Breaking the Chain children's contest

Here are excerpts from an article I wrote about the contest for the summer edition of the Latham Letter 2007:

Pam Gaber, founder and president of Gabriel's Angels (www.gabrielsangels.org) says, "Any time we teach a child humane treatment of animals we help develop gentler children. Breakin the Chain teaches children the importance of animals in our lives and how to treat them with respect."

Although Joey is fictional children learn that chained dogs live a miserable existence, often suffering from exposure to blistering summers, frigid winters and violent thunderstorms. They lack food and water. Without human companionship, chained dogs can become mean and kill. Sometimes misguided teens taunt chained dogs and harm them.

Dogs are companion animals. They are not meant to live on chains.

Breaking the Chain children's contest

In 2004 I founded Breaking the Chain, a children's creative writing and art contest to teach kindness and compassion to animals. Third grade children in the Phoenix public schools read a short story I wrote about Joey, a chained dog, and how he is freed by the neighbor's cat, the great Harriet. They are challenged to find a solution for Joey's dilemma and write or draw a solution to the story.

The contest is a humane education project of the Phoenix Animal Care Coalition (www.pacc911.org) of which I am a board member. Over the years we've had numerous heartwarming and empathetic entries. We recently published a book about the contest with a handful of the entries. All proceeds benefit homeless animals in Arizona. Breaking the Chain is a wonderful way to spread compassion say our long list of supporters.