 media policy media policy admin thu 7182024 21 your donations make this possible our mission is to improve the quality of life for dogs living outdoors we build fences to get dogs off chains run a pet food bank and provide veterinary care  donate now media policy   dear media friends  the story of our work and the deserving endearing fidos we free makes great news it s positive it s visual it s communityoriented and the change is so tangible you can see it with your eyes and feel it in your heart fences for fido has grown at a phenomenal pace due in large part to the media coverage we ve received we gratefully welcome stories about our mission our tireless and compassionate volunteers our impact on communities and our work to open hearts change minds and strengthen laws to improve the lives of our furry canine companions to make your important job just a tiny bit easier we ve compiled this brief fact sheet with our media policies our contact list and our pertinent data  media policy  please do not reveal the actual physical address of our clients who receive fences  our clients are taking a hugely positive step to improve their dogs lives but the issue of chaining can evoke powerful public reaction we want to shield them and our fidos from any unwelcome interference we also ask for your discretion so wide shots of the property don t reveal the street name and house number  please seek client permission to use their names or images  we love it when our clients want to talk to the media about their reason for getting a fence and the positive changes they ve seen in their newlyunchained dog many clients are happy to share but we must respect those who want more privacy we are guests on their property and often we have gotten there through a lengthy process of trustbuilding  please seek out our appointed spokespeople  we have the best volunteers in the world and we hope you ll talk to them about why they volunteer and how it changes their lives for any information about our organization its data budget policies history etc please talk to our spokespeople listed on this fact sheet  and of course be safe  a build is essentially a construction site with chained dogs we have appointed lead volunteers at every build who can guide you about a given dog s approachability and any potential hazards  contacts  for more information please contact our media relations coordinator  kelly peterson cofounder board chair kpeterson humanesocietyorg 5038699422   fact sheet  mission statement  fences for fido has a mission to improve the quality of life for dogs who spend most or all hours confined to a chain we provide a fenced yard insulated dog houses spay neuter and critical veterinary care date founded   may 2009 when 10 friends built our first fence for a portland dog named chopper nonprofit status   we are a 501 c 3 nonprofit organization management and governance   we operate with volunteer fence builders the organization is overseen by a volunteer board of directors we are a standalone organization not affiliated with or under the umbrella of any other organization funding sources  100 donations we hold one or two major fundraising events each year we partner with great local businesses and organizations for events that raise funds and awareness we also seek grants from private and corporate foundations our geographic reach   oregon and sw washington we have volunteer crews located in oregon and southwest washington what s wrong with tethering  longterm chaining presents numerous risks to dogs their families and their neighbors dogs are social animals their wild ancestors live in packs and when dogs live with humans we are their pack a dog on a chain is separated from his pack and forced to live a solitary life which can cause emotional and behavioral anxiety and fearbased aggression chained dogs are vulnerable to attacks by other dogs and wild animals and are exposed to physical dangers from entangled chains that can cause strangulation or prevent the dog from reaching food water and shelter the centers for disease control and the american veterinary medical association warn that chained dogs are as much as 8 times more likely to bite who qualifies for a fence   there are no financial qualifiers while most of the families we serve are lowincome we do not ask for financial information we build the fence based on the dog s need what does a fence cost   it s free to the families we serve we never charge our clients for our work it is our gift to them as they embark on a new way of living with their furry friends with donated labor and bulk discounts on materials fff s hard cost is 600 1000 per fence how we hear about fidos in need   on our website there s a request form where families can apply for their own fence or anyone who observes a chained dog can give the us the address and other information we need to initiate contact with the family we also hear about dogs through local law enforcement shelters service agencies and animal control agencies what happens after the fence is built  we have a saying once a fido always a fido and we mean it our clients sign an agreement to keep their dogs off chains for the rest of their lives and to call us if their wily fido has learned to open the gate or climb over we have ways of fixing that about spay neuter  we offer a free spay neuter to every dog that receives a fence hb 2783  fences for fido was instrumental in getting this bill through the oregon legislature and was present when governor kitzhaber signed it into law the new law became effective january 1 2014 it limits the time a dog can spend on a tether and clarifies requirements for shelter and humane care  