Neighbours Dog

[Glamourelle]

Hi all, apologies if this is a random and long one but I love reading the advice threads as you are all so honest and helpful As a huge animal lover I’ve found myself in a bit of a moral dilemma today and I just don’t know what to do.

Basically today my boyfriend and I were out in the front doing some gardening when a truck went by and started beeping it’s horn (We live in small village which is essentially a street, but has a busy main road which we are located on). We looked up to see a stray dog looking extremely scared and running down the road, so I made my way after it to make sure it was okay, and more importantly that it didn’t get run over. This dog, which was a young border collie, looked very thin and was extremely submissive. She immediately started crawling over to me so I picked her up and took her inside. As I said, she was so thin, my mum owns a BC and I know with their bundles of energy they can be on the slim side but her hip bones and ribs were jutting out - she almost looked emancipated . She didn’t have a collar on so I stayed in and fed her some dry kibble whilst calling the dog warden to see what we could do, whilst my boyfriend knocked on doors in our street to see whether anyone had lost her. Anyway, a while later a young guy who lives down a few doors from us comes back with my boyfriend claiming it was hers. I mentioned my concerns to him about how thin she was and the young guy said some things in response that I really didn’t feel 100% comfortable with -

1. Due to him and his wife’s busy and long shifts (both in the airforce stationed in the U.K.), they forget to pick up dog food so she has been living on “snacks and a hotdog”
2. He doesn’t walk her and keeps her in a kennel all day. He “takes her once a fortnight to the dog park but doesn’t understand why she still has so much energy”
3. He wishes he had done more research on her breed as she has too much energy and they want to go travelling around Europe but don’t know what to do about leaving her

My boyfriend walked him and the dog home, but made it clear that both him and I could take the dog if they found that owning her would be too much, since he felt that she wasn’t being taken care of properly, and that we would never judge them if they wanted to do this, we just want what’s best for her. We both have experience of BCs and so understand the work (and amount of energy!) they require, and would be able to give her the attention we feel she deserves. Alternatively we would be happy to take her for walks in the day if they struggle with the time to do so and once a fortnight isn’t enough. Obviously the owner said no to this “as we love her even though she is a huge pain in the ass” (his exact words).

I know it’s probably not the worst situation but could reporting them to the RSPCA or something be the best bet for her? I just feel awful if I sit and do nothing but then I don’t know if this will make things worse in the long run. The thought of her being alone whilst they are on incredibly long shifts, sometimes without food and no walks breaks my heart. I just feel so helpless .

Please could anyone advise if there is anything I should do or if I’m just overreacting?

Thanks again for reading and sorry again for the ramble!

 

[barmcake]

You've bent over backwards to help them with the dog. I don't think you had an alternative, but can understand that stomach churning feeling when you have to take this sort of action. All dogs need at least one good walk a day. Not feeding an animal properly is just cruel and I don't suppose the poor little darling gets any affection. People like this make me sick.

 

[Shutterbug99]

I would report them. They are not even feeding this dog properly since they 'forget to pick up food.' Why did they get a dog if they don't have time to look after her or even bring her for a walk? Why not at least pay for a dog walker? Ugh. Some people make me so mad. To me it sounds like this guy is full of excuses and doesn't deserve to have that dog. It sounds like she has a really sad life.

This is total neglect. If you ring the RSPCA and tell them the dog is not being properly fed and is skin and bones I am sure they will have to go check on her.

I am interested as to what your response was when the guy told you this dog has been living on snacks since he can't be bothered to buy food for her. That is a total disgrace!

 

[Glamourelle]

Aw your post made me so sad. I used to have a BC growing up and their really really lovely dogs it’s awful thinking of a dog being mistreated, it’s such a shame they didn’t let you keep the dog because obviously you would have treated it better. Poor thing. You’ve done the right thing reporting!

They’re such a lovely breed aren’t they! My mums BC is the heart of the family, but he is absolutely bonkers

I just feel so hopeless because there is now literally nothing I can do for her. It angers me because we’ve basically given them a huge life line and their pride has got in the way of what is best for her, it makes me so mad . Thank you for your kind words though lovely

Hopefully the RSPCA do something but I am not holding out much hope based on their reputation. Are there not rules around military accomodation and pets? People like this really fuck me off, why get a dog in the first place and of all breeds a border collie! I love BCs but I know I am absolutely not the person to take on a young one and give it the enriched life it deserves.

