End animal suffering in KCMO urban core

Teenie, Finally Off of the Chain!

One of the most rewarding things about Chain of Hope’s difficult work is to finally get a dog off of a chain that they’ve been living on for years and finally giving them their freedom. That is exactly what happened to Teenie and this is her story.

About 2 yrs. ago, Chain of Hope spotted a large, female, mastiff/bulldog mix chained to the fence with only a camper shell for her shelter. We knocked on the door and met the owners, an older couple. We found out that this dog, who they called Queenie, never came in the house-she had been out there on her chain for 3 yrs! She was at a pretty good body weight and was already spayed, so those were the positives about this situation.

The older man that lived there was her primary care taker. The dog was chained on the side of the house. The man was always out puttering around outside. As sad and lonely as her life was, he made sure she had clean water and food, but obviously not adequate shelter. We took her a large igloo, straw, and a tie-out cable to get her off of her heavy chain.

We stopped by periodically to check up on her, but never really got up close to her. The owner always took the straw and put it in her house and took the food from us, etc. She would bark at us and she was huge, and we never really knew if she would accept us. We didn’t stop here very often because the guy did a pretty good job and there were always more dogs chained to fences and trees that desperately needed us.

We stopped in not long ago to check on Queenie and thank God that we did because she did not look very good at all. Her tie-out cable was tangled in the fencing, she had a mess of broken cable tie-outs around her neck, she had nothing in her dog house at all, we could see all of her ribs and she looked sadder that we’d ever seen her.

We went to the door and talked with the woman. She told us that her husband had had a stroke and was in a rehabilitation facility. She said that she could not take care of their dog and asked us if we could take her. We immediately said yes and loaded Queenie up to take her to Chain of Hope.

Finally, this precious girl was off her chain after 3 yrs. of continuous restraint. Her new life could begin and she could now know joy, love and companionship. She could now know what it’s like to run free in a fenced yard without a big chain holding her back and pulling at her neck. She could stretch her legs and run free, she could discover toys and the joy of playing with other dogs. She could now know the assurance of a big hug, the warmth of a soft bed inside when the snow is blowing and the peace that she is now going to be totally cared for and loved.

Chain of Hope has made this happen for hundreds of dogs that have been chained and suffering over the years.  We are only able to accomplish these difficult rescues because of our supporters that keep us out there. You have our sincere appreciation. Please keep donating so that our outreach teams can continue getting out there finding dogs just like Teenie and changing their lives. 

"Never, never be afraid to do what is right, especially if the well being of a person or animal is at stake."

Martin Luther King Jr.

Chain of Hope knows that it is not right to keep a dog chained to a tree or fence in the back yard and ignore it. Dogs come from the wolf family, who live in packs. They are social creatures. One of the cruelest things someone can do to their dog is to chain it to a tree or fence, far back in the yard, alone. These are the dogs that Chain of Hope seeks out and actively looks for in the urban core of Kansas City, MO. We find plenty.

We are out in the community 6 days a week, speaking with pet owners and educating them on the care of their pets. We are trying to change a mindset because people do what their parents showed them or taught them to do. If your parents chained their pit bull to the tree in the back yard, then you are probably going to do the same thing unless someone intervenes and educates you on a better way. That is what Chain of Hope strives for every single day in the inner city-to get people to recognize that their dog or cat is a living, feeling being who faces loneliness, fear and pain. They are not a piece of property in the yard, like a bird bath or a clothes line!

Freeing a dog from a tow chain is the best feeling in the world. They are finally free. It is incredibly bittersweet when we get an older dog off of their chain that may have lived there, around that tree, for 10 years or more. Never off the chain. Out there when it's a wind chill of -15 degrees and when the heat index is 110 degrees. Now finally free, they are sometimes scared, but oh so grateful. They come alive when they come off that chain. Thank you for enabling Chain of Hope to gain an animal's freedom many times during the year, year after year.

Enjoy some of our before and after pictures of just a few of the dogs that we have rescued off their chains. We do make a difference every day. Thanks for keeping us out there!