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Advice on Potentional Animal Abuse

Posted: Thu Dec 11, 2014 10:59 pm
by Silivren
So my neighbor has a dog. She just moved in recently. She's a young girl, about twenty. Lives alone. However she leaves for hours and it is outside in a cold kennel. For hours, it has no food or water. It cries and whines and he's so scared. He isn't skinny enough to be considered physically abused but this girl doesn't need a dog. She can't take care of a dog. Its cruel and its eating me up inside. The kennel is constantly unlocked so tonight my boyfriend jumped it and we put food in his bowl which he scarfed like he was starving. How can I prove this abuse? Are pictures enough? How can I get this dog taken away from a woman who cares not for this animal. He's so desperate for affection he crams himself against the kennel and whimpers for just a pet of a human hand...

Re: Advice on Potentional Animal Abuse

Posted: Thu Dec 11, 2014 11:18 pm
by Makoes
I can think of two approaches to this situation...

One would be to strike up a conversation with your new neighbor. Get a general idea of her as a person, what she does, etc. Then say something like "I noticed you have a dog, but keep it outside, is it house broken? It's really cute." see how that goes then maybe ask "does it have a medical condition? I noticed it doesn't have any food or water when it's in the kennel, I thought maybe it was on a restricted diet."
If she's a young owner she might just be learning how to be a dog owner, rather then assume the worst, try and see the situation, and maybe give some advice if she seem's open to that. It could just be that she is unaware of how the dog feels in it's kennel.
I feel that educating a person is a better first step then "your doing it wrong and I am going to call the authorities on you" approach.


Alternatively is the "I am going to call the authorities on you" approach, lol.

Call your local shelter or animal rescue and report what you have seen. Give them the information and if they deem it enough to act on then they can approach her. As for pictures, if you can take some without going onto her property, that would probably be better. (trespassing might be frowned on if further legal steps are taken).


I hope that it's just ignorance that is causing her to neglect her dog like that.

Re: Advice on Potentional Animal Abuse

Posted: Thu Dec 11, 2014 11:22 pm
by Castile
It doesn't sound like abuse per say - just sounds like she's irresponsible or doesn't really know how to look after the dog. You can call the RSPCA or the equivilant in your country and ask them for advice. They can always come round and check to see if anything can/should be done. They don't usually say who complained so you can avoid nastiness with the neighbour that way too.

Re: Advice on Potentional Animal Abuse

Posted: Thu Dec 11, 2014 11:30 pm
by Silivren
Castile wrote:It doesn't sound like abuse per say - just sounds like she's irresponsible or doesn't really know how to look after the dog. You can call the RSPCA or the equivilant in your country and ask them for advice. They can always come round and check to see if anything can/should be done. They don't usually say who complained so you can avoid nastiness with the neighbour that way too.
I would agree on that she doesn't know how to look after a dog, if we hadn't kindly approached her and voiced our concerns. She just brushed us off like a brat. She doesn't take him seriously or seem to realize/care that another life depends on her. This dog isn't old either. He's a very young puppy. Currently she's been gone about 9 hours and left him outside. She just doesn't seem to care. The other night at 3 am he was still outside and he cried all night. I'm going to take pictures documenting that she doesn't provide him with sufficient water or food, which is illegal according to the state of Ohio, where I live. I will be home all day tomorrow and Saturday. If this continues, I will be making a call, and she will have to prove she can sufficiently care for him. Because I have no sympathies for someone who doesn't care about the suffering of her own animal.

Re: Advice on Potentional Animal Abuse

Posted: Thu Dec 11, 2014 11:46 pm
by cowmuflage
Tell your RSPCA about it and let them handle it.

Re: Advice on Potentional Animal Abuse

Posted: Fri Dec 12, 2014 4:17 pm
by Silivren
Well I'm going to call on her. She has been gone 10 hours today and left him with no food and frozen water. I took care of him. About an hour ago I heard the most awful screeching noise. I rushed outside. She makes him wear a choke collar which had gotten caught on the kennel in his attempt to escape and had strung him up so he was choking. I'm just glad I got to him in time.... *sigh* I wish I didn't have to call but I've tried talking to her and she tells me he's fine.

Re: Advice on Potentional Animal Abuse

Posted: Sat Dec 13, 2014 11:38 pm
by Tahlian
Don't feel bad about reporting her if you suspect animal abuse or neglect. I mean, if this little fellow didn't have you to be his voice, who would he have? Hopefully, he'll be removed from her custody and will wind up with a loving family that will let him live as a proper part of their lives, and not just left to languish in an outdoor kennel without food and water.

And don't even get me started on her leaving him wearing a choke collar unsupervised....grrr.

Re: Advice on Potentional Animal Abuse

Posted: Tue Dec 16, 2014 4:19 pm
by Silivren
Animal control never came. I called again. What I witnessed this time better get him taken away. She came home and took a pooper scooper out to clean his kennel. She'd be gone all day again. He was trying to jump up and like hug her because he was excited to see her after 11 hours. She kept hip checking him. Hard. Slamming into him and screaming no. Then she went to open the gate and go in the house. He was so excited to go into the house he raced to the front of the house and sat on the front porch. She chased him and screamed at him before picking him up and opening her car door. She hurled him inside so hard his head cracked into the window and he started crying as she slammed the door and yelled "Stupid ass dog. Sit there until I'm done." and then she went to finish cleaning his kennel. She took him inside but I looked at her and said "You shouldn't treat your dog like that. He just missed you." and she said "Mind your own business." HELL. NO. I just watched you abuse your dog. I called and told them that. They said they'd be out to check on him today. I hope she loses him. She doesn't deserve a dog.