My partner begged me to agree to getting a dog for years, we are both dog people but I always resisted due to circumstances. Since it appeared I am never going back to the office we finally got a labrador at Christmas but we would never dream of leaving her like these people are. Why don't they send her to doggie day care? Laziness regarding walking and exercise is bad enough but forgetting to buy food? That is negligent. I wouldn't dream of letting my goldfish go hungry never mind my cat and dog.

I asked my boyfriend whether he could report them at work but he said he would need to know his last name to do so, which we didn’t get . I was speaking to my mum about it though and she’s adamant that if a report is made regarding neglect with the rspca then it can be reported back to their work? I will have to check that though so don’t quote me on that.

Im literally nodding at everything in your post. Doesn’t take much energy to take her to day care, even if it’s only a couple of times a week to allow her to socialise and interact with other doggies!
What also angers me is that we lent them a cute little Tupperware box with dog food in for him to take home as he didn’t have any for her, and he hasn’t even brought it back to us yet!! Like does he have no shame? But I’ve said it’s given us a good excuse to go and knock on his door today to get it back and also follow up with seeing how she is doing.

Give your lab a big cuddle from me!

 

[Shutterbug99]

Any update on the dog @Glamourelle? Did you hear anything back from the RSPCA?

 

[Glamourelle]

Just to say we’ve reported to the RSPCA so as soon as I can I’ll give an update

I would report them. They are not even feeding this dog properly since they 'forget to pick up food.' Why did they get a dog if they don't have time to look after her or even bring her for a walk? Why not at least pay for a dog walker? Ugh. Some people make me so mad. To me it sounds like this guy is full of excuses and doesn't deserve to have that dog. It sounds like she has a really sad life.

This is total neglect. If you ring the RSPCA and tell them the dog is not being properly fed and is skin and bones I am sure they will have to go check on her.

I am interested as to what your response was when the guy told you this dog has been living on snacks since he can't be bothered to buy food for her. That is a total disgrace!

Thanks for your response. I feel the exact same. I’ve woken up today feeling so sad about the situation. As mentioned above we have reported it so hoping something can be done .

In all honesty I was just so taken aback which is why I think my boyfriend took the lead. Basically said what he’s done was a disgrace and that him and his wife need to have a serious discussion as to whether keeping a dog is right for them. Obviously now I’m kicking myself as there is now so much I wish I could have said but just in the moment I was too upset and livid to speak.

Hopefully I can give you all a happy update soon. Thanks so much for taking the time to write advice and your thoughts in the meantime xxx

 

[CrackingOwlSanctuary]

Hopefully the RSPCA do something but I am not holding out much hope based on their reputation. Are there not rules around military accomodation and pets? People like this really fuck me off, why get a dog in the first place and of all breeds a border collie! I love BCs but I know I am absolutely not the person to take on a young one and give it the enriched life it deserves.

My partner begged me to agree to getting a dog for years, we are both dog people but I always resisted due to circumstances. Since it appeared I am never going back to the office we finally got a labrador at Christmas but we would never dream of leaving her like these people are. Why don't they send her to doggie day care? Laziness regarding walking and exercise is bad enough but forgetting to buy food? That is negligent. I wouldn't dream of letting my goldfish go hungry never mind my cat and dog.

 

[watermelon sugar]

Aw your post made me so sad. I used to have a BC growing up and their really really lovely dogs it’s awful thinking of a dog being mistreated, it’s such a shame they didn’t let you keep the dog because obviously you would have treated it better. Poor thing. You’ve done the right thing reporting!

