Is it cruel to leave a dog alone all the time on a balcony?
It’s a large U shape balcony with a lot of open space, but I still think it’s cruel as the dog is alone all the time. Even worse is that the dog can see the family through the apartment glass doors but is always excluded from family activities. Also, this poor dog does not get taken for a walk.
Yes, it’s cruel. Dogs are social animals and do not enjoy being isolated. Whether or not it’s criminal is up to your local animal control and your local bylaws.
Does the dog have food, water and shelter? Then there may not be much that anyone can do, but calling your local animal control or spca may alert them that there is a dog being neglected, if that is the case, and they may be able to persuade the owners to improve the dog’s living conditions or surrender the dog.
You may also want to contact your local health department. If the dog is not being walked, he is urinating and defecating on the balcony, and that may be a health concern.
168 square foot balcony? That seems mighty spacious to me.
Nice one Centurian - t’rific race, The Romans.
Actually it’s much bigger than that. I’m more worried by the dog’s social isolation than lack of space.
Do you know why they got a dog?
Yes. They got it for the grandkids when they visit on Saturday afternoons. The grandkids aren’t interested though.
Unconscionably cruel. Dogs are not decorations. Can you report this and try to get the poor thing taken to a home that actually wants a dog?
I put this in the same category as people who abuse their kids. Why do they have them in the first place? The only difference is that it’s illegal to abuse your kids. It should be illegal for animals as well.
I believe I’d have to call the Humane Society or some responsible party and turn them in. That’s no life for a social creature.
“I put this in the same category as people who abuse their kids”
You’d be mistaken. A dog is an animal. The abuse of human beings is far different from keeping a dog on a balcony. Possibly your children are no more important to you than an animal, but to all children are more valuable and worthy of higher standards of love and care than any animal.
To some of us, FrankJBN, our dogs are our children. Not everyone worships human children; I personally MUCH prefer the company of dogs. Yes, this IS abuse and the dog deserves to be treated much better.
I am not suggesting that children should be abused, either, but why can’t ALL living creatures be treated with love and respect.
Look, I hate to be a pedantic ass, as that trait is one of the things that keeps sending me away from the Dope anyway, but are you really sure that the dog is always out 24hrs a day 7 days a week?
Maybe, but I find it hard to believe that you are monitoring their porch enough to have that level of surety. If so, go get a life. Feel free to call the rescue agency, but I would be surprised if there’s anything they can do, since your 24x7 claim is a bit hard to swallow.
Abuse of animals is also an indicator of how some people abuse other humans.
I know what you mean - asshole responses are why I rarely post as well.
Tragically, they aren’t actually breaking any laws, at least not where I live.
The dog is fed, has water and shelter but is effectively in solitary confinement.
This is a big “stick your neck out” suggestion, and I won’t blame you if you decide not to try it. But, if they are this uninterested in the dog, and they got it for the grandkids who are similarly uninterested, you could try asking for the dog. Strike up a conversation with them, and mention how cute the dog is, and how you’ve always wanted one like that. I would advise against telling them they are taking awful care of the dog. They are, but it won’t help to say so. Even when you ignore the shit out of them, dogs are a lot of trouble, and they might be very willing to hand it over to someone nice who seemed interested. Once you have it, you can find another home for it if you wanted.
Alternately, you could steal the dog. A, uh… friend did that once when she knew a very sweet dog who had to live on a tiny apartment balcony 24/7. The dog was re-homed and it ended well. The original owner never even put up a sign after the theft.
I’d call the local humane society/ animal control and let them know. If nothing happens, a local branch of PETA is usually fairly good in situations like these. PETA isn’t all batshit crazy animal liberation- don’t worry. They will often go to the owners, chat about animal care, offer to rehome the dog, etc. The owners probably don’t want the dog anyway anymore, but feel shitty about just getting rid of it-- sometimes PETA’s assistance is just what they need to wash their hands of it. I know this because I’ve had lots of friends use them for this very reason (usually it’s a dog that’s tied up in the yard all day and night, but this is the same idea).
Naturally, I do think this is incredibly cruel and it makes no sense-- why get a dog in the first place if you’re going to leave it outside? Poor thing.
Unless he has sensitive feet, I don’t see much difference between that, and leaving a dog alone in the back yard 24x7, which has been the case in several houses near me, everywhere I’ve ever lived. I think that a large percentage of dog owners, and maybe even most of them, have no business owning a dog. In my unscientific experience, even most owners who do spend significant time with their dogs make little or no effort to train him to not be a nuisance, if not an actual danger, to other people.
And I say this with great sadness, because my sister, my favorite person in the world, is one of them. She has a large dog who barks constantly, jumps all over people (not threatening, but exuberant), and is always in the way at her house (e.g. if he’s not actually begging scraps at the table, he’ll plop down in the doorway between the dining room and kitchen during dinner). My mom (who lives in the same city as my sister) and I (who don’t) both love her dearly, but we hate to go to her house. I tried to talk to her about it one time, and she got so angry and defensive that I’ve never brought it up again. I’d rather put up with the stupid dog than have her mad at me.
A human is an animal. A child is an animal.
Your opinion of moral value is as valid as anyone else’s.