Fences For Fido

Mission

Today, Fences For Fido is doing more than ever, as a one-of-a-kind organization, celebrating 15 yeas of providing free fences, warm dog houses, and spay and neuter services to more than 3,600 dogs throughout the Pacific Northwest including on the Warm Springs Reservation.

The very heart of Fences For Fido is a recognition of the human-animal bond, offering compassionate solutions to families so that they can better meet the needs of their dogs. 

Our founding mission is building free fences so dogs kept outside on chains or in vulnerable conditions can live free from a chain and safe from the elements. 

We also provide:

• - Life-saving dog houses
• - Rural spay/neuter clinics
• - Supplemental pet food
• - Fencing and other services for families living with their dogs in transitional housing or domestic violence shelters

We bridge the gaps that prevent families from accessing essential services to improve their pets' quality of life and keep families together. We bring these services to families who are socially, financially, or geographically cut off from necessities like basic veterinary care. 

Our work brings us into the lives of our most underserved neighbors and communities. A chained dog is a reflection of many contributing struggles and hardships for a family. Thus, chaining is rarely a first choice. It is a last resort. Still, no dog deserves to live outside on a chain exposed to the harsh elements.

We serve families on seven tribal reservations and are the only animal welfare organization authorized by the Warm Springs Reservation tribal council to provide services to companion animals on reservation. There, we provide:

• - Monthly pet food
• - High-volume spay/neuter clinics
• - Fences and dog houses
• - Vaccine and wellness clinics in collaboration with other animal-welfare organizations

On reservation lands and in Indigenous fishing villages, our mission is to increase equity and remove barriers for communities that lack access to veterinary and other critical life-sustaining services for their companion animals.

Fanning out from our Portland base, our volunteers serve Oregon and Southwest Washington, and in 2013, we changed Oregon law, improving the standard of care for dogs statewide.

Bottom Line for Portland

In a typical year, 150 volunteers devote 140,000 hours to build more than 100 free fences, all for the love of dogs. This labor of love frees dogs from chains, fills empty bowls, and provides veterinary care to relieve pets' suffering from conditions that their families can't afford to treat. We call this work “LOVE IN ACTION.”

Quote

“Thank you for being here.” - sweetly whispered by an 8-year-old when our volunteers built a fence on Mother's Day weekend for her dog Luna and happy goat S'more, freeing them from the loneliness and danger of a tether.

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

Our services to Indigenous communities are guided by insight from tribal members who serve alongside us on our board and at our clinics and fence builds. We recognize the suffering caused by systemic genocide, relocation, disenfranchisement and assimilation that impact generations of Native individuals, families, and the animals that live alongside them.

Founded by 10 women in 2009, Fences For Fido is a women-led organization committed to inclusion and positive change. In addition to building fences, we build bridges across the economic, geographic, and social barriers that cause suffering and scarcity for families and their pets. We work to form trusting, non-judgmental partnerships with all families and communities we serve.

Partner(s)

We’re all about the love of dogs, and few people love dogs more than our friends at Meat for Cats & Dogs, who are supporting our campaign with a generous matching donation.