Breaking the Chain Story Contest

Kids, this is your chance to show off your story telling talents! This contest is open to all 3rd thru 5th grade students. It has been endorsed locally by the Mayor of Naperville, George Pradel and the Naperville Animal Control Department. The national non-profit organization, Dogs Deserve Better, which is dedicated to advocating on behalf of chained and penned dogs, has also fully endorsed our contest.

Each grade level winner of this contest will receive time with the staff and animals at the Naperville Area Humane Society. They will receive a NAHS t-shirt, get a “behind the scenes” tour, have lunch and enjoy hands on fun with the shelter cats and dogs. The winning entries will also be posted on our website and a press release will go out to our local newspapers.

Read the story below and then write an ending to the story. Drawing a picture to accompany your story will be extra credit!

Contest entries will be accepted until April 30, 2010. The winner will be announced during Be Kind to Animals Week, which is the week of May 2-8, 2010. Entries will be judged based upon creativity and the humane values expressed in the story.

Be sure to include your name, address, school name and grade along with your phone number. Mail entries to: Naperville Area Humane Society, Attn: Terri Hancock, 1620 W. Diehl Road, Naperville, IL 60563.

Contact Terri, Humane Education Manager, with any questions (630) 420-8989 x17.

Breaking the Chain

It was a cold and stormy night as Duke curled into a tight ball. The floor of his doghouse was wet from a big hole in the roof. He shook and shivered from the cold winds, but he just could not get warm.

From the neighbor’s backyard came a loud crash, and Duke looked around to see if anyone was coming into his yard. He heard bottles and cans rolling and papers rustling, so he started to bark as loud as he could.

“Shhhhhhhhhhh,” came a strange voice nearby.

“Who is it?” asked Duke with a shaky voice. Duke was scared of just about everything. Being chained to his doghouse, he was unable to run from strangers who threw things and yelled at him, scary storms like the one tonight, or loud noises coming from the neighbor’s backyard. He was always barking for help and sleeping with one eye open.

Duke saw something moving in the bushes. He smelled something strange, and then he saw it…a raccoon! The raccoon was spinning in circles with something attached to his head.

“Help me!” came a muffled sound from the furry critter.

“Help me!!!!!!” cried the raccoon again, this time much louder.

Duke reached as far as he could on his chain, but he couldn’t reach the raccoon. “Come closer, and I will pull off the box,” said Duke.

The raccoon went very carefully toward the skinny brown dog and hoped that this wasn’t a trick. Duke reached over and, with his teeth, bit the box and yanked it off.

“Thanks!” said the raccoon and started to run away.

“Wait!” cried Duke in a weak and tired voice. “Please come back, I need you!”

The raccoon turned around and said, “Need me? You’re a dog! You have it made! Why would you need me? I have to find my food in garbage cans, find shelter wherever I can, and always be on the lookout for danger.”

Duke sighed and said, “You don’t understand. I just need a friend and someone to talk to. I have been out here chained to this doghouse since I was little. Now this chain around my neck is really starting to hurt.”

“Who put you out here?” asked the raccoon.

“See that family inside the house?” asked Duke. “They brought me out here because they said I was too much trouble.”

The raccoon looked very confused and asked, “What do you do all day?”

“I bark a lot. I hope they hear me so maybe they will come out and play with me. I get so hungry and thirsty.” Duke looked sad as he told the raccoon his story. “This morning they brought out water in a bowl, but I was so excited to see them that I knocked it over without having any to drink. They called me stupid and just went back in. I am just so lonely and scared, and my body hurts all over.”

“I’m sorry. I had no idea,” said the raccoon.

“Will you get me off this chain?” Duke asked.

“You did help me out when I needed you, but I don’t know how to get you out of this mess…or do I?” wondered the raccoon. A big smile came across his face as he ran away saying, “Yes, that’s it! I’ll be right back!”

How does the raccoon help to free Duke? How does Duke feel after he’s free? What happens next?