 resource resource admin fri 2232024 1641 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 how to build a panel fence to unchain a dog video remote video url instructions on how to build a fence check our detailed step by step tutorial start now shelters and rescue organizations view list rehoming process it can be a difficult decision to rehome your dog and we know you would like peace of mind that your dog will find a safe happy home we appreciate the opportunity to provide you with a little help in this process  step 1  please do not place an advertisement on craig s list or otherwise as people with harmful intensions sometimes look there for free or lowcost animals step 2  contact your local humane society or shelter to ask about their process for intakes you may be asked to bring your dog in so they can assess his or her behavior just so they can match your dog with the best home based on your dog s unique personality and needs in oregon and southwest washington we are fortunate to have several local rescues humane societies and shelters with very high save rates since most do not euthanize based on space sometimes the wait list for these locations is long but truly is the very best place for your dog fences for fido maintains a list of these resources at  wwwfencesforfidoorg clients shelters step 3  depending on the wait list you may need to wait several days or weeks to return when they have space for your dog but please understand that this is for the best knowing that they do not euthanize based on space please email clients fencesforfidoorg if we can be of assistance and to keep us updated we know this is an emotional decision so please consider us as a resource and friend during this process  small dog house plans image medium dog house plans image large dog house plans image frequently asked questions what is fences for fido  we have a simple but lifechanging mission improving the lives of dogs living outdoors on the end of chains tethers or in small kennels by building them a donorfunded fence free of charge these dogs also receive a new dog house spay neuter services and other urgent veterinary care when needed  why is chaining dogs unsafe for a community and isolating for a dog  dogs are social animals who naturally live in packs essentially we humans are their pack dogs have evolved to be fully dependent on their human families for all of their physical mental and emotional needs isolation is severely distressing for dogs a dog on a chain is separated from his pack and forced to live a solitary life this leads to severe and sometimes dangerous behavioral problems the centers for disease control and the american veterinary medical association warn that chained dogs are about 3 times more likely to bite and have more behavior problems it s also difficult to provide good care to a chained dog because chains catch on obstacles putting dogs at risk of strangulation and injury or leaving them unable to reach their food water or shelter also chained dogs are more vulnerable to attacks by other dogs and wild animals where did you get the idea for this cause  the coalition to unchain dogs now  beyond fences  in north carolina started a few years before we did fences for fido was inspired by them and some of their founding members even flew to oregon to help us build our first fence they are the inspiration behind our unchained planet program which mentors new unchaining groups around the country  when did fences for fido start  some portland friends built the first fence on may 23 2009 it was for a yellow labrador mix named chopper who had been chained for many years chopper lived an unchained life for years before his passing on december 31 2013 and even lived indoors much of the time with his family where do you do this  our group is based in portland oregon but we have chapters in most regions surrounding the metro area including salem and the south willamette valley linn county as far south as albany the columbia gorge as far east as hood river and carson wa central oregon including warm springs nw oregon coast from astoria to waldport sw washington state as far north as olympia  how many fences have you built  we average about 10 fences per month and as of late 2024 we had build a total of 1670 fences and unchained more than 3600 dogs how do you find out about the dogs who need fences  some families apply themselves some are referred by neighbors extended family friends or good samaritans fff also maintains strong working relationships with local animal control agencies and humane societies and we often receive referrals and applications from these community partners  why would people chain their dogs in the first place  there are many reasons why people chain their dogs some people simply do not know different having been raised with chained dogs on their property others may have moved and do not have the resources to build a proper fence but need to keep their dog on their property others may have had dogs recently given to them by a family member and have no other recourse whatever the reason fff s mission is not to pass judgment but to help remedy the situation by providing free help and education when necessary will you reveal my name if i refer someone s dog for a fence  no you can remain anonymous you have the opportunity to indicate this choice on our online fence application form do clients need to financially qualify  no most of our clients are lowincome and cannot afford to build their own fence but there are no income requirements we build fences based on the dog s needs rather than the family s financial status some conditions seem so horrible it appears the dogs need to be removed from the home in doing this work we have learned not all situations are what they seem that said the fence is just the beginning of our relationship with a family we also offer spay neuter surgeries flea treatment and may provide urgent medical care if the family can t provide it we provide guidance to families who decide they can t take care of their dogs but most of the families love their dogs and just need a little help and guidance don t you think it s better for the dogs to be in the house with the family  yes dogs are social creatures who form deep bonds with their human family members they do best when they re with their people when we work with a family we learn what we can about the situation and see how we can improve it some families just aren t willing or able to have the dogs inside but most dogs are calmer and friendlier when they have a fenced yard so it s easier for their families to spend time with them some start bringing the dog into the house more while others start spending more time outside in their new yard with the dog some are willing to work with a trainer to address the behavior concerns that are keeping the dog outside away from the family he she loves so much in the end we may never see the ideal situation but we always see an improvement support how much does it cost to build a fence  on average 1000 that includes the fence and insulated dog house we also provide a spay or neuter surgery when needed and the costs vary by location how do you get the money for this  this work is completely supported by the generosity of people like you and others who care we survive on the donations of money materials labor and the occasional grant we can only do as much for the dogs in need as the available money materials and labor permits and there is never enough  are donations taxdeductible  we are a 501 c 3 nonprofit organization so if you re able to claim deductions for charitable contributions then yes it s easy to donate right here on our  website   what supplies and donations do you need  money of course we get small bulk discounts on materials so usually our supplies are purchased for less than retail costs because we use a specific type of chain link panel fencing and our doghouses are custom built from our own design we are generally unable to accept donations of construction materials or doghouses please contact us at  info fencesforfidoorg  with questions does fences