Don’t you hate it when you drive around your town and see a dog tied to a doghouse in all sorts of weather? Or a dog that looks like he has never been played with in his life? Got me thinking about how hard it is for most of us to get involved, to stand up for what’s right. So, that’s the topic this week: Would you report a neighbor who wasn’t treating his dog right?
Until next time,
Good day, and good dog!
Yes, yes, yes! Been there, done that! Took a lovely senior golden from a neighbor (with their consent) and took it to rescue, found a home within two months. I stop to give dogs water or cedar chips or shade all the time, plus talk (nicely, not condemningly) to the owners or leave them notes, and finally will report them to animal control. Last summer I called my next door neighbors probably ten times a day for several weeks to tell them their tied up dog was out of water-if I noticed, why didn’t they? Finally shamed them into checking more often and making sure the bucket wasn’t in a position to easily knock over, plus told them I wouldn’t hesitate to call animal control if they didn’t take their dog ownership more seriously. I hate what I call “benign neglect” – just laziness in giving the dog attention and basic comforts.
I used to have a neighbor who I learned after they moved to California beat their dog. She was a pit bull and I KNOW she was never trained properly and had huge behavior issues but never ever ever the least bit agressive, she was just a big oaf, but having now learned this I feel AWFUL I never knew before. If I had known I would have reported it in an instant and made sure she got a good home that treated her properly. I know he only had her because of the superficial pop culture reasons and didn’t respect her as a living creature but I never thought he would have beat her. It’s sad.
Absolutely. I have every animal protection agency stored in my cell phone. The furry sweetheart I currently share my home with, lab-newfie mix Sparky, I rescued from an abusive neighbor years ago. He’s the sweetest thing on this planet and I’m glad I did what I did 🙂