny looks on their faces.
A few take photos, maybe I'm in a zoo? We did have another car pull
up with a $20, and then take off again.
11:00
a.m., July 3rd.
 My
mom Reni and her husband Chuck come out this year in support. She
felt badly that she didn't make it last year, and wanted to make
sure she got here this year. I appreciate that two members from
my family supported me this year, up from one the last chain off.
She gives a donation and buys a round DDB sticker for her car, after
I tell her the round stickers are 'the in thing'.
12:45
p.m., July 3rd.
Rocky
brings Rosie Bearito, one of our first rescues, back with him. She
is a long-haired Akita, and is normally loved by everyone she meets,
so she's a good draw. She was found running down the road dragging
a chain in West Virginia, which I believe...Akitas definitely have
a mind of their own! She has become my son's companion, and so she
lives with us and is greatly valued by our family. I do not want
to imagine the day she dies!
 1:30
p.m., July 3rd.
Dan
Paden calls to see how it's going, and we discuss in depth our feelings
about the event and the lack of media. We both see and feel the
parallels to our efforts and the lives of the chained dogs. We both
feel resolve to continue this fight, and we both agree to keep going
no matter what.
2:00
p.m., July 3rd.
 Deb
Carr, the organization's treasurer, drives up from Lancaster with
her dog Brother, a spaniel mix. She stays until 3:30, and we get
a chance to discuss some of the organizational needs, strengths,
and weaknesses. We realize we have a lot of work cut out for us
to continue to move forward as an organization. Sometimes it seems
SO overwhelming!
4:30
p.m., July 3rd.
Rosie
checks out the house, laying down inside it briefly. I wonder what
kind of memories this brings out for her...I wonder what her doghouse
looked like, if she had one. If Ellen hadn't asked me to pull her
from their pound, she'd be dead by now, and I'm so grateful for
Rosie. I couldn't ask for a better alpha dog, she is so calm and
strong.
4:50
p.m., July 3rd.
 No
candles this year, but we form our circle again, me, Amy, Terri,
and Jen with Rocky filming. Rosie Bear is our center, as is fitting.
We all talk again, Amy and Terri saying they are sad that it's over.
They put so much into it, and it's so consuming for a couple of
months, and then it's over, just another memory.
I'm
more sad about the lack of media, but that's the perfectionist in
me. I remind myself and everyone else that we all did our best,
we still educated a ton of people, and got a lot of support from
the citizens of the community.
We're
all excited that the donations were bigger this year. Between the
bake sale and the booth we brought in around $1000.
5:00
p.m., July 3rd.
 The
ceremonial unchaining has arrived! Amy can't get the collar off,
and neither can Terri. I end up doing it myself, a final parallel,
to be sure...So many times we want others to do the hard work for
us. In the end we realize we can only do it for ourselves.
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