Dear Animal Advocates,

I was so pleased to come across your web-site. I was even more surprised to find that there are people who feel as I do about chained dogs, and that they actually do something about it. I wish I had known about you before.

Two years ago, I would walk by this house in East Van every day and see this poor dog who was chained to the back stairs. You know the story-- neglect, no shelter, inadequate food, absolutely no stimulating play, companionship, or love. I went to visit him in a snowstorm and he was just shaking. I crept in and this "guard dog" was so gentle.

I was so horribly disappointed by the SPCA's response. I tell you, it makes me never want to give them a penny. What for? First they went to the wrong address, then when I called to see what had happened, the officer was completely rude to me on the phone and hung up. "I can't tell you anything right now!" I thought, aren't we on the same side here? Apparently not.

I'd lie in bed at night crying over this dog, dreaming and fantasizing about stealing him, just taking him and getting in my car and driving into the interior of BC to where his owner would never find him, and finding him a home. I did everything I could, even faced his heartless owner, but I didn't ever take him.

I think of him from time to time, and I never knew what happened to him because I never wanted to pass that house again. I didn't want to know that nothing was done for him. When I hear these stories that people actually just go in and take these dogs, I regret that I didn't have more courage. I won't make that mistake again. I am such a strong person when it comes to what I believe is right and wrong, I'm a bit ashamed that I didn't act on my true feeling. I may need to take a walk to that part of town to see if he is still there. God, it breaks my heart, though.

I so admire all of you who do this kind of work to change the way that we treat our fellow creatures. I have decided that my resolution for the new year is to start acting and being involved in some of the things that I believe strongly in, instead of just being upset about it. I needed to be reminded (as I was when I saw the stories of the animals you have saved) that just because I can't change the whole world doesn't mean I can't help some of it.

(The dog is no longer there. We only hope that someone did remove it and gave it a better life, though so often the people who do this to dogs just dump them at SPCAs and pounds when they are ruined, where they are often killed.)