# neglect or abuse?



## Unosmom (May 3, 2009)

The neighborhood I live in, is kind of a mix of lower and middle class, so without categorizing too much, lets just say certain people dont view their animals as members of the family, more of as backyard accessory. 
Anyways, this family has a springer spaniel. The dog is obviously not in great health, he's fat, he has red tear stains all over the body,he's kept outside 24/7 in a plastic outdoor kids house with straw. Whenever I walk by and theres food in the bowl, it looks like a mix of white bread and spaghettio's. 
He always goes nuts when we walk by, barking hysterically. The last couple months, I noticed that he's been coughing really bad while barking. I have a strong suspicion that he has heartworms. 

I feel really bad, but I dont know if I can actually do anything legally. They are providing food and shelter, technically, but if this dog is sick and suffering, do I have the right to report it? 

I really wish I could spring him out, give him a bath, put him on good quality food, get him in shape and get him treated and adopted out, but financially its just not a plausible option for me right now.


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## whiteleo (Sep 7, 2008)

I'd say it's neglect..Just call your local H/S and ask what you should do and what you suspect about the coughing..It's a crap deal and there will always be cases like these, at least he has food and water and shelter, although some human interaction would be ideal and to not be left outside...Crap, it's never going to change, as people will always have an excuse as to why they can't do more for their animals and WE as animal lovers will always have ways for them to do more...


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## xchairity_casex (Oct 8, 2011)

i agree i would alo make a call but be careful what you say if you say "he always acts hystarically when we walk past and i noticed heh as started coughing too"
they will probably respond with "well its probably due to him pulling so hard or going crazy on the rope"

just say "the dog looks very sick and has begun to cough also im very concerned"
hope somthing good happens for this guy poor thing good luck


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## xellil (Apr 4, 2011)

you should at least call. In my experience, nothing much will happen but you can try. I'm so sorry. It would be very difficult to see that dog every day and not be able to help it.


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## lovemydogsalways (Mar 4, 2012)

Why can't everyone care as much as us. I want a Springer as my next dog and to hear about one wasting away in some assholes backyard makes me so sad.
I mean if it were any dog it would make me sad.


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## xellil (Apr 4, 2011)

I know someone who drives by a dog every day that is chained 24/7. They are no laws on taking care of dogs in that rural area. She and her friends have decided they can't steal the dog because there is normally someone home and they all have guns. 

They have tried to buy the dog with no luck. At the time i had money and offered to pitch in $500 and they still said no. They like to breed her for the pups, apparently.

I think it would be humane just to shoot the dog from the road one night.


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## Kat (Jul 12, 2011)

Stories like this break my heart. I used to always watch those animal rescue shows, but I always found myself crying so I stopped watching. Its unbelievable what some people make their dogs or other pets endure. If only there were stricter laws for animal rights, not just the basic "food, water, and shelter", especially if its bread and spaghettios. And oh my gosh, arent the spaghettios tomato sauce made with onion powder too?


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## Unosmom (May 3, 2009)

thanks for the input. Our county law states that not providing medical care constitutes abuse, so I will call tomorrow and find out if anything can be done. There are few irresponsible pet owners on our block, couple that let their dogs run around unsupervised, like this elderly, deaf jack russell that I almost hit twice when driving home at night. 

Theres another house down the street that had an older chow with what appeared to be a bad case of mange, he was also very thin. Then I didnt see him for a while and few weeks later, he was there again, but I think someone began to care for him because the hair was growing back, he put on weight and was wearing a new collar with tags. 

People like this really get under my skin, even working at an upscale pet boutique I see a lot of ignorance. Most dogs are overweight or obese, yesterday an older cocker spaniel was brought in to be groomed. The girl I work with (groomer), asked me to hold him while she was clipping the nails. When I got near him, he had bad smell near his face. I checked his teeth, whadya now? disgusting brown/grey rotten teeth. The owners would rather spend $60 on a monthly groom, then save up for few months and get those teeth taken care of. 
I guess ignorance is a bliss.


