BREAKING CHAINS – BUILDING FENCES
ChainFree Knoxville was formed in response to the hundreds of chained dogs in our community. We are a grassroots organization with a heart and a passion for these dogs.
ChainFree Knoxville’s mission is to eliminate the practice of continuous tethering through the building of free enclosures for dogs currently tethered and to provide spay/neuter and educational services to the community to prevent additional dogs from being permanently tethered in the future. We are a judgement-free organization that works with each owner to develop a solution that best fits their particular situation and which best serves both the owner and their pet.
Each family in our program receives adequate dog houses with straw bedding, elevated beds, water and food buckets, “pooper scoopers”, durable and mentally engaging toys, treats, and basic medicine, flea and tick collars, insect spray/traps, and other supplies as needed – all at no cost to the owner. If the dog was put on the chain for behavioral issues, we also provide a free training session with a certified dog trainer.
We also assist dogs that live in very small pens.
Our Stats
Frequently Asked Questions
Our enclosures are built from 6×10 chain link fence panels and are a minimum of 800 sq ft per dog. If there are two dogs, we double the size and can put a divider in the middle if the dogs are not friendly towards each other. The panels are secured together by clamps and secured by t-posts at each intersection. If there is an existing, shorter fence, we install 2’ extensions to increase the height to 6’.
If the terrain and house configuration allow, we always tie the fence into the back/side of the house with a rear door. This approach has several benefits. Not only does this result in the owner interacting more with the dog, feeding/watering is made easier, the owner is more likely to bring the dog inside during inclement weather, and we can make the enclosure significantly larger by using the extra panels to increase the size. We also install canopies that provide shade over a 10×10 area of the enclosure.
CFK believes that one of the best things we can do for our dogs is to spay and neuter them. Not only are there various health and behavioral benefits, but it also prevents more unwanted puppies from ending up on a chain or in our already very overcrowded shelter system. According to the Spay Neuter Assistance Program, “up to 508 puppies can be born from one un-spayed female and her offspring in seven years”.
To that end, we require all dogs in our program to be fixed. CFK provides transport and pays for this service if needed! To date, dozens of dogs have been altered as a direct result of participation in CFK’s program. Based upon feedback from previous fence recipients, these dogs would not otherwise have been altered if not for this requirement.
Around 50% of our recipients are renters. To date, we have never had a landlord turn down a free fence! Our enclosures are moveable and can be removed and re-erected if renters move to a new house.
ChainFree Knoxville is a judgement-free organization that works with each owner to develop a solution that best fits their particular situation and which best serves both the owner and their pet. We have found being non-judgmental in our interactions with owners makes it much easier for them to say yes to involvement in our program. Any other approach just puts up defenses and hurts the dogs.
We love our volunteers! Please send us an email at inquiries@chainfreeknoxville.com and we will add you to our volunteer list.
Please send us an email via the Contact Us tab with information on the address and dog. We will reach out to the owners to determine if the dog meets the criteria for a fence. You will remain anonymous!
We receive many inquiries from compassionate folks around the country asking how they can start a ChainFree organization in their community. Below is a blueprint and some tips.
Step 1: Find a core group (we only had 2-3 people but there are some groups that start with as many as 12) who share your passion and vision, and preferably have varying skill sets. This is probably the most important step!
Step 2: Set up the organization with the state and apply for non-profit status with the IRS. You should find information on how to set up your organization on your respective state’s Secretary of State website. You will also need to set up a bank account, get a post office box, etc. There are some costs associated with this step; we funded this through our own personal donations. Note that you can start with Steps 3 – 5 while you wait for your 501(c)(3) designation!
Step 3: Design your logo, set up your website, create and print brochures and yard signs, set up social media accounts, etc.
Step 4: Decide how you want to build the fences – we initially thought we would partner with a local fence company who gave us a discounted price. We quickly learned that was going to cost substantially more than the fence panel enclosures built by volunteers. Luckily, a former volunteer with a group in north Georgia, Off the Chain, had moved here and helped us set up and learn how to build the enclosures. There’s no right way – just whatever works best for your situation.
Step 5: Find the dogs who need your help! We initially spent a lot of time driving around and searching for them. We approach the owners non-judgmentally and have found most everyone to be accepting and appreciative.
Step 6: Get on every social media platform and post pics/videos of your builds. Social media is a powerful tool!
Step 7: Fundraise! We started with fundraising on Facebook and a $1500 personal donation (we found it easier to fund our first fence ourselves so people could see what we were trying to achieve). We’ve added Paypal, Venmo, and CashApp as ways to donate. We also do a lot of events – for example, pint nights at the local breweries where we get $1 on each beer sold, dog photos with Santa and Easter Bunny, silent auctions, and setting up booths at fairs/festivals. You can also apply for grants from your city/county government and other local (or even regional or national) groups.
Step 8: Get as much local support as you can through partnerships with local businesses, volunteer organizations, etc. Contact the news and other media outlets and see if they would showcase a fence build. Reach out to council members, commissioners, etc. and ask for their support.
If you are interested in learning more, please contact us at chainfreeknoxville@gmail.com. We can provide you with templates for application, volunteer, and liability forms.
