We got new neighbors about 3 months ago. They brought with them a very pretty black and brown wolfish-looking dog, very big and gentle. There was a hole in one side of their wooden fence, so naturally they bought a pen to put the dog in while they repaired the fence. The pen is about 4 feet by 4 feet. Theres a large concrete slab in the backyard where they placed the pen. Well, they fixed the fence about 2 month ago. The dog does not have free access to the backyard, it is forced to stay in the small pen on the concrete slab.
Wait, theres more. Oh, theres a lot more. One day it was pretty windy, and the pen kind of collapsed. Imagine 2 opposite corners of the pen being pushed in, creating a diamond-shaped pen about 7 feet long and maybe 2 feet wide. The dog was still inside. No water, no food, no shelter. The next day, the pen was STILL like that! The dog had food this time, but those lazy-ass owners didn’t even fix the pen. The next day, the pen was back to normal, but the dog had chewed a hole through it. I thought to myself “Well, maybe they’ll let the dog have the run of the yard like they should have done after they fixed the fence.” Nope. They took the dog’s leash, attatched it to the dog, and tied the other end to the pen, leaving the dog with about 3 feet of movement. They tied the dog up like this well over a month ago, and thats how it is right now.
So this poor dog has NO SHELTER. I have only seen food within its reach a few times, and there isn’t always water. It’s tied to the pen on the concrete slab, excpsed to the elements. No bedding, no toys, no nothing. If it rains, so what? The dog gets wet. Oh jeez. it snowed last night! I have to go check on this dog.
I don’t know what to do. I’m not good at confronting people, and I want to remain frendly to the neighbors. I could call animal control, but I doubt anything would happen. This town is so small, we’re kind of lacking in that area. I just want what’s best for the dog. No animal deserves to be treated like this.
Sure sounds it to me.
I would call the cops/sheriff, and ask their opinion if any ordinance is violated, and if they or any other office would address this. See if they would need a complainant to go knock on the door.
I don’t know that I would call it abuse, but I would call it neglect. Maybe you can complain the dog’s barking is bothering you, and can they put it in the house?
unfortunately, Animal Control really is your better option. it’s their mandate to determine abusive situations for animals, and they’re the ones with the clout to get something done about it. (even if it means confiscating the animal.)
but to answer your question–yes, if an animal does not have adequate food, water or shelter, it is abuse.
If the dog is not being fed or given proper water or shelter you can definitely call animal control. If your town is small and doesn’t have animal control you can try phoning the police. In some small towns they can serve as animal control as well. Do they ever let the dog out of the pen? Is the dog ever allowed inside? Where does the dog eliminate? These are things they may ask you when you phone in the complaint.
If it is shown that the animal is being neglected - they should be able to remove it from the residence.
Also, I don’t think you’d have to let the neighbors know that it was you who called, IMHO.
Being denied the basic needs of shelter, food and water is defintely neglect.
I’d call Animal Control if Iwere you. I had a neighbor (luckily he’s since moved) who routinely neglected a whole yard full of animals–from cats to cows to even a horse. These poor animals were alternately starving or freezing on any given day. I don’t think he was neglecting them out of cruelty–it was more a case of simple stupidity.
I even went across the street a few times while he was at work and fed and watered them. Not that trespassing is a good idea, of course. I just could not stand by and watch those animals suffer like that.
The first time I called Animal Control and reported it, they came right out the same day.
They came out and checked a couple more times, and eventually took most of the animals away from him because he hadn’t corrected the situation.
The neighbors will never know it’s you that’s reported them, unless you want them to.
It is definitely neglect–most places have laws that an animal left outside must have shelter, food and water. Animal control or your local humane society should visit once and let them know the local laws, then pay a follow-up visit to make sure they’re obeying those laws.
Its outside in the FUCKING SNOW. I just checked. That dog is COVERED in snow. 5 inches is about what we got last night. No, it never comes inside. It poops anywhere within the 3 foot circle that it can move about. I’ve seen them walking it once. I’m calling animal control right now.
Another thing - this dog likes to howl. It howls in the morning when it hears the train whistles, and it’ll howl at me when I peek over the fence. I’ve jumped the fence before to play with it. I think his howling is justified. I’m calling the shelter.
Good for you, blink. If they don’t come out right away, keep calling 'em until they do. I know that animal controls all over tend to be way underfunded, particularly in small towns like you say. But squeaky wheels do tend to get the grease. And you can ask them if there is anything you are within your rights to do if they can’t come out very soon - like at least give the poor thing an old blanket or some straw or something to help keep it warm.
if not, what agency is in charge of the Animal Control unit? a moron like that has no business running an important service like that if he can’t figure out the proper way of maintaining a pet.
He doesn’t need to be fired; he needs to be chained to a concrete slab inside a cage with no food, water or shelter for a couple weeks. Once he knows how the dog feels… maybe he’d learn to treat it right.
