DDB Chain OFF 2006: No Chained Dogs!

Day Seven started out peaceful enough, this being the last day of 'being nice' to the contestants. With six contestants left, we just had to get tougher, although we didn't want to at all. Tammy went out and asked everyone to come to the ends of their chains, and told them all that she wished we had six cars...because they had earned them! Every single person out there deserved that car, and it was so hard to know that we had to somehow force five of them to go home.

We had so much food in the concession stand--as kind and caring people kept bringing food by--that we gave the contestants a lot of extra food, and told them to perhaps save up, as on Saturday things would definitely be getting harder.

Early in the morning, around 9:30, Tammy got a call from Kim, crying that there was blood all over the house. Tammy drove the 40 miles to discover that Kia and Beauty had fought earlier that morning, and Beauty was in really bad shape. Kim rushed her to the vet, while Tammy and Jody cleaned up the blood. They couldn't believe a human could survive with that much blood loss, let alone a smallish dog!

Luckily, she would survive after surgery, iv and hospitalization. DDB needs a full-time, onsite staff person to be with the dogs all the time!

Bobbie, Terry, and Rocky manned the encampment, fielding phone calls and taking care of the contestants. Around 5:00 p.m., Heather overheard Aija's mom make a comment to another bystander about her, and she up and quit, after giving Rocky an earful about both Susan and Tammy (who could do nothing right in Heather's eyes...). As she was walking up, Tammy grabbed the video camera and started taping the departure, and also to get ready for the post interview. Heather pushed the camera away and told her to get out of her face. Tammy reminded her that she'd signed an agreement that we could videotape and photograph the whole experience. She left without giving an exit interview.

Day Eight saw the start of the new, tougher rules. No talking, or communication of ANY sort with anyone other than staff; which included hand signals (Thomas and Jacqueline), sign language, miming, whatever....we switched everyone around to throw them off, since they'd grown accustomed to 'their' territory....we installed a demerit system for offenses of these rules, three demerits and they are out...and for eight hours they were going to simulate the life of a blind dog, just as Ebb had been, who Tammy'd been chained on behalf of.

So they moved, got blindfolds on about 10:30 a.m., and settled down for eight hours of blindness. Stephen cried, asking Tammy if this would go through visiting half hour, and she said yes, it probably would, although her heart broke for him. His daughter would be up for the first time, and he wanted to see her so badly.

Unfortunately...they all seemed to sail through the blind dog challenge, with no one throwing in the towel; day eight ended with 5 contestants still in play.

The weather the past two days had been warm and sunny during the day, and chilly at night, down as low as 45 degrees one night, but no rain. Supposed to be some coming...

Stephen Port, Day Seven: I guess my van is a lot like me; strong and nice on the outside, but falling apart internally....I yearn to understand what is going through [the other contestant's] minds. I know a lot is going through mine. What could they have up their sleeves for us? I'm trying to find new ways of coping. I know they aren't doing it to hurt us, but there can be only one winner, and I know that hurts them too. P.M. Part of me is elated and part of me is saddened [about Heather leaving]. I thought of her as my toughest competition. Next to Don of course....I wish people would stop stall writing and lipping words to one another. I have pretty much put my umbrella towards that direction so it doesn't bother me so much.

Stephen, Day Eight: I heard the coyotes last night just like Don was talking about yesterday. I got up three times last night. At one point I seemed to have an OBE (Out of Body Experience). I dreamt I lifted myself up and was looking down. I was able to look around the field and see everything at certain points above...Elimination scares me today just like yesterday. I hope they are a best of three or something to that effect, if we are paired against each other....kids of all ages show up daily to see how folks are doing and even to donate their change they may have gotten doing chores. One little boy told of a story of losing his tooth. When the tooth fairy came the next day, he came straight here to break his change and donated it to several different of us. P.M. Today as one of the toughest days ever. Being blindfolded was not the hard part, it was not seeing my daughter. My wife told me to do what I thought was right. She said we really needed the car, but she needs me to be strong to be there for her and the kids. If I can get through this we should be able to get through anything.

Tom Frank, Day Seven: For the past two days I have felt great. It's more of a natural confidence than one I have to work to maintain like before. I think I've accepted sticking it out to the end as my responsibility. It's as if this is now my life, and ending it is simply not an option...I'm looking forward to some restrictions to be imposed tomorrow. Last night I awoke to find a skunk almost completely inside my house. Being trained not to show alarm in surprise encounters, I reached out my hand towards its nose, palm up. It sniffed my hand, moved on to sniffing the wall, and turned around (walking on my crotch) to exit. This was a unique skunk--white body with a black stripe. I smiled to myself and dozed off again. P.M. I am excited to face the new challenges. Maybe my skunk friend will visit again. It would be nice to get sprayed if an elimination challenge involved being very close to others. Noticing how I've been thinking lately, I completely understand how desocialized chained dogs can change the way they do.

