by Nancy Gallimore | Photos courtesy of Unchain OK
It was early on a Sunday morning, my day to enjoy a little extra snooze time. I was
sandwiched snugly in my bed by the snoring bodies of several members of my canine family. We love those rare opportunities to be lazy together.
But on this day, with a big stretch, I hopped from under the covers to a chorus of sleep-disturbed dog moans. My cuddle buddies would just have to understand. While they enjoy a cushy, carefree life, a lot of dogs don’t have it quite so good. Today was the day I would ride along with some dedicated people trying to change that. I was heading out with three amazing women I have dubbed the Oklahoma Alliance for Animals Unchain Gang.
OAA Promotes Humane Treatment
Oklahoma Alliance for Animals (OAA) was founded by sisters Jamee Suarez-Howard and Robin Suarez to work toward transforming Oklahoma communities into places where all animals are treated humanely and no healthy, adoptable dog or cat is destroyed merely because it does not have a home.
Rather than create a stand-alone organization to accomplish their objectives, OAA was designed to be collaborative, aligning rescue groups, veterinarians, animal shelters, law-enforcement agencies, and community members to achieve common goals. In a sense, OAA is a giant umbrella that shelters and supports all facets of animal welfare in the state.
Honestly, I could write pages about OAA programs. A quick glance through the OAA website will give you a good overview of the constantly evolving services the organization provides. There is support for animal welfare legislation and prosecution of animal cruelty cases. OAA participates in spay and neuter clinics to help address pet overpopulation. There is the Pet Food Pantry, the Turley Pet Project, the Mend-aFriend Fund, the Community Cat Coalition of Tulsa — and the list goes on.
Improving Life for Chained Dogs
Those vital OAA programs and the volunteers behind them do amazing work in our community. But I must admit I have always been particularly fascinated by the work of one specific program: Unchain OK.
Information on the OAA website states that chaining a dog is the most common
form of animal abuse. Anytime I see a dog chained in a yard, my heart sinks. It’s no secret that life on a chain is a horrible existence for dogs, who are social creatures and thrive on being part of a family. In addition to the emotional and behavioral toll that chaining exacts, dogs can get tangled and trapped away from food, water, and shelter. They are also vulnerable targets for other animals to attack and have no way to escape.
Unfortunately, in most areas of Oklahoma, confining a dog to a tie-out or chain is not illegal. So what do you do? How do you improve quality of life for dogs subjected to that existence? “Not everyone views their dogs like you and I do,” Suarez-Howard reminded me as my mind flashed back to my own dogs sleeping on my bed. “Change happens through understanding and education.”
Suarez-Howard’s focus on the plight of chained dogs started when she served as the Oklahoma representative for a national group called Dogs Deserve Better. As her focus shifted to the growing task of managing OAA, the need for a dedicated group to address chained dogs in our home state soon became apparent. Unchain OK was formed by volunteers and become an official OAA program in 2012.
“My heart always hurt for the chained dogs,” said Suarez-Howard. “A program focused on the welfare of chained dogs was so important, and it was natural to have OAA manage and help fund it.”
According to the program mission statement, Unchain OK is dedicated to helping dogs on chains through owner education and providing animals in need with food, water, and shelter from the elements. Unchain OK volunteers also provide alternatives to traditional tie-outs such as trolleys and fence repair. In some cases, volunteers will even provide materials and labor to install a fence in a yard to allow a chained dog to have newfound freedom.
Ultimately, the group is working toward legislation to prevent chaining and tethering in Oklahoma. It is, however, a long road to get there. In the meantime, the group works tirelessly to make life better for chained dogs, one dog and one home at a time.
A Unique Approach to Animal Welfare
And that is where Unchain OK’s unique approach to animal welfare comes to life. As a longtime animal advocate and rescuer, I’m used to the idea that if someone is not taking proper care of a dog, that person shouldn’t have that dog. You work to remove the dog in need and find it a new, better home. Simple, right?
But no. That’s not so simple or practical. The number of dogs in need of homes in our local community and state is overwhelming. Owners certainly don’t want to just surrender their dogs and will become defensive if they feel judgment or disapproval. In the end, confrontation does not help the dog, in most cases.
