This letter to the editor was published January 3, 2008 in the Oceanside Star.

My name is Rosie and I want to speak for the dogs who live their lives chained to sheds, dog houses, pick up trucks and trees. I am seven years old now and I've lived at the end of a 10 foot chain for the past six years.

I lived through the heat of the summers when the fleas were a constant torment. My ears were infected with mites which caused me to scratch until they bled. The inside of the dog house was like an oven but there was no shade outside.

I lived through the winters with mouldy straw or a soaked blanket for warmth. The water froze in my dish and I shivered through the long, cold nights.

What horrible thing did I do to deserve that life of misery and loneliness?

There are hundreds of dogs in hundreds of cities and towns who still live the life I endured.

The utter loneliness has to be the hardest part of that life. We are social animals who can love and need desperately to be loved. Do you think of us when you snuggle down in your bed at night?

I have been rescued now because a few people cared enough to save me. My back end is stiff from total lack of exercise but I'm going to walks now, which is helping.

I have a new red bed with a cosy blanket I can rearrange to my liking. I have kind words and gentle petting. My ears are all clean now and my coat is getting shiny and soft.

My new mom tells me what a beautiful girl I am and I'm starting to believe her.

Would you support a bylaw against chaining of dogs in your community?

Bev Davis, Second Chances Dog Rescue
Parksville