Unfortunately and sadly, many of the dogs in our target areas live outside, chained up 24/7. We try very hard to persuade dog owners otherwise, but the
truthfully the situation rarely changes. We also try to rescue the dogs from these situations, but that rarely happens either.
The ACN Plan C is sometimes the only option, which means we just have to make the situation better and more comfortable and suitable for the dogs that we come in contact with. This is one of those situations.
These two guys were spay and neutered last year through the program and their weight has always been good
They had been living inside, but when the families living arrangements changed they ended up outside. Upon a routine recheck, the team found the two dogs tangled together unable to reach their makeshift, broken doghouses,
one was an airline carrier which does not constitute adequate shelter. The sides are open allowing wind, rain and snow to get in and they tip over.
The ACN team moved in and reworked the entire backyard situation. We require the owners to come out and assist us so that we may show them what all these obvious problems are and educate them.
The dogs were moved further apart so that they will not tangle, new doghouses filled with straw were drilled on wooden pallets. These pallets ensure that the houses are higher off the ground and weighted down, so they do not knock them around, they do not fill with rain, snow and ice as easily and so the bottom does not freeze in the winter.
Even though we all know this is not the life we would like to see for these dogs, it is better than it was and the volunteers will continue to check on these dogs.
Sometimes this is the best we can do and the dogs were MUCH happier when we left!