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## xchairity_casex (Oct 8, 2011)

the last house we lived in our neighbors got a "puppy" from 8 weeks old that pup was chained up outside no one played with,no one walked it hell i NEVER seen a bowl of water out for it nor food. it didnt even have a dog house till it was about 6 months old they got him a nice wooden dog house but after 2 weeks we seen an ad in the paper where they were trying to sell it and they did sell it.
that dog was begining to become aggressive suddenly started growling when we would walk to our car,barking visciously at us.

in the sumer the dog was so hot he dug a huge hole to lie in but then one day we got a BAD rainstorm that dog had to sit in that huge dug out full of water due to not having anywhere else to go i felt terrable for him.
i called the animal shelter and animal control who both told me they would "look into it" but i never seen them stop out 
before we moved they got 2 male unneuterd pitbulls 

last summer i walked up that way while taking Cesar for a walk and walked past their house where they had gotten a small kennel (only about 7 foot by maybe 5 foot)
they had all three dog in their plus s stack of broken boards the dog could not move except to step over top of each other all the dogs had visable bite wounds all the dogs were unneuterd males.
who STILL had NO shelter the kennel was FULL of feces and we could smell it about 20 feet away.

i can only imagine those dogs getting to the breaking point and attacking eachother for the kill as when i walked past they were all going crazy and one of the pit grabbed the lab and shook him hard.
i am amazed they have all three lasted that long together it had been a year since we had lived in the house next door 
but animal control obviously did nothing becuase it ony got worse


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## xellil (Apr 4, 2011)

Unosmom said:


> When I got near him, he had bad smell near his face. I checked his teeth, whadya now? disgusting brown/grey rotten teeth. The owners would rather spend $60 on a monthly groom, then save up for few months and get those teeth taken care of.
> I guess ignorance is a bliss.


That just makes me furious. Especially if they can afford to groom their dog - they can afford dental care. The pain must be excruciating - imagine a person's teeth in that shape. And the damage it does to organs - heart and kidney damage, for two. 

That's just horrible.


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## Donna Little (May 31, 2011)

My mom lived next door to an asshole that kept his English Setter in a 10x10 pen for 7 yrs. The dog literally never left the pen from the time he was a couple of months old. The dog acted like he would kill you if you were even in his line of sight. I spent the night before Thanksgiving with her one year to help her prepare the meal and could see him from her kitchen window and he could see me too. After staring at each other for about an hour while I was stirring and baking I told my mom I was taking him a piece of ham. When I went to his pen I was horrified to find he was a total skeleton with no food, water, or bedding. It was about 35 degrees. I went to his front door and knocked but got no answer.
That was Wed night. I went back over Thanksgiving and still no answer. I fed and watered the dog, got a promise from my mom that she would feed him if the jerk didn't show back up and went home with his phone #. I called him several times a day until Mon with no answer. So, I got in the car and drove the hour back up to my mom's and took him. Found out later from my mom that he'd gone hunting with his buddies. He told my mom when she asked where his dog was that he'd died. The asshole had been gone for 9 days and left no one to look after him!
Anyhow, the dog's name was Winston and his first visit to the vet was a week after I took him so of course I'd been feeding him and he still weighed only 38 lbs. His normal weight was 55. Totally ridiculous. He lived with me 7 more years until he had a stroke and had to be put to sleep. He was a great dog, a little _overly_ protective of us, but I guess I understood. 
So, the moral of this story is, steal the dog. :tongue1: I see no problem with this....


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## Unosmom (May 3, 2009)

> That just makes me furious. Especially if they can afford to groom their dog - they can afford dental care. The pain must be excruciating - imagine a person's teeth in that shape. And the damage it does to organs - heart and kidney damage, for two.
> 
> That's just horrible.


Pretty much. I talked to the groomer and she said that 3/4 of the dogs that come in have bad teeth, she cant afford to lecture the owners without losing her livelihood. When I got home, I posted this on our store facebook page https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?...09103145.26808.126413797372873&type=1&theater

(only one Like compared to multiple on other nonsense cutesy posts, same thing when I made this post)
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=427734693907447&set=a.142444409103145.26808.126413797372873&type=1&theater

I plan on doing nutrition classes, so maybe I can throw in few general care classes as well to try to educate few people in the process.