for fido have any paid staff  yes as of 2017 our organization had grown too large to be managed solely by volunteers we have a couple of parttime independent contractors who help with specific tasks such as bookkeeping in 2023 we hired our firstever executive director and we have two parttime employees can i donate a used dog house  sorry we can t accept used dog houses most of our dog houses are now constructed by a youth program and they re made in a modular style so they re easy to store transport and assembly onsite at our builds we encourage people to reach out and find local dogs who can make good use of a donated dog house you might find freecycle or buy nothing groups on facebook are good places to offer up a dog house to families in need volunteer special note   we protect the privacy of our client at all times and in every way under no circumstances may a volunteer divulge personal client information in any form how do i volunteer for a project  easy  we welcome new volunteers and are always looking for more great people to join us in unchaining dogs in our communities please visit our volunteer page for more information and to get started with us signing up for a volunteer account is easy and allows you to selfregister for our upcoming projects please feel free to email our volunteer coordinator at volunteer fencesforfidoorg if you have any further questions what does a typical fence build day look like  we can say that while there are many common components to our builds each situation can have its own unique twist that could mean anything from a yard that is overrun with blackberry brambles to a particularly muddy property requiring the spreading of wood chips or straw to help keep the dog comfortable many of our projects are straightforward so that the fences are built quickly our volunteer build coordinators do the best they can to alert volunteers of any unusual facets of that day s build before volunteers arrive know that you will probably get a little grubby but you will have a good time  how does a build day unfold  when our volunteers arrive at a build site they will find a one or two experienced volunteer leaders who will direct the project and assist newer volunteers we do our best to have a short talk before the fence building starts about the layout of that particular fence and then direct firsttime fence builders to work alongside veteran volunteers for guidance rest assured you won t need to have any special skills or tools click here for a short howto video what should i bring to a fence build  mostly just bring yourself and your love of dogs we bring all the tools and even extra work gloves some of our tasks will require kneeling on the ground so you might want to bring knee pads or a gardener s pad wear sturdy shoes or boots rain boots in winter are helpful you can also bring water and a snack for yourself bringing dog treats and toys can be very sweet but know that some dogs may not be able to have any for various reasons  so please check with the build coordinator before giving treats or toys to a dog also for safety reasons and out of respect for our clients smoking drugs and alcohol are not allowed at build sites and one more important note do make a bathroom stop before arriving at the build  as we try to avoid using client bathrooms unless absolutely necessary how long does a typical build take  we normally start promptly at 900 or 1000 am and finish in 24 hours although each one is unique our crew leaders usually arrive at the site a little earlier to get everything prepared to protect our clients privacy and to ensure a smooth build please do not arrive at the location earlier than 15 minutes prior to the start time  can i bring my kids with me to a fence build  our builds are considered construction sites and chained dogs can sometimes be unpredictable for these reasons our insurance requires us to limit our volunteers to participants 18 years and older  no one under 18 years of age is allowed at our fence builds  can i bring my own dog s with me  please leave your own dogs at home however if you do bring your pup with you to a fence build  he or she must remain safely contained in your vehicle parked offsite volunteers dogs are not allowed on the client s property at all please also consider weather available shade and other factors before deciding to bring your dogs is carpooling available  if you would like to help at a project but don t have access to a car or prefer to rideshare please email the project coordinator of a particular activity he or she is usually able to email the group of other participating volunteers to see if rides are available especially for those projects further away than most why are builds often so far out of town  we simply go to where the dogs are living and schedule builds wherever we are needed we get applications for fences from all over oregon and southwest washington anything else i should know about volunteering  we know that sometimes we are seeing dogs in very difficult and sad situations it can be challenging to deal with feelings of anger frustration and sadness or not place judgment upon the guardians of these dogs please remember the fence is not the end of our contact with the family fff never just walks away and sometimes what we are seeing is not the whole story this is just the beginning of our relationship with the family and it can be very sensitive especially on the day of the build with all the commotion families experience a wide range of emotions and they handle it in all different ways so we want to be sure that any communication with the family is positive and friendly by welcoming the family into our day we are securing that longterm relationship with the family which is truly in the best interest of all the dogs we help can our group sign up to build a fence  we love partnering with other organizations however we are unable to accommodate private group fence builds because we need our fence crews staffed with many experienced volunteers to ensure the fence will be built within the allocated timeframe of one morning and to mentor any new volunteers that have joined us for the fence building if you have a group of 6 or less feel free to sign up for a fence project this size group will enable us to still have plenty of experienced builders on that particular crew we respectfully request that you do not sign up a group of more than 6 members for a fence project as this will make it difficult to build the fence in one morning we are happy to have larger groups join us for our bedmaking parties that are scheduled throughout the year thank you for your understanding and interest in participating in a day that truly changes lives for everyone volunteer are you affiliated with any other animal welfare or political group  we are an independent animal welfare group trying to improve conditions for dogs and educate their families many of our board members and volunteers are also involved in many other causes so as much as possible we try to support other animal causes whenever appropriate and consistent with our mission beyond that we re not connected to any other agencies political groups or organizations and our mission is simply to improve the living conditions of dogs will you check on a neglected dog horse cat etc in my neighborhood  we wish we could help everyone but we do not have animal cruelty enforcement authority we are a nonprofit organization that simply builds fences for chained or tethered dogs law enforcement agencies are required to investigate reports of animal abuse and neglect oregon washington laws require that animals have space to exercise an enclosed shelter that protects against the elements dry bedding appropriate food and water and veterinary care to relieve illness or injury as of 2014 oregon has a tethering law which prohibits the chaining of dogs for excessively long periods of time washington also has a law that addresses tethering but is less specific about time and types of chaining if you think a law is being broken please call the police or local animal control or humane society  