Before: Max,a Doberman Pinscher in Clark County, chained up.
Volunteers work on a fence for Max, a Doberman Pinscher in Clark County, during a recent Fences for Fido build.
After: Max, a Doberman Pinscher in Clark County, looking happy behind a recently-erected fence.
One Portland-based group has good news for anyone who has seen a sad-looking, fearful or aggressive dog tied up in a yard in Clark and Cowlitz counties.
Fences for Fido builds free, donor-funded fences for dogs kept primarily or entirely outside on chains, tethers or in very small enclosures.
The group has been doing work in the Portland Metro area since 2009, Fences For Fido Communications and Operations Director Michele Coppola said, expanding into Clark County and southwest Washington shortly after inception.
Of the more than 1,300 dogs the group has unchained through their fence building, more than 500 were in Southwest Washington with 80 in Clark County alone, Coppola said. Recently, Fences for Fido has even started to expand farther north into the Olympia area.
Coppola said there was research data that showed chained or tethered dogs were more likely to bite than those running free. Children were often the victims of attacks from dogs kept in such ways.
A fence can also serve as a way to keep other dogs out. Coppola explained that a chained or tethered dog would not be able to flee from other animals running loose, leading to the possibility of attacks or unwanted pregnancies in intact females.
Fences for Fido finds recipients for the fences in a few different ways. In some cases the dog owner initiates the application online, seeking some solution for their beloved pet’s shackled situation. Neighbors or concerned passerby can also anonymously submit an application for a dog they have encountered on a tether. Some information of the tipster is taken down to provide updates and resolution on a project, but that it was never revealed outside of the organization’s own correspondence. Lastly, humane shelters or local animal control can also bring a situation to Fences for Fido’s attention. Coppola noted that Clark County animal control officers have been the ones to nominate a dog’s yard for a fence on a few cases.
Coppola said that often Fences for Fido gets asked what the point of building a fence for an ostensibly irresponsible dog owner is. She said that through the years of building fences she and other volunteers came to realize that characterization isn’t accurate.
“Most of the people that we deal with, they really do love their dogs. They just lack the resources or the education to care for them properly,” Coppola said. As Fences for Fido isn’t any sort of regulatory agency it can’t go about removing dogs, which she added might be futile anyway as an individual could always go back and get another animal.
“By building a fence we are not only ensuring the health and well-being of that dog that is currently tethered or chained, but any future dog that the family might have,” Coppola said.
The fence-building itself also works as an educational tool, especially for families with children. Coppola explained that if kids can see the improvement of their family pet’s life that it would instill good ownership practices in them, in some cases breaking a damaging concept of having a dog passed from generations.
Fences for Fido is almost entirely volunteer-run save Coppola and an accountant, she said, with the organization relying on donations to fulfil its mission. She said the group focuses on monetary donations given that it builds a specific kind of fence designed to be effective and economical.
The most prevalent type of fence that Fences for Fido builds are six-foot-high, welded-wire field fences reinforced with metal key posts and gates. They come with ground wire to keep the “Fidos” from digging out.
She noted that chain-link fences in most cases aren’t as cost-effective as the welded-wire variants. In some cases, Fences for Fido does use prefabricated chain-link panels for fencing if it better fits the area — that type is often utilized in Cowlitz County.
Apart from the fencing, Fences for Fido provides a few extra measures of support for dogs that need it. Coppola explained that the group can provide a “very stout” doghouse elevated from the ground to prevent rot. They also provide free spay and neutering and free veterinary care for animals who need it, mentioning that dog chaining can lead to several health problems.
The biggest push for Fences for Fido in Clark County is getting volunteers on board with the building. Oftentimes a build in Southwest Washington is made up mostly of Portland residents.
Volunteers aren’t required to attend a minimum amount of builds and all tools and supplies are provided, Coppola said, adding that the builds were a rewarding experience for more than just the animal.
“It is one way that they can make an immediate, profound difference in the life of that dog,” Coppola she said, later adding that “a lot of people find when they get involved with Fences for Fido is it is at once the most heartbreaking and inspiring kind of work that they can do to help companion animals.”
