Please help! I am apart of a group that helps look for lost/stray animals and get them reunited with their owners or get them to safety here in Grand Rapids, MI. When I started helping, I did not realize how many dogs live a life on chains in this city. I always thought this city was good to its furry companions, but that’s just not true. I have come across many dogs who live a life on chains, never getting the attention, socialization or love they deserve. This last winter, even during the polar vortex that was extremely dangerous, there were 3 dogs pinned up outside in a cage with little shelter from the harsh cold and winds and no water since it was frozen. Animal control told me they received a ton of calls for those dogs (I wouldn’t doubt at least a hundred)  and still nothing was done. They told me the only law the owner broke was not having water for the dogs (how are they supposedly to provide water when it will quickly freeze?) The officer even gave the owner straw to put in their pen, so it was obvious they didn’t have the adequate shelter that is already required by law, and still nothing was done, they gave the excuse the owner wasn’t breaking any law other than water and “they told them to give the dogs water” Yesterday, a picture and video of a puppy was shared and it was tied to a tree with a weight on the chain, weighing down his neck and he was on a piece of concrete with a crappy small dog house. A few weeks ago, while looking for a lost dog I came across a pitbull chained tightly to a tree with no water in a alley in a not safe area (yes these dogs are out 24/7 not for short periods of time.) Animal control said when they went out the dog had water, as of now the dog is fine until winter comes.  There are many more instances that myself and friends in rescue have come across, and our cries fall on deaf ears and it needs to stop. I’m tired of animal control saying their hands are tied or that the owners aren’t breaking any laws, I’m sick of trying to reach out to media to get some attention on the issue and never get a response, same with local and state representatives. If I do get a response from representatives it’s a generic “hey I care about your issue please vote for me!” message. We need to be able to hold our laws and government officials (whether it be animal control/law enforcement or law makers) accountable and get results.

These dogs don’t deserve a life like that, first of all. Second of all, they can become a danger to the community. These dogs don’t get socialized and can become very territorial and aggressive. August 19 2019 Emma Hernandez and December 2015 Xavier Strickland were brutally killed by dogs who were kept locked in a back yard 24/7 in the Detroit area. This is not just a Grand Rapids problem, this is a problem everywhere. We need to have laws that help these dogs quality of life but also that can help prevent these attacks/deaths, which would help make communities a little safer. We are in 2019, we don’t need dogs to be security systems anymore. 

If you care about the wellbeing of dogs or the safety of people around dangerous dogs, please sign and share this petition. This change is desperately needed. It will help people like me and my friends in rescue actually hold our agencies accountable. 

(Picture is of the puppy chained with weights on its collar)