Precious and Spooky

Our biggest build project at one location!!!! #UNchainMyDog

NMDOGvillage….we UNchained 5 dogs total & took custody of a 6th!! High paws to their Guardian (who we will call “Mr R”) for being so open to our guidance, wanting a better life for his dogs, for the gratitude he has shown NMDOG & for his desire to help us on future builds for other chained dogs ❤ Mr R touched our hearts deeply & after working with him & his pups over the past couple of months, we consider him our friend. As we have said before….there are many layers to every NMDOG fence build & many dynamics in the households we serve. Mr R showed us how much he truly loves his dogs & how much our help means, which made us want to help him even more. #CommunityOutreach #UNchained #FriendshipsForgedInTheField

Mr R came onto our radar after one of his female dogs had (another) litter of pups ~ he was desperate for help getting his situation under control & expressed regret for having them on chains. He said he could see them breaking down behaviorally but he was in over his head & didnt know where to turn, nor did he have the means to keep them safe all on his own.
Im going to divide the posts for Mr R into three = one for each weekend we worked on site & another for Miss Oreo (because shes a little Queen & deserves a spotlight 👑). You already met her pup, King, that NMDOG took custody of & transferred to our friends at Animal Humane New Mexico! #Teamwork
Build day #1 included Precious & Spooky 🐶🐶…as well as tons of prep work to ready the area we had to work in. We even had to hire a tractor 🚜 Big LOVE to the NMDOG supporter who helped us cover 1/2 of that $1400(!!) cost (who knew ground prep was so pricey) whew!
Mr R got right out there with us & worked his tail off – it was heartwarming to see him interacting with his dogs, who all adore him (even the one we couldnt get close to!). This is truly a testament to someone doing their best in a really tough situation (the details of which are not ours to share). It was obvious to us from day one how much his dogs mean to him & vice versa & we consider it an honor to help them all into a much better situation. Is it perfect? No. But it is a vast improvement from life at the end of a chain & much more manageable.
You might notice the fenced areas are smaller than other builds we do – this is because of the sheer number of dogs on site who needed our help. At an average of $3000-$5000 in costs per dog / per build…we had no choice but to make their areas a little smaller. Doing something is better than doing nothing at all 😍 Also, we are confident that Mr R spends quality time with each one of them & that makes a lot of difference. We needed to devote all of our surgical & recovery attention to Oreo (her full story is coming soon), so vetting services for Precious & Spooky will be completed asap. Follow up services on all of our fence builds are performed routinely & last for one year!
At NMDOG, we believe all dogs should live inside as part of the family – but we understand that is not the reality for 1000s across the state of NM. Our goal with the NMDOG Fencing Assistance Program is to provide more freedom, safety & a better quality of life for as many chained dogs as we possibly can, while educating their guardians to the dangers of chaining, daily care best practices & empowering them with support & resources 🐶🐶
Fencing projects are not cheap! And sadly, they are increasing every day. Here is a summary of expenses for Precious & Spooky:
💲 fencing & railroad ties = $2200
💲 pallets, doghouses/straw, raised outdoor beds = $430
💲 dogfood/treats, toys, water buckets/food bowls, poop scooper, collars + personalized ID tags, harnesses/leashes = $265
💲 hardware/brackets, tarps & misc supplies = $375
💲 gas reimbursement for non local help, contracted services, lunch & drinks = $2100 (including the tractor)
💲 routine spay, neuter, vaccinations, microchips, transport & post-op recovery at NMDOG HQ x10days = $550 (services TBD)
💲 low end cost for this build = $5920.
***some supplies were donated, thanks to Max and Neo & the #NMDOGvillage High paws to Tri-West Fence & Gate Ltd. for ensuring we get the best price on our fencing!!