DES MOINES, Iowa — Local volunteers are helping at-risk dogs in Des Moines — by building fences for owners who may not be able to afford them.

“We’ve seen dogs that have been chained up for their whole lives…and they may be ten years old. They’ve never had the experience of running free,” says Ben Rupp, board member of the Fence Project of Des Moines.

The group hopes to give dogs that experience.

Over the past seven years, the group has built 95 fences in the city.

Over the weekend, volunteers provided a fence for the owners of a 3-year-old German Shepard named Mick, who has spent much of his life in a small kennel.

Volunteers also donated food and straw for dog houses. On top of that, they frequently check in on the dogs and owners they’ve helped

“We started out going down back alleys looking for dogs who spend their lives changed up 24/7. And we just started knocking on doors asking people if we could fence in their backyard if they’d let their dogs run free,” says Rupp.

This is the project’s last build of the season, they’ll start back up again in the spring.

Organizers say each fence can cost up to $500 and they rely on donations

If you’d like to donate or nominate a dog to receive a fence, you can contact them on their Facebook page – The Fence Project Des Moines.