Fences For Fido

Mission

No dog deserves to live outside on a chain. When we see a dog on a chain, we know we're also seeing a family that's struggling in ways we don't know. In our years of working with families, we know that chaining is almost never a first choice. It's the last resort because the gate broke or the fence fell down and a replacement could cost thousands, or the dog was running loose and risked being hurt or killed, or someone in the house has serious health issues. There are as many reasons as there are families.

Our volunteers offer compassionate consistency, helping families improve the quality of life for their dogs by delivering free solutions and support, keeping families and their pets together. We build fences free of charge for dogs who previously lived on chains, tethers, or in small enclosures. We also provide an insulated doghouse for each dog as well as spay/neuter services and emergency veterinary care when needed. Since we built our first fence in North Portland in 2009, our volunteer network has expanded across Oregon and Southwest Washington, improving dogs’ lives, changing Oregon law, helping families stay together, and making neighborhoods safer.

Bottom Line for Portland

Fanning out from our Portland base, our volunteers have given freedom and safety to more than 3,000 dogs across Oregon and SW Washington. When the pandemic hit and families faced layoffs coupled with empty store shelves, our volunteers delivered thousands of pounds of pet food to doorsteps across our region. When we learned how hard the pandemic was hitting the families in Warm Springs, we launched Operation Warm Springs. With no veterinary services in Warm Springs, families struggled to secure basic care. Now, thanks to the trust of tribal leadership and support from the Warm Springs Fire Department, Fences For Fido offers a quarterly wellness and spay/neuter clinic and monthly pet food banks, helping to remove the barriers to access to critical care and resources for families with pets in Warm Springs. We've also brought nearly 300 Warm Springs dogs into the care of our rescue partners, where they find new forever homes.

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

Fences For Fido was founded by 10 women who believe in inclusion. Just as we build fences to help dogs, we build virtual bridges to welcome and embrace everyone who wishes to join our mission. Our work naturally brings us into the yards and lives of our most underserved neighbors and has taught us that a chained dog in a yard is a visible symptom of many, often invisible, struggles inside the home. We work to build trusting, non-judgmental relationships with all families and communities we encounter.

We are also honored to be an approved animal welfare organization by the Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs Tribal Council. We want to recognize the suffering caused by systemic genocide, relocation, disenfranchisement and assimilation that even today impact the lives of many Native individuals, families and the animals that live alongside them.

Incentives

• The first 20 people to donate $50 or more get a $15 gift certificate redeemable for awesome food or supplies at Meat for cats & dogs on E. Burnside.
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• Donations of $50 - $149 get a fold-up tote bag with our logo. It stays in its own clip-on pouch so you'll never forget your shopping bag.
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• Donations of $150 or more get the fold-up tote bag PLUS a stainless steel drinking straw kit. 

Business Partner(s)

We’re all about the love of dogs, and few people love dogs more than our friends at Meat for Cats & Dogs!