Should I Report My Neighbors or What?!
@moonlitmagikchild (22181)
United States
December 10, 2008 2:24am CST
my neighbors have a guard dog that they leave out in their yard day and night no matter what temperature it is and never groom it and if it wasnt for the fact its fat i wouldnt think they fed it.. its not a friendly dog at all but i hate seeing any animal chained up in the yard and ignored and neglected.. the problem is that if i call the police or pound it will be more than likely put down within a week since its not a people loving dog and they are barely even giving animals a week now since the pounds are so full..
considering it does have a dog house and a garage it can sleep in and hasnt frozen to death already in the past i dont know if the dog house has a heater in it or the garage but im willing to bet it doesnt.. but its not like i can go check or the dog will kill me..
considering its fat im guessing they are feeding it but i have never really stalked them to make sure..
they have had this dog off and on and several times i thought it had died or them got rid of it because it will be gone for months but then be back.. i think its cruel to keep a dog out in the snow and freezing temperatures but i dont want to make the call and see it dragged off to its death and them just replace it with another dog that may not be as out door friendly etc..
no matter what i feel like im contributing to the abuse.. maybe im just too much of a pet lover since i have never been one to let my pets be outdoors and are overly sensitive to it when he may be fine when he is in the garage and etc.. no matter what the dog is definitely not played with or groomed and he is a chow looking mutt from hell dog lol..
what should i do??
2 people like this
12 responses
@casuarina (46)
• Singapore
11 Dec 08
Seriously wow.. some dogs can handle it but u'll really feel very sad for the dog,
I mean which idiot would do that.. thats so cold.. They shouldnt have bought the dog in the first place.. Just call the police its the best thing to do..
I am sure i would to give it a better life, or i would just buy the dog from them if they don't want it :d
1 person likes this
@Melitta (32)
•
11 Dec 08
First off, if it is a guard dog, then it is not a family pet. They are not meant to be played with. Just like a dog used for hunting, you don't play with them either. Second, if it is a Chow breed, they are very territorial animals and will protect the family and yard no matter what. Their genetic make up is for cold weather. It would be more harmful for the dog to be kept in a place that is too warm for them as their coat would adjust to the warmer weather when it shouldn't, UNLESS they planned on keeping the dog in the house all the time, which doesn't seem to be the case here. As long as he is being fed and does have housing too get into, he should be fine. I had a Chow, he stayed outside. He hated being in the house. We would put hay in his dog house during the winter, because we thought he would get cold. He would promptly go in the dog house and paw every bit of hay back out of it. We then tried blankets thinking he didn't like the straw, he would pull the blankets out. It was his way of telling us he didn't need that. But like you, I couldn't comprehend how he couldn't be cold, so we settled for putting blankets OVER the dog house. :) Made me feel better anyway. lol It would also seem as the neighbors are being somewhat responsible as the dog is mean and they make sure he is chained in order too not get loose and hurt someone. Reading through your posts and the part about the kids running into the house when they see you and you never see the parents, makes me think that maybe there is something going on IN the house that should be more of a concern rather than the dog.
@moonlitmagikchild (22181)
• United States
12 Dec 08
yeah but they left him out doors in 106 degree weather before too though.. even in the shade thats still would be too hot i would think..
yeah i dunno what the deal is with them..
@moonlitmagikchild (22181)
• United States
11 Dec 08
the dog is too mean for me to adopt and i have other pets.. im sure he wouldnt get along with my cats since he looks like the type to kill cats.. but they are obsessed with having a guard dog so even if this one is taken im sure they would get another one so it would just start all over again and who knows if the next one would be ok in those temperatures..
@getnbuy (1312)
• United States
11 Dec 08
Have you ever watched animal patrol on the animal channel? they have police that go out and save dogs such as this one. I don't know how many cities have this, but it would be a good thing. that way, the dog would get rehab and the owners would not be able to get another pet. I think if it were me I would report it anyway. the poor dog can't be much worse off, even if it is put down.
@moonlitmagikchild (22181)
• United States
11 Dec 08
i dont watch those shows because i always get so sad for the pets
@kat_princess (1470)
• Philippines
12 Dec 08
That's a good choice.You can't jump in to conclusions just like that.You have to figure out exactly what is really happening.
1 person likes this
@moonlitmagikchild (22181)
• United States
11 Dec 08
my neighbors are bizarre.. the only time i ever see them is their kids and i dont think it would be right to go up and talk to kids about this type of thing.. their kids already run from me for some reason.. i go to check my mail adn they run indoors untill i leave their yard.. i havent ever done anything to them so i have no idea what that is about lol.. but i never see their parents.. i know they have a mom but dont even know if they have a dad or what is going on over there
@Latrivia (2878)
• United States
11 Dec 08
It it's fat, it's either got a bad case of worms, or it's being fed. Assuming the dog is fairly energetic, I think it's safe to say it's being fed. Also, while they may not be bringing it inside when it's cold, the presence of a dog house does indicate they are trying to keep it sheltered (albeit poorly, in my opinion). They may have their reasons for it, though.
Not being well groomed doesn't mean much. My parent's dog hasn't been bathed in a year, but you can bet he's a fairly healthy dog for his age (12 years). If, however, he has infected wounds that look like they aren't being cared for, or nails that are curling up into his paw pads, then you might have a reason to call animal control.
I don't think the dog is being abused, though I do think the owners could treat it a little better.