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## Unosmom (May 3, 2009)

> My mom lived next door to an asshole that kept his English Setter in a 10x10 pen for 7 yrs. The dog literally never left the pen from the time he was a couple of months old. The dog acted like he would kill you if you were even in his line of sight. I spent the night before Thanksgiving with her one year to help her prepare the meal and could see him from her kitchen window and he could see me too. After staring at each other for about an hour while I was stirring and baking I told my mom I was taking him a piece of ham. When I went to his pen I was horrified to find he was a total skeleton with no food, water, or bedding. It was about 35 degrees. I went to his front door and knocked but got no answer.
> That was Wed night. I went back over Thanksgiving and still no answer. I fed and watered the dog, got a promise from my mom that she would feed him if the jerk didn't show back up and went home with his phone #. I called him several times a day until Mon with no answer. So, I got in the car and drove the hour back up to my mom's and took him. Found out later from my mom that he'd gone hunting with his buddies. He told my mom when she asked where his dog was that he'd died. The asshole had been gone for 9 days and left no one to look after him!
> Anyhow, the dog's name was Winston and his first visit to the vet was a week after I took him so of course I'd been feeding him and he still weighed only 38 lbs. His normal weight was 55. Totally ridiculous. He lived with me 7 more years until he had a stroke and had to be put to sleep. He was a great dog, a little overly protective of us, but I guess I understood.
> So, the moral of this story is, steal the dog. I see no problem with this....


Wow, thats pretty awful, and thank you for saving his life. 
Thankfully both our AC and humane society have been pretty strict as far as enforcing animal welfare laws, we have mandatory spay/neuter and its offered at no cost to low income families. The dog is not being kept on a chain, but he doesent get any interaction from people and when he barks, the house across the street (they are owners relatives or parents, not sure), always yell at him and tell him to shut up. Stealing isnt really an option, as tempting as it may be.


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## DDBsR4Me (Jan 23, 2012)

Just an idea, but you can always send them some anonymous literature about pet care. You could also include an anonymous letter stating that you will report them to animal control/the humane society if they don't improved the dog's care. Sometimes the threat alone is enough to make them take action.

My mom is notorious for doing this - especially in the summertime. She sends anonymous literature to people about pet care during the hot summer months, as well as other pet care information.

I truly feel for the dog and will never understand why people get a pet just to banish it to the backyard or neglect it.


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## sozzle (May 18, 2011)

Unosmom said:


> Pretty much. I talked to the groomer and she said that 3/4 of the dogs that come in have bad teeth, she cant afford to lecture the owners without losing her livelihood. When I got home, I posted this on our store facebook page https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?...09103145.26808.126413797372873&type=1&theater
> 
> .


I don't see why the groomer can't mention that the dog's teeth don't look good/have a build up of tartar and did they know that it can cause other health problems etc and is in the interest of the dog's health. I don't think it's a problem in NZ to bring these things to the owner's attention as long as it is done diplomatically surely?

When I took my inlaws dog to be groomed they told me that his teeth had tartar on them and that he should be checked out by the vet. As my father in law is a retired vet I didn't say anything and then low and behold a few weeks later he went for a check up as they noticed one of his teeth bleeding and it had to be removed and he had a full dental, his first one I think in 10 years. His teeth were a bit yellow, has a soft diet with occasional bones. When he comes here to stay I try and give him a decent bone to chew on 2-3 times a week.


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## xellil (Apr 4, 2011)

sozzle said:


> I don't see why the groomer can't mention that the dog's teeth don't look good/have a build up of tartar and did they know that it can cause other health problems etc and is in the interest of the dog's health. I don't think it's a problem in NZ to bring these things to the owner's attention as long as it is done diplomatically surely?


I agree - i think a groomer could bring it to someone's attention without lecturing. Maybe they just don't know.


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## Unosmom (May 3, 2009)

Yeah, I asked her about it and it seems like she brought it up in the past since they are repeat customers, but they dont care. She does mention if the dog is fat because its a major health hazard while grooming, since dogs get stressed out and can die from being heavy and under additional stress.


