TulsaPets Magazine May 2022

May/June 2022 • TulsaPets 27 I t was early on a Sunday morning, my day to enjoy a little extra snooze time. I was sandwiched snugly in my bed by the snor- ing bodies of several members of my canine family. We love those rare opportunities to be lazy together. But on this day, with a big stretch, I hopped from under the covers to a chorus of sleep-disturbed dog moans. My cuddle buddies would just have to understand. While they enjoy a cushy, carefree life, a lot of dogs don’t have it quite so good. Today was the day I would ride along with some dedicated people trying to change that. I was heading out with three amazing women I have dubbed the Oklahoma Alliance for Animals Unchain Gang. OAA Promotes Humane Treatment Oklahoma Alliance for Animals (OAA) was founded by sisters Jamee Suarez-How- ard and Robin Suarez to work toward transforming Oklahoma communities into places where all animals are treated humanely and no healthy, adoptable dog or cat is destroyed merely because it does not have a home. Rather than create a stand-alone organi- zation to accomplish their objectives, OAA was designed to be collaborative, aligning rescue groups, veterinarians, animal shelters, law-enforcement agencies, and community members to achieve common goals. In a sense, OAA is a giant umbrella that shelters and supports all facets of animal welfare in the state. Honestly, I could write pages about OAA programs. A quick glance through the OAA website will give you a good over- view of the constantly evolving services the organization provides. There is support for animal welfare legislation and prosecution of animal cruelty cases. OAA participates in spay and neuter clinics to help address pet overpopulation. There is the Pet Food Pantry, the Turley Pet Project, the Mend-a- Friend Fund, the Community Cat Coali- tion of Tulsa — and the list goes on. Improving Life for Chained Dogs Those vital OAA programs and the volun- teers behind them do amazing work in our community. But I must admit I have always been particularly fascinated by the work of one specific program: Unchain OK. Information on the OAA website states that chaining a dog is the most common form of animal abuse. Anytime I see a dog chained in a yard, my heart sinks. It’s no secret that life on a chain is a horrible existence for dogs, who are social creatures and thrive on being part of a family. In ad- dition to the emotional and behavioral toll that chaining exacts, dogs can get tangled and trapped away from food, water, and shelter. They are also vulnerable targets for other animals to attack and have no way to escape. Unfortunately, in most areas of Oklaho- ma, confining a dog to a tie-out or chain is not illegal. So what do you do? How do you improve quality of life for dogs subjected to that existence? “Not everyone views their dogs like you and I do,” Suarez-Howard reminded me as my mind flashed back to my own dogs sleeping on my bed. “Change happens through understanding and edu- cation.” Suarez-Howard’s focus on the plight of chained dogs started when she served as the Oklahoma representative for a national group called Dogs Deserve Better. As her focus shifted to the growing task of man- aging OAA, the need for a dedicated group to address chained dogs in our home state soon became apparent. Unchain OK was formed by volunteers and become an official OAA program in 2012. “My heart always hurt for the chained dogs,” said Suarez-Howard. “A program fo- cused on the welfare of chained dogs was so important, and it was natural to have OAA manage and help fund it.” According to the program mission state- ment, Unchain OK is dedicated to helping dogs on chains through owner education and providing animals in need with food, water, and shelter from the elements. Un- chain OK volunteers also provide alterna- OAA volunteer and board member Jan Lavender and Jamee Suarez-Howard visit with a family of a chained dog.