You can buy a ChainFree Knoxville t-shirt through this link at the Nothing Too Fancy online store. Thank you for your support and spreading the word through wearing ChainFree Knoxville merchandise!
There are lots of ways to support ChainFree Knoxville – some of which won’t cost you a dime! Check out the Donate and Support tab for more information.
Dogs are social beings who thrive on interaction with people and animals. Intensive confinement or long-term restraint can severely damage their physical and psychological well-being. An otherwise friendly and docile dog, when kept continuously chained or intensively confined in any way, becomes neurotic, unhappy anxious and often aggressive.
There are other reasons not to chain dogs!
Public Safety – Dogs feel protective of their territory and when confronted with a perceived threat, their fight-or-flight instinct kicks in. A chained dog, unable to flee, often feels forced to fight. Tragically, the victims of chained dog attacks are usually children.
Burden on Public Resources- Our local Animal Control Staff deserves to have time to provide public education instead of responding to welfare checks of chained dogs.
Public Nuisance – Tethered dogs are more likely to bark due to boredom, distress and/or fear, causing a public nuisance to neighbors. Tethered dogs who get loose from their chains may act aggressively and are likely to chase and attack unsuspecting passersby and pets because they have developed severe behavior problems from long-term, intensive confinement.
Safety of the Dog: Chained dogs are unable to adequately defend itself, run or hide are susceptible to attacks from other dogs and wild animals.
Yes! CFK conducts regular check-ins with fence recipients and repairs fences and canopies if needed. To the best of our knowledge, all dogs that we built fences for are still safely contained within those enclosures. Out of a recent survey from participants in our program, all respondents reported they would not chain their dog again, that their dog appears healthier both physically and mentally, and they are more likely to bring their dog inside during inclement weather.
Our enclosures are built from 6 X 10 chain link fence panels, secured with t-posts.
It takes around 2 hours to erect a single dog enclosure. Sites with challenging terrain such as rolling topography and above ground roots can take an extra 1-2 hours.
An 800 SF enclosure for a single dog with a 10 x 10 covered area costs approximately $1200. This includes the cost of a spay/neuter, vaccinations, doghouse, elevated bed, leash/collar, buckets and pooper scoopers, enrichment toys, and flea/tick care if needed.
We have had great success with companies sponsoring a fence (cost is around $1000) and then volunteering to help with the build as a team building/community support event. It is a lot of fun and only takes 2-3 hours! Company sponsoring builds receive a plaque on the fence with the company name. Email us at inquiries@chainfreeknoxville.com for more information!
We depend on neighbors, animal control and anyone who notices a chained dog to let us know about them! Owners also contact us directly for assistance.
Fence extensions! Extensions are typically 2’ long and can be secured to the top bar of the fence at an inward angle. Place the extensions bars every 6’ to 8’ and secure welded wire across the top of them.
Install 2’ chicken wire on the inside of the fence. Bend the wire to form an L shape and secure the top half to the fence with zip ties or J clips and the bottom half to the ground with landscape staples.
Check out a tutorial video on our TikTok page for more information on this process!
Testimonials
I’m so grateful for your stunningly successful work!
He’s not getting out of the yard like he used to so animal control isn’t being called anymore and he seems happier. I’m so thankful for you and all that you do. It is a blessing!
Wow, what a difference a few hours can make in a dog’s life! We love CFK and everything it stands for!
She barks less and no longer escapes and runs into the road. The volunteers were super nice.
I look forward to helping at each fence build and making a difference to dogs and owners in our community. Thank you!
The dogs are so so happy and spend as much time inside as they do outside. Thanks again for all your help.
We appreciate the life saving service you are offering.
G-Face gets more exercise and I have interaction with him more now. He has more room to play around.
Thanks so much for your hard work and care and concern for our precious critters.
Love what you are doing. Need more chapters in other cities. Thanks so much!
We love volunteering with CFK and seeing the immediate difference it makes to a dog’s life when we free them from the chain!
We didn’t have the money to get a fence for our dog due to living on a fixed income and we really appreciate everything and everyone. The ChainFree volunteers were very respectful and did a great job building the fence.
Our Partners
Changing the Future of Chained Dogs in our Community
ChainFree Knoxville doesn’t just want to put a band aid on an ongoing problem – we are passionate about making real and lasting changes that will prevent more dogs from ending up living at the end of a chain. In collaboration with the Knoxville Animal Welfare Alliance, CFK recently advocated for improvements to the minimum care standards within the City of Knoxville Code of Ordinances. We are very excited to announce that the new law passed in January of 2023! Effective immediately, City residents are required to comply with increased shelter, food, water, and other care standards. Effective 01 July 2023, residents will be required to be outside with their dog if the dog is tethered. This means that the practice of unsupervised/continuous chaining dogs in the City of Knoxville will be illegal. We are very proud of our council members for recognizing the importance of these changes; in fact, the vote was nearly unanimous at 8-1!
We also provide educational materials to fence recipients on pet care and information on resources available to them within the community. For owners that do not bring their dog inside due to behavioral issues (potty training, jumping, etc.), we partner with a local trainer and offer a free training session and a steeply discounted training package.