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## mischiefgrrl (Oct 28, 2010)

I've contacted rescues in situations with dogs being neglected that animal control wouldn't do anything about. Sometimes the rescue can convince the owner to either care for or relinquish the dog. 

When Tanis was going through his skin problems before I switched to PMR, I was always afraid that someone would call animal control on me. He was NOT being neglected. I spent thousands on vet bills, medications, e-collars, creams, etc. plus home cooking trying to heal his skin but yet he was getting worse and worse. He would scratch and bite himself bloody and was 70% bald. Someone made a comment at the dog park about his condition and reporting me to the authorities.


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## Dude and Bucks Mamma (May 14, 2011)

mischiefgrrl said:


> I've contacted rescues in situations with dogs being neglected that animal control wouldn't do anything about. Sometimes the rescue can convince the owner to either care for or relinquish the dog.
> 
> When Tanis was going through his skin problems before I switched to PMR, I was always afraid that someone would call animal control on me. He was NOT being neglected. I spent thousands on vet bills, medications, e-collars, creams, etc. plus home cooking trying to heal his skin but yet he was getting worse and worse. He would scratch and bite himself bloody and was 70% bald. Someone made a comment at the dog park about his condition and reporting me to the authorities.


That's terrible! People made comments like that about Buck when he was really skinny. It was several months ago when he really started growing, we had a lady dog in heat nearby, and I had just upped his food intake all at the same time so he looked pretty bad. I walked over and said, "I couldn't help but overhear your negative comment about my dog." I sat them down and told them what was going on and when I was done I ALWAYS got an apology. I would always end it with, "People who don't care about their dogs and starve them typically don't take them out in public to socialize them. I know that, when I leave the house, I am likely to have people mutter about the condition my dog is in at the moment. The thing is, I am DOING something about it. I understand that he needs a few more pounds. It isn't going to happen overnight."

Back on topic... 

I would still call. I heard from a woman who lives across town that our AC is very over the top when it comes to these cases. They have actually been known to jump on an owner after one complaint. They have, apparently, seized dogs prematurely and have made fools out of themselves by acting too quickly on an owner who wasn't actually doing anything wrong. While that can be an advantage in your case, with my constantly skinny pup who has been seen eating raw meat in the backyard... Hahaha. Well, I would hate to hear what they think of MY animals!


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## brandypup (Jan 23, 2012)

Been there kinda.. unfortinitly not a thing ilegal about any of what you posted were I am at. Even the coughing wouldn't be much issues since over hal of all outsidde dogs here have heartworms. I woudl think they only thing they get out of it is maybe a visit, a lecture about the vet. Not every place is as laxed here. You may have a better outcome. IMHO its definitly not right, not ideal and bogs the question why have a dog. But as you said not everyone see a dog as a family member. Have you spoke to them and offered a ride to the vet?

Good luck. i would report the coughing legargic ? dog with questionable food supply. Hope something happy turns out with it.


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## Yorkie967 (Mar 13, 2012)

Donna Little said:


> Anyhow, the dog's name was Winston and his first visit to the vet was a week after I took him so of course I'd been feeding him and he still weighed only 38 lbs. His normal weight was 55. Totally ridiculous. He lived with me 7 more years until he had a stroke and had to be put to sleep. He was a great dog, a little _overly_ protective of us, but I guess I understood.
> So, the moral of this story is, steal the dog. :tongue1: I see no problem with this....


Hi Donna...you're an awesome person for doing that. I hope there's more like that around the world. Can I ask you though how do you know when a dog has a heart attack? god forbid but if this should happen to one of my own I know what it is....


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## sozzle (May 18, 2011)

Yorkie967 said:


> Hi Donna...you're an awesome person for doing that. I hope there's more like that around the world. Can I ask you though how do you know when a dog has a heart attack? god forbid but if this should happen to one of my own I know what it is....


Yorkie - if you read Donna's post again it says 'stroke' not 'heart attack' they are not the same thing. Strokes are normally caused by blockage/clot in the brain and heart attacks in the heart/valves. (I think).


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