Tom, Day Eight: No breakfast this morning. I'm ready for whatever is presented to us. --Nick Adams. [Breakfast did come, but after journaling....] p.s. No skunk last night. I guess it was a one time deal. P.M. Today we were all blindfolded, with the exception of a small window of view when looking down our noses. I wonder what's next for us. I think blindfolded and earplugged would more than double the effectiveness. I imagine there's nothing like being stuck inside your mind for a day...I don't think any of the remaining five of us are willing to quit.

Aija Gillman, Day Seven: I'm going to start trying to save some of my food...because I have a feeling that there will be no more snacks. Also, if they serve food I hate, I'm going to swallow it in chunks without chewing--then drink a ton of water, hold my nose, and make myself not throw it up. I'm beginning to contemplate life as a hyena...even though they aren't related to dogs...I'm ready to rampage through Pinckneyville and tell everyone with a chained dog a thing or two! I'd like to become an area representative for Lebanon, Illinois. I feel I can help convey the need to give dogs a better life--a life they deserve. P.M. Lucky Seven, oh, yay! Peta-girl is gone. Whoo! Happiness ensues...Next, I hope it's Don, then Jacqueline, then Thomas. Regardless, I'd like Stephen and myself to be the last two...I think EVERYONE is doing exceptional to have made it this far. I admit, I was a bit offended to hear that people didn't think I'd last one day.

Aija, Day Eight: The hole in my sleeping bag has grown to two holes--both of considerable size--and a dog peed in it yesterday. So all night the front half was soaked and smelled like dog piss--and it burned my skin and nose. P.M. Well, I wouldn't really say today was difficult, at all...I think the move was fine, I can finally stretch out in my doghouse. As for the blindfolds, bad idea...all it does is encourage people to sleep.

Jacqueline Waldroup, Day Seven: I think they may need to have elimination challenges, even though they feel otherwise. Out of the six of us, two maybe three will crack if they worsen conditions day by day. But the other 3 or 4 are here for the long haul and won't leave without being eliminated. I think it will come down to me, Tom, and Don. (Or me, Tom, and Heather (I hope not, though.)) I think Stephen can only take so much 'abuse' before he cracks. P.M. Wow, there is a wonderful, sweet woman named Marina who stops by every day to offer me support. She donates graciously to me and doesn't have to. She always has kind words and encouraging thoughts for me. I thank her for that. She was so emotional today she started to cry. On a different, (yet still joyous note) Heather is gone. Thank God! I would rant about her in the journal, but I already went for about 10 minutes on film.

Jacqueline, Day Eight: I wonder what challenge they have in store for us today. I think, especially since Heather went home, they should wait until Monday. Even if 1 person went home a day starting on Monday, it would be over by Thursday. Today at 8:00 p.m. it will be 200 hours. Wow, that's crazy! P.M. Everyone survived being blind. It was hard. They blasted classical piano music today. It was like home. Sheadyn has a tape of piano and birds that he loves. He falls asleep to it every night, so the actual birds chirping in the woods and the classical piano was very soothing. It lolled me to sleep, and I was out most of the day. A few times I woke up panicked, because I couldn't see, but I remembered about the blindfold and was ok.

Don McKendree, Day Seven: Thoughts from a role reversal. I came to Leidy Park Saturday, July 1, 2006. I get chained to a dog pen [Don uses pen instead of house or box]...People are walking into the woods around our fence. If I were to get loose, I would surely go to find out what is back there and why all the people walk back there. Isn't it funny when chained dogs get loose they run? (Wonder why, go figure!) P.M. More dogs were brought up today. Seeing all these dogs from different families running around with one another. With the history of these dogs and their abuse, someone needs commended for the work that has been done with them. I believe we get to keep these journals--and I will use the comments to help with dogs I see being abused (chained).

Don, Day Eight: Unsure what is in store for the contestants today; just have to wait and see. I couldn't believe the animosity that was between the three women left in the competition (but maybe that's from them talking and sign languaging like they were doing.) P.M. We were blindfolded at 10:30 a.m. to represent a blind dog. No wonder there are cruelty to animal laws, if someone did that to a poor animal--the judges should give out exceptional sentences....It is so hard to explain the helpless feeling when moving and not being able to get there. An experience that I will NEVER forget.

Thanks to Joe and Joni Baxter, instrumental in getting us this wonderful location for our event.

Event T and Water Bottle Combo Sets, Only $11.75!
Don't miss out on this amazing deal! When they're gone their gone...Select from Green as worn by Aija, Stephen, Shawn, and Susan, or Cream, as worn by Don, Tom, Jacqueline, Mikael, Heather, Jacob, and Corey.

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