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Get your
Chain Off 2007 Attire!


Marla Dakes, Ohio, Chained

Norton, Akron
3120 Greenwich Road, Norton
July 1st, 9am till 6 pm
mrdakes@neo.rr.com

It's 9:00 and me and Dex are here.  He is such a good boy, so well behaved.  I think of his life before now and my heart aches.  Man, this chain is heavy, what if I have to go to the bathroom, what if I get tired of sitting here... 9 hours is a long time.  I am getting a lot of looks, the lady in the Lexus looked at me like I'm crazy.  I know the kind of looks of disregard that dogs get... I am human with a chain around my neck in a public park!!!!   I think dogs DO think, what goes thru their minds day after day when people drive by and they are unacknowledged?  It makes me feel very sad and lonely. 

Thank GOD I have Dexter to keep me company.  He is so precious, he loves me, he lays right beside me.  He needs me and he KNOWS I need him.  We just had our first visitors from the Norton Fire Department.  3 very nice people.  They took information, they loved Dex, they asked if there was anything they could get for me. 

I hope if nothing else, people will understand WHY I am doing this.  Had some more visitors, one guy, he knew nothing about the negatives of chaining.  Jerry B. Came by and donated some money :) Mike brought me pizza, Dexter loves pizza, he ate that a lot when he was out alone.  Another visitor,  Bob's step-mom, she loved Dexter and the reason I was there. 

I am bothered by how many drive by and don't stop, are they too busy or just don't care?  Got a visit from a boy about 10 or 11 years old. He has a dog, he lives "inside and out".  I wonder why his parents parked out of sight and didn't join him in talking with me?  I feel sad knowing how many people know I'm here but they are too busy to take 5 minutes out of their day. 

Do I retaliate?  When it is time for a fundraiser or reverse raffle and such?  I know $5 won't break people but if so, does 5 minutes out of the day to show a "friend" your support really ruin your schedule?  I don't think so.  And here lay Dexter, keeping me company, none of which he had for 6 years but yet he lays content and happy with me.  Why can't people see past their own selfishness and see this? 

We had  more visitors, a man, gave me money and took pictures, said his son sent him but wouldn't say who he was.  He was nice.  A lady stopped by and talked for awhile she was nice too. She wants to call me with addresses of chained dogs :{

More visitors, they thought I was getting rid of Dex, they took my information and were happy to hear about my work.  They said they will pass it on.  Mike came back, brought me a drink.  I'm so glad I have him.  He is very supportive.  Still no sign of my friends, it's such a nice day, everyone is just too busy.  I would not have done anything different today.  This just reaffirms why I do what I do.   Still a lot of traffic and people staring all to busy to ask why.  I just met a nice lady named Cathy.  She has a baby named Cozmo... (10 year old Chihuahua).  She brought me water.  She  belongs to a group called Neads.org very cool, they train dogs to assist injured military when they get home from the war. 

We haven't had anymore visits, this puts more of a perspective than I thought (how can that be). I feel hurt, angry, and upset.  Mike would say get over it so I will try.  I know this is what GOD left me here to do on May 14th, 2005.  I'm going to do the best I can.

This will be the first day of my opened eyes.  Even though I found DDB 2 years ago, today put a whole new feel to it.  Tammy, Dawn, Kim and everyone, thank you for showing me how to be this kind of human being and thank you for what you are doing.  GOD Bless,
 
Marla Dakes
Norton, Ohio

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