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More than 6 inches of snow wasn't enough to stop a new Triad organization from building a better life for three mixed-breed dogs.

On Jan. 30, eight volunteers from the Triad chapter of the Coalition to Unchain Dogs braved the snow to build a fence for Cici, Iverson and Snowflake so they will no longer have to be chained outside.

"I really like the fact that they built the fence, but I was really amazed they did it in the snow," said High Point resident Seneca Royal, the Triad chapter's first fence recipient.

The Triad chapter is part of a larger Durham-based organization that was founded by Amanda Arrington three years ago. Arrington has eight dogs of her own and spent several years doing animal rescue work before starting the coalition.

The organization builds free fences for people who tether their dogs, offers free spaying and neutering, lobbies for anti-tethering legislation and educates the community about the effects of chaining dogs.

"Once I got out into the community and started meeting and talking to people, it was obvious that most of the people who were chaining didn't want to be chaining the dogs," Arrington said.

The organization has a strict no-judging policy and instead seeks to educate dog owners and build relationships with them. Arrington said most of the people she has worked with could not afford a fence or did not know chaining can cause dogs to become neurotic or aggressive.

"Their personality is not really allowed to show on the chain," Arrington said. "When they get to the fence, there's a kind of relief for the dog."

In addition to causing aggressive behavior toward owners, neighbors and other animals, chaining can lead to injuries such as tracheal damage. Chained female dogs can become impregnated by roaming dogs, and tethered dogs are also more susceptible to attacks from people or other animals.

When she started the organization, Arrington went to areas in Durham where she saw multiple houses with chained dogs and told the owners about the free fence-building service. Now that the coalition is more established, friends and neighbors of fence recipients often contact the coalition first.

"You go meet one person on the block, and by the end of the day, everyone on the block has called you," Arrington said.

The coalition always follows up with its fence recipients to check on the dogs and offer additional services, such as lining dog houses with hay in the winter and providing tarps for shade in the summer.

"It's amazing the difference it makes and how (the owners) pay attention to the dogs and care for them in a different way," Arrington said. "I keep thinking I'm going to get used to it after hundreds of dogs, but it still amazes me."

The coalition has built fences for more than 425 dogs, and the Durham chapter has a waiting list of 100 dogs. The success of the Durham chapter has spawned additional chapters in Raleigh, Charlotte and the Triad.

The Triad chapter began when a group of local animal welfare volunteers from the Piedmont Cares About Animals organization heard about the coalition and traveled to Durham to watch a fence build. The volunteers were so excited about the project, they decided they wanted to build a fence in the Triad.

"We were lucky in that the people who came together to form our core group have had experiences with other organizations in the past, so we all had other networks we could draw on to get the word out," said Jennifer Walker, co-director of the Triad chapter.

Ultimately, the Triad chapter found Seneca Royal as its first fence recipient. The Durham chapter had built Royal a fence when she lived in the Triangle. When Arrington followed up with her and learned she had moved to High Point, she told her about the new Triad chapter.

"In Durham, my first reaction was, 'For free? Are you serious?' " Royal said. "I was just amazed that they would build another fence even though I had moved from somewhere else."

Next, the coalition will expand to Richmond, Va., Arlington, Va., and Washington. But for the Triad chapter, the top priority is continuing its community outreach and scheduling more fence builds.

"I'm excited to see us actually go from forming a group to getting together and actually putting a fence together for someone within a month," Walker said. "That's just amazing to me."

Contact Alexa Milan at 373-7120 or alexandra.milan@news-record.com.