Wonder which state's dogs received the most Valentines in 2011? Click the link to find out more and see the great effort our supporters put into the campaign.

For 9 years now, we've been mailing Valentines to chained and penned dogs. This year our goal was 17,000; but we love to bite off more than we can chew, apparently, because although we MAY have missed our goal by 120 dogs—mailing to 16,880 dogs—do you think we're disappointed? Heck, no!

We are proud of our efforts, proud of our supporters, and now wait with hope that change will come for so many of our helpless recipients. If you sent in addresses and see a success, please e-mail it to us at dogs@dogsdeservebetter.org so we can post it on the page.

See very few Valentines in your state, but know there are a TON of chained dogs there? Be the catalyst for change in your state. The amount of Valentines listed are due to the effort put into making change by our supporters, so start gathering addresses now. We mail information all year long; continue to collect addresses and get them submitted here.

Thanks again! A Superb Effort by all. Bravo!

The Rhode Island bill would prohibit, among other things: Keeping any dog tethered for more than ten (10) hours during a twenty-four (24) hour period or keep any dog confined in a pen, cage or other
outdoor housing structure for more than fourteen (14) hours during any twenty-four (24) hour period.

Read more about the law here, and then contact your local rep or senator: http://www.dogsdeservebetter.org/lawmap/ri.html

Here's to Erin, another kid determined to make a difference in the lives of chained dogs. She raised $3000 in a bike run for Dogs Deserve Better!

Here's a letter we got from her dad: Four years ago, when Erin was 8 years old, she decided that she wanted to do something to help animals. She had already used her allowance to join the ASPCA, but she knew there was more she could be doing. She asked her parents to see if she could volunteer at the local humane society to help with the animals, but unfortunately, she was too young to do this. The humane society suggested that she help by making food donations to a local facility.

This was the first year of Erin’s Hungry Critters. She hand made her own “newsletter” and stuck them in all the mailboxes in her community. The newsletters stated that if anyone wanted to help feed the animals, to please leave food on their front porch and she would collect the food and donate. That year Erin’s Hungry Critters raised 243 pounds of dog and cat food.

Erin enjoyed her first fund raising experience and began doing a food drive for Erin’s Hungry Critters every year. Every year, her plans grew and she raised more and more food. Last year was a record 472 pounds, when she was able to partner with a local baseball card shop. Big League Baseball Cards partnered with Erin’s Hungry Critters and was willing to give free Collectible Baseball Cards to any person who made a food donation.

Erin knew that for 2010 she had to come with something even better. Her grandmother loves to play poker and that inspired her to hold her first ever Erin’s Hungry Critter’s Poker Tournament. Since the poker tournament would raise cash, instead of food donations, it also gave her the ability to look outside her general area for a worthy place for her donation. On a ski trip to Vermont in December, Erin learned all about dog chaining and the sad life that some of these dogs are forced to live in. After some research Erin found Dogs Deserve Better and knew that she had selected the right charity for her contribution.

To send Erin a Big Thumbs up, visit her page at: http://www.erinshc2010.com/

Thank YOU, Erin!

More on Christine's Hickory Grove, SC, yard billboard: "The good news, the whole town is talking about it. The first day it was up, the whole town seemed to get in their cars to drive passed it, me and my dog-loving neighbor were sitting on her porch, watching Hickory Grove's first traffic jam."

How empowering! Our billboard in Altoona, PA was still up last time we checked...it's the best feeling to drive by and see the message standing tall and proud!

Collect money to put up a board in your yard or town, visit the site at http://www.dogsdeservebetter.org/billboards.html

and we were able to save him before it was too late, but it was to the tune of $3000.00. Ouch!

As you may or may not know, bloat kills a dog quick and it kills a dog painfully. You have mere hours from the time it starts to get surgery and get it FAST.

Luckily, Bonaparte's foster mom recognized there was a problem, Belen Brisco rushed him to the emergency vet, and DDB ponied up the dough to save the boy's life and get him back on his feet.

Of course, this took a SEVERE toll on the vet bill coffers here at DDB. Can you donate to his chip-in so we can take care of our daily vetting of foster dogs?

See pics of his surgery and read the story from Belen at this link: http://dogsdeservebetterfundraising.chipin.com/life-saving-bloat-surgery-for-ddbs-bonaparte