All links now working in this blog post. Sorry!
Living in Houston, we've all seen more than our share of dogs chained up who live outside. This picture, here, to the left, is the scene of a dog confiscation that temporarily put an animal activist in jail.

Tammy Grimes runs Dogs Deserve Better, a grassroots group trying to bring dogs that have lived their lives outdoors chained up.. inside. Tammy had been called to help a dog that witnesses said couldn't stand up at a home in East Freedom, Pennsylvania. She says the area Humane Society had not responded to calls for help, and felt it her moral duty to take the dog - she calls Doogie - for medical attention. Not long after treatment, she was arrested.

Janice Blue, of KPFT's Go Vegan Texas radio show, emailed "I just spoke with Tammy. She is out of jail but was charged with four misdemeanors, including theft and trespassing. But Doogie is in safe hiding and on meds and getting TLC. She said she thought he just gave up the will to live but is now finding out it might be nice to stay around a while longer."

Tammy's account of what happened is here, as are phone numbers/email addresses if you'd like to get involved.

ANY comments with profanity will be deleted as soon as I find them, and your IP address will be banned. If you can't make your point without cursing, you don't have any business posting.

I would like to post a brief comment on cruelty to animals. Recently a police officer in my town shot an 8 year-old German Shepard in the head. The dog was on the owners property, the officer approached the dog and protecting his family the dog ran towards the officer and was shot . Our beef is why didnt the officer use less extreme measures in subdueing the dog. Why didnt he wait for animal control ? After the shooting the owners brother was notified at the front door the dog had been shot but not seriously injured. The officer used a 45 with a hollow point and shot towards the owners house with people inside including small children. The dog survived the gunshot wound which went in the top of his head came out the back of the head , entered just above the shoulder and then out the shoulder. The owner NOT animal control took the dog to the Vet for teatment. The dog has since been put down by the owner, who now has aquired a ticket for a dog at large, a vet bill and a bill for putting him down Does this sound legite to you ?

   --Posted by: Linda at April 10, 2007 2:58 PM

I would like to post a brief comment on cruelty to animals. Recently a police officer in my town shot an 8 year-old German Shepard in the head. The dog was on the owners property, the officer approached the dog and protecting his family the dog ran towards the officer and was shot . Our beef is why didnt the officer use less extreme measures in subdueing the dog. Why didnt he wait for animal control ? After the shooting the owners brother was notified at the front door the dog had been shot but not seriously injured. The officer used a 45 with a hollow point and shot towards the owners house with people inside including small children. The dog survived the gunshot wound which went in the top of his head came out the back of the head , entered just above the shoulder and then out the shoulder. The owner NOT animal control took the dog to the Vet for teatment. The dog has since been put down by the owner, who now has aquired a ticket for a dog at large, a vet bill and a bill for putting him down Does this sound legite to you ?

   --Posted by: Linda at April 10, 2007 2:57 PM

Every day I thank God for someone like this woman. Its obvious to me that the owners of this dog are neglegent and do not care about the welfare of their dog. I have learned that they are demanding to have the dog back. Im wondering why. So they can chain him out and leave him again? Through research I discovered the dog has bone spurs in his back and the owners "didnt have the heart to put him down". Well, Tammy took the dog to a vet and hes being treated. Why couldnt they do that? If they get the dog back, are they going to stop treatment? Im gussing so. If this were a child there would be no questions asked. The child would be taken away and put into foster care. But its beyond me why a dog should be treated any different.

   --Posted by: Susan at September 20, 2006 1:15 PM

Lisa, your "here" link doesn't seem to be working.

How sad is this story? I would have probably done the same thing. I'd hope a judge will throw out the charges considering the "owner" was breaking the law by not treating the dog, therefore Tammy was breaking laws in return only to right a wrong, and possibly save a precious life.

   --Posted by: Heather at September 13, 2006 12:23 PM

Thank God for people like Ms. Grimes. I'm confused why she has been made in the criminal? You would think it would be the other way around.

   --Posted by: Barb at September 13, 2006 9:59 AM

I would have done the same thing. It would have been well worth it to me as long as I knew the dog was in good hands after it was all said and done! Thank goodness for people like Tammy!

   --Posted by: Sheila at September 13, 2006 7:57 AM

Lisa,
I am so glad you got hold of this story. I was trying to send it you but I am apparently not to computer savvy. Anyone that loves animals know that the person(s) that should have been jailed are the so called owner/'s of this poor old man.

Lisa, please keep up the good work and keep reporting the stories that need to be told. Dogs (in fact all animals) need our voice.

Kylie

   --Posted by: Mary Brown at September 12, 2006 6:21 PM