"Survivor"-like Competition Tests Endurance and Raises Awareness for Chained Dogs
By Rebecca Simmons
Intense boredom, acute loneliness and an overwhelming desire for freedom: This is a day in the life of a
chained dog and, for up to 13 days, these were the conditions 11 people endured for the chance to win a new car. But even with their eyes on the prize, the contestants of the
Dogs Deserve Better Chain Off competition couldn't help but develop an appreciation for the range of emotions and obstacles that chained dogs encounter.
Eleven men and women, 18 to 52, from six states converged on Mundys Corner, Pa. July 1 with the hope of becoming the first-ever Chain Off winner. Organized by
Dogs Deserve Better, a non-profit organization that raises awareness for chained and penned dogs, the competition was designed to gain media attention for the issue and give participants the chance to understand the realities of living as a chained dog.
Participants were allowed only the bare essentials—water, food, a doghouse, sleeping bag, shade, plastic wrap to shield against rain, and access to a port-a-potty.
It didn't take long for contestants to begin dropping out, with one exiting the competition in the first few hours. Those who remained endured driving rain, cold, heat and humidity, and elimination-round challenges that included being blindfolded for an entire day to simulate the life of a blind, chained dog.
By day 13 the number of contestants had fallen from 11 to two, pitting the youngest contestant, Aija Gillman, a recent high school graduate, against the oldest, Don McKendree, the owner of a chained dog named Niki. The journey hadn't been easy for either of them.
A Day in the Life
On day three, Gillman reported in the journal that contestants were permitted to write in twice a day, "At this point I really do feel extreme empathy for animals kept like this ... there's nothing to do but pace, sit around, or sleep, all of which get old quite quickly."
McKendree began to question his decisions to keep his dog Niki chained almost immediately. "If we love and call dogs our best friends, then why would we (or do we) chain them to [doghouses]?" he wrote the morning of the third day.
By day five, both finalists reported a deeper understanding of their canine counterparts.
"I think it's accurate to describe my mood as 'frustrated'," wrote Gillman. "I can understand why chained dogs are so defensive of their territory."
"Last night was the roughest night—it seems when you get wet and it continues to rain [there are] lots of mixed emotions," wrote McKendree. "I could imagine the torture dogs must go through when people chain them outside …. I have been and done a lot of difficult things in my life, but being tied to a doghouse has got to be the roughest. Stripped of human communication ability sure puts things into the proper perspective. Let's unchain our dogs."
And the Winner Is…
Neither Gillman nor McKendree was leaving the competition without a fight, so to determine the Chain Off winner,
the two competed in a final round of challenges on the 13th day.
In the end, with only two points to spare, Gillman topped McKendree, 9-7, and became the winner of the first-ever Chain Off and owner of a new Chevy Aveo
"It was very emotional. I cried several different times—from happiness, freedom, shock of winning and relief. It was as though a burden had been lifted from my shoulders," said Gillman. "You come to fully understand the isolation and misery that comes with being a chained dog by experiencing it firsthand. Yes, people can imagine how it must be, but to actually do it is something completely different; it really opened my eyes to exactly how much pain—both mental and physical–[chained dogs] endure."
Another victory came when McKendree agreed to immediately go home and unchain his dog, Niki, after the contest.
Nowadays Niki lives inside with McKendree who, with the help of Dogs Deserve Better, erected a chain-link fence around his property and installed a doggie door so that Niki can go in or outdoors whenever she pleases.
"The most gratifying part of the contest, hands down, was to see Don's metamorphosis from one who didn't understand a dog's needs, to one who became determined to go home and take his dog off the chain," says Tammy Grimes, founder of Dogs Deserve Better. "[Niki] now has the most freedom possible and love from her family, and that is extremely gratifying!"
As the proverb goes, it's not until you walk a mile in another's shoes that you can truly understand that person's circumstances. As the contestants of the Chain Off now know, if only all owners of chained dogs could experience the boredom, loneliness, sadness and lack of freedom their pet experiences, the practice of chaining dogs would surely be a thing of the past.
Check it out!
See Chain Off photos, contestant bios, journal entries and more. »
Take Action!
Want to help chained dogs? Spread the word in your community,
become an area representative for Dogs Deserve Better or
support legislation in your area. Learn more at
www.DogsDeserveBetter.com.
Rebecca Simmons is the outreach communications coordinator for the Companion Animals section of The HSUS.
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