It's cruel to leave a dog chained up. Long-term tethering can harm dogs and create potential danger to humans and other pets. A newly formed nonprofit group in the Portland area,
, seeks to do something about the problem.Volunteers and donors recently paid for and built a new fence for a family that will no longer have to tie up its lab mix in the St. John neighborhood. It's a worthy program that deserves recognition and financial support.
Here's what Andrea Kozil, Fences for Fido's president, says about the undertaking:
I have no problem with fellow dog owners who tie up Fido safely for a few minutes while dashing into the coffee shop to fetch the Sunday morning brew. But people who chain up their dogs out in the yard and leave them there all day - well, they're neither good neighbors nor humane custodians of their pets.
Here's what Fences for Fido says about that:
The group has a cool Web site. It even offers a video showing step-by-step instructions for building a fence to protect your dog.
- Doug Bates, associate editor; dougbates@news.oregonian.com