Blog the Change- Dogs Deserve Better

Today and Blog the Cause,
a day where dog bloggers unite and write about a cause near and dear to our hearts.
The way dogs are treated is on my heart today. I'd like to share about the group Dogs Deserve Better.






What does a dog need?
Obviously food and water. And shelter. Most would agree love. Companionship.

What does a dog want?

A steak
Bones
Your slipper
That comfy spot on the couch.
To be scratched under the chin.
To be loved.  To be understood. 

What does a dog deserve?
For many, dogs deserve better.
We domesticated them. We decided that, for whatever reason, we wanted to get a dog. And yet, many dogs are relegated to the back yard day and night, chained to a tree. Left to live their entire lives in a pen. Maybe even given enough food. Kept up to date with yearly vaccinations. But never let inside, never taken for walks, never allowed to play, never given a chance to develop a human-canine relationship.

Dogs deserve better.

Take the case of Burro, a large white bulldog who lived on the roof of a business in Florida. Yes, he had shelter to protect him from the sun. He was given food and water. But the extreme heat on top of the roof, the lack of grass and trees and contact with anything else living, must have made for an unpleasant and unfulfilled life for a domestic animal. Animal Services said that this was not against the law.

This dog deserves better.

Dogs left chained outside often live within the same 10 foot radius, day after day, year after year. They often have no way to escape biting black flies or other insect infestations. Even with a dog house, they may suffer in extreme temperatures. In some cases collars have become too tight. But just as bad as the physical pain in the lack of mental stimulation and emotional connection. Dogs are part of the family--that means different things to different people, and you may carry that as far as having your dog by your feet as you watch television, to taking your dog on vacation with you, to dressing your dog in outfits and parading him around to your friends.Whatever you and your dog like.

Dogs Deserve Better is an organization that fights for chained and penned dogs. "Bring dogs into the home and family. They live as prisoners, yet long to be pets."

If you have a neighbor who keeps a dog chained or penned, you can obtain a flyer or doorknob hanger from Dogs Deserve Better to help educate the pet owner.


Have a Heart for Chained Dog Week is Feb 7-14. Help spread the word!
Dogs deserve better.

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