Animal activists leashing themselves at DuPage County fairgrounds

Cynthia Drobitsch knows firsthand the damage caused by chaining a dog outside to a tree.

A parent's death sent the family dog to her apartment while she was in college. But she later made the painful decision to give her Siberian Husky to another family.

She thought she picked wisely.

It was a married couple with two children who lived in the country with plenty of room for a dog to roam.

More Coverage Links Chain Off 2008

Drobitsch couldn't have predicted the couple several years later would get caught up in a crystal meth addiction, a situation that landed them in jail and broke up their home. When she heard of the situation, she immediately checked on her former pet and found her chained to a tree. The dog weighed 30 pounds, nearly half her normal weight.

Drobitsch reclaimed her and nursed the dog back to health.

Now Drobitsch is fighting the concept of leaving dogs outside, unattended and alone. She's organized Chain Off on Saturday at the DuPage County Fairgrounds in Wheaton.

Seventeen people will chain themselves to doghouses on the fairgrounds at 11:15 a.m. today. They'll remain there for 24 hours, aside from restroom breaks.

"It's just a method of capturing people's attention," Drobitsch said.

This is the sixth year of Chain Off events nationwide, but a first for the Chicago area. Drobitsch, an event planner by profession, learned about the group in the past year and decided to take action.

"I said since we're going to be in my neck of the woods, let's make it bigger," she said.

Rescue groups and vendors will appear to discuss various dog-related issues throughout the event, which concludes at 5 p.m. They'll be stationed by the grandstand.

One of the organizations, the National Animal Welfare Society, will provide free microchipping for dogs -- up to 1,000 animals. The first 200 visitors also get a free goodie bag.

Additionally, doggie massages are offered at a cost of $1 per minute. The service isn't available to "chainees" -- they're not allowed books or games, just like their dog-house-bound canine counterparts.