My friend is terribly mistreating her dog

[BlueIris]

Unfortunately your friends care so little for the dog that the simple solutions you suggest are not worth it to them. They don't see a problem leashing the dog all day and would most likely continue to leash it even if their fence or high ground were fixed. They'll come up with some other reason the dog needs to be leashed all day.

 

You might have to decide what is more important, the treatment and health of the dog, or your friendship.

 

This might be of some help: Report Animal Abuse

 

The link is to the American Humane Association and the "4 steps to stop abuse." It suggests taking photos of the situation as evidence. At the least, bringing in a few photos of the conditions to your local animal control can give a second opinion on the conditions the dog is left in.

 

There are also chain rescue groups. Google "chain dog rescue" for your area. One of my kids used to volunteer for one. Volunteers take the dogs for adjustment and re-socialization and then provide information for placement. The ones I was familiar with did not send the dogs to shelters.

[smackie9]

You could suggest an alternative like a dog run, set up a small easy-up gazebo for shade (you can buy them for like 20 bucks) and one of those plastic kiddie pools for him to cool down and play in with some chew toys. My mom ran a doggy daycare and this is what she had out for the dogs when they were outside. It's an inexpensive way to keep them comfortable, and to give them something to do. Maybe have a neighbor kid come over after school to play with the dog.

 

As for sleeping in a crate at night, that is pretty standard, breeders will recommend that for a restless barking dog......but to have him in the garage so isolated isn't fair.

 

What is the point of having a dog then if they leave it alone all the time?

[SevenCity]

Right, absolutely..and I was responding to you telling her to ignore it for the sake of salvaging her friendship...so..I don't understand what your point was there.

 

Actually you were responding to Bummer - not me.

 

I don't agree with that post at all. Personally, I value the lives of dogs over many humans.

[SevenCity]

That's a good suggestion, thanks. Their yard is super easy for anyone to get into, their house is on the corner of a major road in the city. All they need to do is just dig out about 3 feet of dirt in the corner, since their concern is that the ground is too high so the dog could jump over the fence. I could probably do it myself on a Saturday...that's what is so frustrating, why her husband won't fix it. As it is I highly doubt the dog could escape, and it's so strange to me that they think the best alternative is to keep her chained up all day. They even could put up a baby gate (I know they have plenty of those lying around since they just had two babies) to keep the dog away from the fence. She's a short little bulldog, she can't jump very high. Ugh it's frustrating. I think about her all the time, just sitting alone in her yard for ten hours every day. I guess when it rains they must keep her in the garage.

 

AMJ - Regardless you have to do something. If you saw a kid in deplorable conditions you would have to do something. Dogs are in a much worse spot - they don't have many laws that protect them.

 

Have an honest conversation with them. I don't care if this was my own mother if she treated a dog like that I would lose respect for her if she did nothing and would have no issue taking matters into my own hands or absolving the relationship (which I've done by the way for other reasons).

 

There is nothing my dog can do to make me leave her. If I had to live on the street to keep her I would.

 

We (humans) domesticated dogs (wolves). They rely on us. Don't let your "friend" get away with abuse of this poor animal.

[AMJ]

And she just asked me to housesit/pet sit again in a month when she and her husband go to Hawaii for a week. And says they don't have $$ to fix the fence. UGH. I'm making anonymous call to animal services.

[anne1208]

I was in your exact situation a few years ago. I went back and forth about it so many times. It pained me for the dog, and I was so disappointed in my friend for treating her pet in such an uncaring manner.

 

(and sidenote: keeping animals tethered all day like that is starting to become illegal in some states - it is not considered human or responsible by any stretch of the imagination).

 

Anyway, one day the dog somehow tried to get out of the chain and strangled himself to death. You should really say something.

 

Also, does the friend have neighbors? Maybe you can call the animal control anonymously like a neighbor might, and explain the situation? Then somebody whose job it is to check up on the animal and to discourage the owners from doing that can show up and handle it. She will just assume one of her neighbors called it in. Maybe that would be enough kick in the pants to get their fence fixed and you don't have to worry about what it will do to your friendship.

[KittyKat67]

I would take the dog, video and take pictures of the situation for proof and end the friendship. They do not want this dog. The fact that its eating you up is because you are witnessing a living soul being tortured. You are just as guilty if you do not do something. YOu don't have to be a mandated reporter to do the right thing. Please help this dog.

Edited September 5, 2016 by KittyKat67

[KittyKat67]

Laws being broken are in this county it's illegal to chain a dog in your yard alone for more than three hours. They would probably just get a fine and a warning, which i'm sure would be enough to embarrass them and make them do something about the situation. They still haven't fixed their yard. I talked to her about it and she thinks we just don't see eye to eye in terms of how to treat dogs...since I spoil mine.

 

I am a huge dog lover, treat them like kids. I know there is a happy medium. But tie your dogs up with a bark collar and that is ABUSE. The bark collar is so that the dog can't call for help if its uncomfortable. That is abuse. I don't know about you but I have no room for any type of abusive people in my life. Period. Do these people scare or intimidate you? Are they violent? I hardly think they will do something to catch a case over an animal they don't care about. TAKE THE DOG.

[rester]

And she just asked me to housesit/pet sit again in a month when she and her husband go to Hawaii for a week. And says they don't have $$ to fix the fence. UGH. I'm making anonymous call to animal services.

 

I'm curious if you ended up calling animal services and what was the outcome?

 

I would have turned them down for the pet sitting but checked in on the dog when they were away. Hopefully the dog will be treated well while they are on vacation.