With the Unchain Gang, the philosophy and approach are remarkable and effectively different.
This brings me back to Sunday morning and the opportunity to go on rounds with my Unchain Gang friends. I gladly surrendered my lazy-day plans and headed to the OAA office, where I met Suarez-Howard, Robin Suarez, and longtime OAA volunteer and board member Jan Lavender. We loaded up Lavender’s SUV with doghouses, bedding, bags of dog food, and other supplies. Oh, and the Unchain Gang brought along an all-important box of donuts. Volunteers must keep up their strength, right?
Donut in hand, I settled in the backseat rookie position to eavesdrop as the Unchain OK veterans mapped out the day’s route. Suarez-Howard referred to a well-used notebook as she reviewed new requests and existing reports that needed follow-up.
Sometimes it’s just a drive-by to be sure a doghouse that was provided earlier is in use. In other cases, it’s a follow-up to check on a dog that OAA helped to get spayed or neutered. And some stops are to touch base with owners to see if they have the supplies they need and to maintain a good relationship.
In the first neighborhood we visited, loose dogs and chained dogs were commonplace. We drove to one home where four dogs were visible in the backyard, each chained in a different area with access to a doghouse. Suarez-Howard went to the door and a young man answered, recognizing her and immediately giving updates on each dog. The houses provided by Unchain OK were in place, and the dogs had been given longer chains for greater freedom of movement.
Suarez-Howard chatted with the young man comfortably, and he responded amicably. We left some extra dog food, and Suarez-Howard was back to her notebook, updating notes. Was this situation perfect? No. Was it better than it had been in the past, thanks to Unchain OK? Yes.
Driving another block, we spotted a Shepherd-mix dog on a short chain in the back of a yard, sitting straight at attention atop his doghouse, staring intently at the back of the house. Without hesitation, we drove to the front of the house, and SuarezHoward was out of the SUV knocking on the door. A young woman answered. After Suarez-Howard introduced herself, she asked if she could provide any assistance for the dog in the yard, switching effortlessly to Spanish when it became apparent that would be more comfortable for the woman.
With Suarez-Howard’s easy demeanor and nonjudgmental approach, the woman was soon chatting away about the dog as other family members filed outside. On unspoken cue, Suarez and Lavender pulled bedding, dog food, a trolley system to replace the short chain, and other supplies from the SUV. Suarez-Howard soon learned that the young man who had owned the dog had passed away, and the family members were doing their best to care for it. With the address noted in her notebook,
Suarez-Howard would see to it that they continued to receive education and support.
We visited another man who had two beautiful Pit Bulls chained in his backyard and five precious five-week-old puppies housed in his garage. Once again, SuarezHoward’s empathetic manner easily gained the man’s trust, and we checked on the dogs and offered advice about vaccinations and care for the puppies. We made a promise that someone would return with puppy food, and Suarez-Howard made a plan to help get the puppies vaccinated. I knew those promises would be kept, and another Unchain Gang friend had been made.
The scene repeated over the course of several hours. We would pull up to a house or spot a person on the street, and the Unchain OK ladies would strike up a conversation with ease. We visited homes where they were greeted like old friends. We handed out doghouses and other supplies. Every interaction was direct, but always nonconfrontational and friendly.
Teaching Responsible Dog Care
Instead of trying to remove a dog or call authorities, Unchain OK volunteers offer owners solutions for giving their dogs a better life. They work with people to teach them about responsible dog care. They are prepared with resources that include not only supplies but also low-cost spay and neuter vouchers and assistance with other services. Instead of berating dog owners for what they are doing wrong, the Unchain OK volunteers gain trust and educate people (and provide the resources) to be better pet parents.
It can only be called Unchain OK magic, the gift Jamee Suarez-Howard, Robin Suarez, Jan Lavender, and all the volunteers in this outreach mission for chained dogs seem to possess. It’s the ability to set personal feelings aside to allow proactive relationships to be forged … and ultimately improve the lives of chained dogs.
With an eye on a future where chaining dogs is no longer an option, Unchain OK is working hard today, making a difference that touches the lives of so many dogs — and in reality, so many humans too.