Re: Advice on Potentional Animal Abuse

Posted: Tue Dec 16, 2014 5:41 pm
by Tahlian
I don't know what country you're posting from, OP, or if you're in the States, if your local police are participating, but if you are in the US and have a cell phone, and look on the Google store or the Apple store, there is an app called the ICE BlackBox app. With it, you can use the camera in your phone to record abuse when it happens, and the video goes to a cloud, so even if an offender takes your phone, they can't get at the evidence. When you submit the video report, it also includes GPS coordinates to the location where the abuse occurred.

It's not just for animal cruelty, but for just about every other crime you can think of, too. Here's hoping that poor little guy gets some help soon.

Re: Advice on Potentional Animal Abuse

Posted: Wed Dec 17, 2014 10:45 pm
by AdamSavage
Melle wrote:Animal control never came. I called again. What I witnessed this time better get him taken away. She came home and took a pooper scooper out to clean his kennel. She'd be gone all day again. He was trying to jump up and like hug her because he was excited to see her after 11 hours. She kept hip checking him. Hard. Slamming into him and screaming no. Then she went to open the gate and go in the house. He was so excited to go into the house he raced to the front of the house and sat on the front porch. She chased him and screamed at him before picking him up and opening her car door. She hurled him inside so hard his head cracked into the window and he started crying as she slammed the door and yelled "Stupid ass dog. Sit there until I'm done." and then she went to finish cleaning his kennel. She took him inside but I looked at her and said "You shouldn't treat your dog like that. He just missed you." and she said "Mind your own business." HELL. NO. I just watched you abuse your dog. I called and told them that. They said they'd be out to check on him today. I hope she loses him. She doesn't deserve a dog.
People like this need to be put in jail. Sadly, animal abuse laws are not strict enough.

Re: Advice on Potentional Animal Abuse

Posted: Thu Dec 18, 2014 6:31 pm
by SylviaDragon
Hope everything turns out ok for the little pup. If they do come and investigate/take him away best watch out. By now she can probably guess who blew the whistle on her and will be mad about it.

Re: Advice on Potentional Animal Abuse

Posted: Thu Dec 18, 2014 7:18 pm
by Silivren
SylviaDragon wrote:Hope everything turns out ok for the little pup. If they do come and investigate/take him away best watch out. By now she can probably guess who blew the whistle on her and will be mad about it.
Probably yes, it was an anonymous tip so here's hoping they take him away or scare her into caring for him. Though I'd rather he be taken away. They told me over the phone if she figured it out and caused trouble I can report her for harassment.

Re: Advice on Potentional Animal Abuse

Posted: Sat Dec 20, 2014 11:56 pm
by Seilahyn
Every states laws are different. Here in Pennsylvania the laws are very bare minimum.. and I hate it. As long as the dog has a shelter with 3 sides and a roof to get out of the weather, food and water, and some kind of bedding in the house it is legal. If they are chained to the house, the chain needs to be long enough for them to get to the food and water, and long enough they can go into their shelter. Outside 24/7? Doesn't matter as long as the previous things are met. If she's out scooping poop, she's atleast keeping the area clean from the sounds of it.

Dogs are viewed as property, not a living, breathing creature with feelings. We cannot take them from people even if they are not doing any of the above. Humane Officer's do not have that power. The owner's must surrender the animal to them in order for them to take the animal. If not, the Officer must go before a DJ and show all the proof in order to get any legal ability to seize the animal(s).

There are other ways to get her in trouble besides that, if for whatever reason they aren't able to get the dog away from her. Noise ordnance is one if the dog is out at night and barking a lot. That would have to go through your local police. Dog license or Rabies is another, but I'm sure the Animal Control Officers/Humane Officers will check that. Here in PA it is a 300$ fine if you don't have a current license.

I'm not a Humane Officer, but I work at a shelter that has two and I want to become one eventually. I take cruelty/neglect calls all the time so I've picked up a lot of it. I've also gone out with one of them on a hoarding situation in the past. Also, again.. this is Pennsylvania.

Re: Advice on Potentional Animal Abuse

Posted: Sun Dec 21, 2014 1:15 pm
by Jurz
In some states, though, this could put her in jail. It all really depends on the laws.

Re: Advice on Potentional Animal Abuse

Posted: Sat Mar 07, 2015 12:38 pm
by Divixon
i wouldnt give squat about the rules, just take some pics or vids/ect then either report it - or 2nd option just take it.

Re: Advice on Potentional Animal Abuse

Posted: Sun Mar 08, 2015 12:01 am
by Seilahyn
Ziroth wrote:or 2nd option just take it.
No. No, no no no no.

This will wind up with YOU in jail. I cannot stress this enough, never do this option. You'll do more harm than good.

Yes, the laws suck in some states. Yes, the animals more than likely don't deserve the treatment they are receiving. But if you break the law trying to help the animal by stealing it, you will compromise the investigation if there is one, or any validity in your complaints/accusations against the person. It just isn't good. The owner can turn around and go after you, and take you to court for trespassing and stealing their property.