1 person likes this
@moonlitmagikchild (22181)
• United States
11 Dec 08
well i cant get close enough for the nails or wound check but its a chow that hair gets into huge matts and knots and stuff like leaves get stuck in it..
@minx267 (15527)
• Hartford, Connecticut
10 Dec 08
well I agree with you.. I would never leave my animals outside..
but I think if the dog isn't starving and they do have a house for it unless
his water is constantly frozen and he has no access to drink.. the animal control might not do anything. Maybe he has a job at some junk yard or something and that's why he disappears for a few months at a time.. At least if he is a chow I will assume that he appears to have enough fur to keep him kinda warm too?
I would never leave my dogs or cats out... And Even though some dogs are bread for the cold- I just wouldn't be able to do that- I don't see the point in having a dog unless it is going to be your pal and live with you. And what good are guard dogs that are stuck inside? How can they protect you if someone broke in your house if they are chained up in the back yard? Mine protect the house from the inside.. lol
1 person likes this
@moonlitmagikchild (22181)
• United States
10 Dec 08
well i have no idea about the water freezing or food or anything but yeah im guessing the hair is keeping him warm enough because it will make me so mad to have the news say NO pets outdoors because its too cold and i see them out there but the owners are never home either!! i just read on the news that an dog froze to the driveway some where which made me worry more!! but ugh its just so annoying.. i really feel for that dog!! my dog acts like its being tortured if its out for 5 minutes longer than she wants on a good day lol..
@woolyshamblers (67)
• United States
11 Dec 08
That's a tough one because it's hard to watch an animal struggle, but I'm sure the dog is okay. He's fat, right? So he's not freezing. You have to keep in mind, there's wolves that survive in cold like that. He has a shelter, so he can protect himself from the wind. He's an animal, that's what they do. :)
I know, it really sucks, but they aren't technically doing anything wrong. I'm with you though, I hate leaving animals outside!
They do have that thick, annoying, "under fur" for a reason though.
1 person likes this
@moonlitmagikchild (22181)
• United States
12 Dec 08
but the summer before last it was 106 degrees out and he was still stuck out there 
@winterose (39887)
• Canada
10 Dec 08
it is your call on this one, I wouldn't know what to tell you. Perhaps you can just call a vet or an animal shelter not give your name but tell them what is happening and ask them what is the best thing to do.
1 person likes this
@moonlitmagikchild (22181)
• United States
11 Dec 08
i know when i had taken in a stray which was a full blooded boxer that had a hearing prob i had called the pound and they said they would put him down because of his hearing problem even though he was an expensive dog so i cant imagine it being good for a couple year old mangy mutt that is mean
@LittleMel (8742)
• Canada
11 Dec 08
is there a way to talk to them before telling the police?
but if you don't feel comfortable then probably just tell the police or anyone in your area that handles animal abuse
we have a neighbor that leaves his dog out in the rain, but it doesn't bark much so I don't know if they leave it out in snow too
I will ask hubby since he is the one that goes around chatting he would know these things, then I will know who does or doesn't, and then I can probably go with him talk to them since neighbours here seem like nice and decent people
@moonlitmagikchild (22181)
• United States
11 Dec 08
well the adults are never around.. the kids are scared of me for some reason and i dont think it would be right to go up to the kids and start quizzing them since its not like its their fault whats going on with the dog. they may think dogs are supose to be treated like that for all i know
@jillhill (37354)
• United States
10 Dec 08
That one is a very tough call....I don't think I would much as I love animals....my sister and her husband used to have a dog that was in the garage all the time...but it was meant to be that way. He was a hunting dog and you have to treat them differently then a regular pet...anyway my BIL took him for a walk one day and he took off from the BIL and got hit by a car. My sister said it was the saddest thing watching her husband carrying home his dog..crying his eyes out. When I lived on the farm our dogs were always in a barn etc...they never came inside. They adjust to it. As far as it getting love and affection..you can't make people do that....I personally would just leave it alone. But do what you have to do.
1 person likes this
@moonlitmagikchild (22181)
• United States
11 Dec 08
yeah i have been leaving it alone its just so sad
@barehugs (8973)
• Canada
10 Dec 08
First off, unless you want to make bad friends of your neighbors, leave things as they are. Secondly, you don't have a leg to stand on! The dog isn't fat from lack of food. The Police would laugh at you, because you have no legal grounds for your complaint. Its not against the law to keep a guard dog in your yard. Dogs have winter coats too, and this dog probably doesn't mind being out in the snow. The dog is obviously not neglected, else-wise he would not be fat.
@TheCatLady (4691)
• Israel
12 Dec 08
I'd report them. That's no life for a dog. Dogs are meant to be part of a pack. Us humans are their pack.
If the authorities take the dog, they probably wouldn't be allowed to have another. They sure don't need or deserve one if this one is just a yard ornament.
My dogs are inside. One is lying right behind me and the other is in my bed; oops her bed; oops again the cats bed. The bed. Oops again she was on the sofa.
Well they are inside most of the time and it's not all that cold out. Snow here is a treat. 
I missed the 1 snow day last year. Waaa From the pictures it looked like a good inch or two. My dogs haven't ever seen snow.
I missed the 1 snow day last year. Waaa From the pictures it looked like a good inch or two. My dogs haven't ever seen snow.
1 person likes this
@prinzess1515 (1341)
• United States
10 Dec 08
Call the ASPCA. They will know what to do.
1 person likes this
