Something that always hurts my heart is seeing a dog on a chain or confined to a crate. My immediate reaction is that the tethered or caged dog leads a loveless, lonely life void of meaningful play, exercise, and human interaction. In a perfect world, all dogs would be free to run through a large yard with a toy box of balls and a loving human to play with them throughout the day. But life is far from perfect, and not all families are blessed with the time and resources to realize the ideal situation when it comes to caring for their pets. 

A facebook post from The Coalition to Unchain Dogs in North Carolina caused me to act. They had a unique idea . . . real people trying to make a real difference in the lives of dogs who are tethered. Run mostly by volunteers, the aim of this organization is to provide free fences, dog houses, and spay and neutering services to owners that cannot afford it themselves. 

More importantly, the organization is trying to educate people how to be better pet owners. Too many people still view animals as objects, not realizing they are emotional beings who can experience pain, sadness, joy, and love. Chained dogs are unhappy dogs. Barking dogs. To free a dog from a chain makes a happier dog, and a happier owner. And this can lead the way to a stronger bond between people and their pets.

I visited their site, http://www.unchaindogs.net/ to make a donation. Any donation amount, no matter how small, was welcomed. After watching their video of "Mama" and "Oreo" I knew what I had to do. I whipped out my credit and bought a fence. Sure it would take me a while to pay it off. But it was worth it.

A dog would soon be free from life on a chain. 

Soon being the best word in that last statement. My donation would go to work quick. Real results, fast. A fence could be erected by an experienced volunteer team in a few hours . . . and a dog's life forever changed in an instant. Never has a purchase felt so good, or meant so much.