Potential Neighbour Trouble

[jademunky]

A few days ago, I just moved into a new house. Great looking neighbourhood, people are nice, good place to one day raise a kid in. We are just getting settled into the house and I have begun to notice that my next-door neighbours are leaving their dog outside all the time. And I do mean ALL THE TIME. They never let the dog inside nomatter the time of day or how hot/humid it gets. They do not walk him, they do not play with him, they just leave him (or possibly her) out in the fenced back yard where she barks all day at anything that passes by. Every time my own dog goes into the back yard, she has to put up with a very large German Shepherd jumping against the fence and barking.

Now my own dog is a bit of a barker herself, the yapping is not that big an issue. The real problem is that this poor dog has a thick coat and is outside in late July (where the weather is really goddam hot) 24/7, I do not know if he is getting any love or attention and I am really getting worried about him.

As I see it, there are several options, none of them great.

1) I could talk to the neighbours (probably will not end well considering I have lived here all of 3 days)

2) I could go the passive-aggressive route and call the humane society (probably will not yield any results and I do not want to get the dog taken away)

3) I could do nothing and feel bad about it.

Any other solutions?

 

[Smooth Operator]

Go to the local veterinarian/animal shelter and consult them, I really don't think anyone else but them will have the medical/legal expertise in cases of possible animal abuse.


And make it clear they do not fucking rat you out to the neighbour, still need to live next to those people after all this.

 

[jademunky]

Go to the local veterinarian/animal shelter and consult them, I really don't think anyone else but them will have the medical/legal expertise in cases of possible animal abuse.


And make it clear they do not fucking rat you out to the neighbour, still need to live next to those people after all this.

Yeah that's the thing. I already am starting to regret my choice in houses because of this. Suddenly the guy at my old neighbourhood (the shirtless guy who drinks beer on the porch and shouts at traffic) is not looking so bad.

 

[lee1287]

Is there a dog house so the dog can get some shade? Or can you see any water or food bowls there, and are they filled regularly? If not i'd call the Shelter, rather have a pissed off neighbor than a dead dog.

 

[Bellvedere]

You don't need to worry too much about the coat. German Shepherds along with some other dog breeds have double/fur coats which act as insulation and will keep the dog cooler in hot weather as well as warmer in cold weather. If the dog has shade and water then it might not be all that bad off. If you do notice excessive panting or other signs that the dog is stressed in the heat talk to your neighbor about your concerns ("I noticed your dog wasn't looking all that good in the heat and thought you might be unaware because you weren't home").

Unfortunately there's nothing you can do if it's just not getting the level of attention it requires. Actual abuse like beating the dog or starving it then you should call animal services and they will take it away. A dog be bored all day is a horrible thing to watch but not a crime.

The best course of action though would be to actually get to know your neighbors and their dog. It's better to understand a situation first. You might find that it isn't as bad as you think or even that bad at all. You could exchange numbers so you can call if you ever see something wrong with their dog (like heat stroke), and it might even be that it's a dog that would get along with your own so you could organize puppy play dates and such.

 

[Lilani]

I grew up in a sort of countryish area, and around there people have dogs that are left outside all year round. Hell my neighbors did, and that's how we always kept our cat. They were given a shelter of course--a shady place in the summer and an insulated place in the winter (through with our cat if it was cold enough, we would keep her in the garage out of the wind). And they always had fresh water. So as long as the dog has shade and water, I wouldn't worry if I were you. And if you want to make an animal abuse case, the only way you can get them for keeping the animal outside is if the dog has no access to shade or water.

 

[Lethos]

How big is this garden? I feel bad for a dog that is never walked, especially a big dog like a German Shepherd.