 

[Shutterbug99]

You have another opportunity to maybe get this dog some help since you have an excuse to call and get the tupperware box. If you call over with your mum and have her dog with you tell him you are planning on taking her dog for a walk and would he like you to take his dog for a walk at the same time? Say you would love to take her, it would be your pleasure etc etc. He will possibly say no, but maybe it's worth giving it a go. Then take the dog to a vet for assessment - explain the situation to the vet and get them to look for signs of abuse/malnutrition etc. Other posters on here have said the RSPCA may be slow to act, but maybe a vet can escalate the issue? I have no idea if they will, but maybe if you have a vet you have gotten to know over the years, this might work. Just throwing ideas out there.

You mentioned this guy wants to go travelling around Europe but doesn't know what to do with the dog (Again, why did he get a dog?!) but maybe you could offer to take the dog off his hands while he is travelling? This might just lead to you gaining permanent ownership of the dog.

I am hoping the RSPCA will intervene. I am not from the UK, so I am not really familiar with how bad things have to be for the RSPCA to get involved, but can't see how they wouldn't do something when this dog isn't even being fed.

 

[CrackingOwlSanctuary]

I can't even imagine what that dog will be like if it is young, my lab is 7 months old and goes out three times a day (short walks due to the ideas on protecting their joints etc) and is barely in her crate except for bed time and still goes crazy with energy. No wonder that poor dog is going bananas when she is finally let out.

 

[Zaggerzoo]

Hey! Awh this is so sad such a shame they wouldn’t let you have her if you’re going to report to rspca I would maybe wait a little while incase they put 2 and 2 together know it’s you that’s reported them and get nasty, although at the same time how they’re treating that dog is really not on. Sorry this isn’t really helpful advice!

 

[WilmaHun]

I think you've done the right thing reporting, that poor dog it's such a shame they couldn't let you keep her as it's obvious she's not getting the love she needs where she is

 

[Shutterbug99]

That is such a good idea, thank you! I will let you know how we get on. Thanks so much

Honestly it baffles me how his thought process has worked. Surely you would get the travelling out of the way first before committing to getting a dog? And even research the breed before getting one?! The mind boggles

Here in Ireland at the moment there is a huge issue with 'lockdown puppies' being abandoned or just left at shelters etc. It seems like a lot of people wanted a dog for company while they were stuck at home and then changed their minds when things started opening up again. I wonder if that's what happened with this guy too? A lot of people don't think things through properly before getting a pet. It's clear this guy didn't! If he actually cares for the dog at all, he should surrender her to you. My fear is that he doesn't care for the dog - the fact that he's not even feeding her properly tells me that - and doesn't much care what happens to her.

That's why I think further action is needed here.

 

[Glamourelle]

You have another opportunity to maybe get this dog some help since you have an excuse to call and get the tupperware box. If you call over with your mum and have her dog with you tell him you are planning on taking her dog for a walk and would he like you to take his dog for a walk at the same time? Say you would love to take her, it would be your pleasure etc etc. He will possibly say no, but maybe it's worth giving it a go. Then take the dog to a vet for assessment - explain the situation to the vet and get them to look for signs of abuse/malnutrition etc. Other posters on here have said the RSPCA may be slow to act, but maybe a vet can escalate the issue? I have no idea if they will, but maybe if you have a vet you have gotten to know over the years, this might work. Just throwing ideas out there.

You mentioned this guy wants to go travelling around Europe but doesn't know what to do with the dog (Again, why did he get a dog?!) but maybe you could offer to take the dog off his hands while he is travelling? This might just lead to you gaining permanent ownership of the dog.

I am hoping the RSPCA will intervene. I am not from the UK, so I am not really familiar with how bad things have to be for the RSPCA to get involved, but can't see how they wouldn't do something when this dog isn't even being fed.

That is such a good idea, thank you! I will let you know how we get on. Thanks so much

Honestly it baffles me how his thought process has worked. Surely you would get the travelling out of the way first before committing to getting a dog? And even research the breed before getting one?! The mind boggles

 

[Whatevesmate]

Thanks so much for your kind response We did offer to take her on walks (my mum was also there and offered to step in and help them as well, as she is retired and has a border collie that she could be friends with . She’s a very hands on owner who takes her dog out three times a day), or should the dog need some company in the day whilst they’re on shift, I’m happy to do so as I work from home a few doors down with a very undemanding role.

