Toby, photo courtesy Dallas Animal Advocates
Until recently, Toby spent his days neglected and alone, tethered outside 24/7 with little shelter and barely enough food and water to survive. That is until a caring neighbor, tired of seeing Toby suffer, stopped by one day to talk to Toby’s owners. She explained that tethering isn't just inhumane, it's also against the law, and she discussed the advantages of taking little Toby off his barely foot-long tether. But the owners really didn't care about poor Toby and weren't willing to do anything to help him, so they simply shrugged and handed him over to the neighbor. She quickly contacted Dallas Animal Advocates and little Toby, for the first time in a long time, found himself in a warm, safe home being cared for by a temporary foster family.
That should have been the happy ending to Toby's tale, but it's a little more complicated than expected. A trip to the vet revealed that Toby is positive for heart worms. That's not unusual in our area, and it is certainly not fatal if treated. But the treatment costs money and takes time. As fate would have it, Dallas Animal Advocates is a non-profit organization that provides heartworm treatment for dogs facing euthanasia at Dallas Animal Services if a local rescue group will step in, get the dog treated, and find it a permanent, loving home. But Toby didn't come from Dallas Animal Services so that money isn't available to help him. Instead they'll need to raise $ 450 for Toby's heartworm treatment, and find him a home, either a permanent placement or a temporary foster home.
Toby, photo courtesy Dallas Animal Advocates
Toby is described as a slightly larger version of the famous Taco Bell dog, and about three years old. He missed so much of his puppyhood living on a chain that he is now making up for it with an excitement and enthusiasm for life normally seen only in puppies. He loves to give kisses, adores stuffed animals and devours chew bones. He's a happy dog who will hang out with you during the day and snuggle with you at night. He's housebroken, well-behaved and a joy to have around.
If you are interested in meeting Toby and would consider fostering or adopting him, please email Dallas Animal Advocates at dallasanimal@yahoo.com for more information. If you can help by donating toward his heartworm treatment, visit the Dallas Animal Advocates website and click on Donate. No amount is too small, and each and every penny contributed will go toward helping Toby reach his happy ending. After all, there is more to life than living on a chain.
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Comments
I resent the term 'tethered' as being negative. I had a Pomeranian for 13 years and a lab for 11 years. Both were on a 40 foot wire across the back yard with a 30 foot chain attached (70 feet of freedom). We were able to play ball each afternoon for what seemed like hours with no hindrance. If the ball went beyond the length of his chain, he would 'eye' it until I retrieved it.
At dusk they were brought in. I learned to sleep on the couch to keep the lab company - I was allowed 1/3 of the couch as he stretched over the other 2/3rds.
If you want a cause, please address the 'chain' - actually a plastic covered wire with a defective spring hook. I had to replace it every 6 months due to it knotting then breaking or the defective hook opening. Each time that he got loose, I spent hours looking for him in the neighborhood thru sobbing eyes because he was not 'street smart'. I thought that I had rectified the defective spring hook by attaching a different designed hook to it but
on Nov 11, 2008, at dusk when we went to bring him in, there was an empty chain. We were about 30 seconds too late traversing a main street with heavy traffic in the neighborhood. It is criminal that there is not a product on the market that is 'fool proof'. The quality of available 'chains' on the market causes loss of life also!
Would I like to rescue a orphaned dog - yes but I am not sure that I could go thru that apprehensive ordeal again.
Most animals that are "chained', "tethered", or what ever you want to call it are dogs people want to ignore. Just because some people think that tying a dog up with rope or chain is acceptable, does not make it so to those of us who choose to handle our animals by not tying them to chains or ropes, or "what-ever".....irregardless, using chains, or "whatever" is a cruel way to care for an animal. I for one believe euthanasia is better than tying a dog up with anything. I do believe that my Chihuahua mix would tell you so too.He was chained from 6 weeks to 2 years old. He is now free because he lives in a safe environment. Sorry guys.....but no agreement on "cheap' chains need to be made differently....chained dogs need new owners.
beth1 the 'tethering law' is not aimed at well meaning dog owners but at the heartless people like Toby's owners who have absolutely NO business owning a pet in the first place. There are thousans of TOBY'S in need. KUDOS to all the rescue and shelter people for their tenacity and relentless pursuit of justice and a better life for those sweet souls in harms way.
Hey Beth, thanks for reading and commenting. More and more studies are beginning to show a link between chained dogs and aggressiveness in dogs, and that is one of the reasons tethering is illegal in the City of Dallas and most of the state - with a few exceptions. DogsDeserveBetter.org has a lot of the stats but there are others as well. And honestly, what we're talking about here is dogs that are chained out 24/7. They're not allowed in the home ever. Your dogs may have been tethered, but you brought them in each night and made them part of the family and I'm sure that made all the difference in the world to them, And I am very sorry about the dog you lost. Such a shame. I hope at some point you'll reconsider getting another. Losing them is incredibly hard but I think it's worth it for the years of joy they bring. Thanks again for reading and commenting. I value all my readers opinions.
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