TULSA, Okla — Unchain OK is working to keep outdoor pets comfortable and safe despite the extremes of Oklahoma's weather.
The nonprofit Oklahoma Alliance for Animals program's mission is to free dogs from living their lives on chains.
"We try to take dogs off chains and get them on whether it be a tether, make sure they have dog houses, provide food, and a lot of times we do several fencing projects a year to get the dog totally off the chain or a tether," says Oklahoma Alliance for Animals board member Jan Lavender.
"You get a lot more phone calls this time of year. It's even worse than the winter, I think. We are going out a lot. We get a lot of calls of dogs not under shade they have no water, no food, several have puppies," Lavender says.
Unchain OK volunteers respond to calls on the weekends and in the evenings, providing owners of outdoor pets with shelter and shade and trying to educate them on how the heat can harm animals. The organization also offers owners the opportunity to surrender their pets so they can be placed elsewhere and receive better care.
"Sometimes we do get animal surrender, which is the best thing for the animal," Lavender says. "If you just have a dog in your yard, to have a dog in your yard, and it's on a chain and you're not providing it a life, that's no life for an animal."
Unchain OK relies on donations. You can donate to the nonprofit here.
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