Again no judgement from us, we’re all happy to help as we just want what would be best for her. He said he would maybe let us know but I just feel like it’s one of those situations where we will just never hear from him again unless we end up pestering them .

I did hear the same about the RSPCA too - technically she has a roof over her head, so I am mindful that they won’t see this as a case where they urgently have to step in. Such a shame as she deserves so much love and attention and I just fear she will live a very sad life perhaps x

Then you might be left with no alternative but to pester away
Please do keep us posted if it's not too much trouble. Aww, poor doggy just wants to be loved

 

[Glamourelle]

Hey! Awh this is so sad such a shame they wouldn’t let you have her if you’re going to report to rspca I would maybe wait a little while incase they put 2 and 2 together know it’s you that’s reported them and get nasty, although at the same time how they’re treating that dog is really not on. Sorry this isn’t really helpful advice!

Hi, thanks so much for your advice it really means a lot

I absolutely did think that too, but my boyfriend is also in the airforce (which the couple are in) and has a position very high up in the ranks - something which he made well known to the younger guy whilst they were chatting on the walk home (almost said it to him as a heads up as to who he was talking to and dealing with I suppose). So I’m hoping he would bear that in mind if he or his wife wanted to retaliate as it would also be dealt with at their work. Also I’m such a animal lover that I’m almost at a point where even if they would retaliate I wouldn’t care, as long as the dog was safe and happy.

But I think I will give it a few days and wait. Thanks so much once again for your input. Hope I can give you a happy update soon!

 

[Glamourelle]

You've bent over backwards to help them with the dog. I don't think you had an alternative, but can understand that stomach churning feeling when you have to take this sort of action. All dogs need at least one good walk a day. Not feeding an animal properly is just cruel and I don't suppose the poor little darling gets any affection. People like this make me sick.

It makes me so angry and I feel so helpless. I can’t understand how what they think they’re doing is actually okay!

 

[Shutterbug99]

Just to say we’ve reported to the RSPCA so as soon as I can I’ll give an update



Thanks for your response. I feel the exact same. I’ve woken up today feeling so sad about the situation. As mentioned above we have reported it so hoping something can be done .

In all honesty I was just so taken aback which is why I think my boyfriend took the lead. Basically said what he’s done was a disgrace and that him and his wife need to have a serious discussion as to whether keeping a dog is right for them. Obviously now I’m kicking myself as there is now so much I wish I could have said but just in the moment I was too upset and livid to speak.

Hopefully I can give you all a happy update soon. Thanks so much for taking the time to write advice and your thoughts in the meantime xxx

I'm so glad to hear you reported this. I hope this dog gets the happy life she deserves. These people should be ashamed of themselves! That poor dog. She must be so miserable living as she is - alone all day and not even getting a proper meal. Makes me so sad

 

[Whatevesmate]

Aww, this poor dog. What a difficult position to be in. Have you considered offering to do a dog share? I know that isn't a straightforward solution but they might be up for it and the dog would be better cared for. I have heard that the RSPCA have a high threshold where animal cruelty is concerned so its quite possible that they wouldn't even do anything. Thank you for being so kind and caring about this pup

 

[Glamourelle]

Aww, this poor dog. What a difficult position to be in. Have you considered offering to do a dog share? I know that isn't a straightforward solution but they might be up for it and the dog would be better cared for. I have heard that the RSPCA have a high threshold where animal cruelty is concerned so its quite possible that they wouldn't even do anything. Thank you for being so kind and caring about this pup

Thanks so much for your kind response We did offer to take her on walks (my mum was also there and offered to step in and help them as well, as she is retired and has a border collie that she could be friends with . She’s a very hands on owner who takes her dog out three times a day), or should the dog need some company in the day whilst they’re on shift, I’m happy to do so as I work from home a few doors down with a very undemanding role.

Again no judgement from us, we’re all happy to help as we just want what would be best for her. He said he would maybe let us know but I just feel like it’s one of those situations where we will just never hear from him again unless we end up pestering them .

I did hear the same about the RSPCA too - technically she has a roof over her head, so I am mindful that they won’t see this as a case where they urgently have to step in. Such a shame as she deserves so much love and attention and I just fear she will live a very sad life perhaps x