I am such the meddling neighbor - but

[Steely]

It had to happen!
Little Scooby their dog, that they do not take care of, ever, and is in a crate 24/7, was in his crate all night last night without any protection from the elements and it was 19 degrees here!
He barked all night long, and all day long - and you know it was out of pure survival to stay warm! Seriously I was going to go trespass and get the dog out of his crate, and bring him to my house, except, I did not have a flashlight to see what the heck I was doing.
So I put a note on their door telling them if they did not take Scooby in at night or provide shelter for him when it is this cold that I would.
(These are my crack head ding dong neighbors, that don't know their head from a hole in the ground - and oh, are felons.)
Anyway, I went back out there this afternoon and saw they had covered his crate with tarps and stuff, so hopefully he will stay warm enough. I am not kidding if he starts barking again tonight because he is so cold, I don't know what I will do.
Poor baby Scooby.
Then again. I do get a bit nervous since these people are so unstable - I don't want to tick them off too much.
And yes I have called the city numerous times. Crating a dog 24/7 is within "their code" of acceptance.

 

[goldenguru]

If it were me, and I thought the dog was truly in danger, I would report it to animal control. Seriously - why do some people having a pet? *geesh*

 

[Steely]

I have reported it, many times. To no avail.

 

[goldenguru]

Well then - I'm afraid I'd resort to vigilante justice. I'd have to sneak over in the night and just steal that poor little dog. He would be better off euthenized than suffering in the freezing cold.

 

[klmno]

I thought it was still dangerous (and therefore considered cruelty to animals) to leave a dog out once the temperature dropped below a certain point or got too high. Do you have a PETA rep around? They can stir something up- it might not be worth it though. Or- an animal rescue group- some of them go to some pretty extensive measures to rescue and protect an animal. This would bother me a great deal too. If they put a blanket in the crate with him, it should help along with the blankets on top, however, I have a feeling they won't keep this stuff clean then there will be a health issue with mold, mildew, bacteria,.

 

[Steely]

Yea, me too. But you know. The city, blah, blah, blah. That is why I feel like I might have to be the non-conformist vigilante

Then, again - I can only do so much in the world. I have my hands full with 3 dogs. Three dogs cared for formerly by difficult child - and now that he is gone - I get to care for. I love them - but good god. I cannot imagine a fourth.

None the less I cannot listen to a creature in pain. Children crying, dogs barking, it is like fingernails on a chalkboard. It intrinsically causes me to react.

 

[tiredmommy]

Look to see if there's an SPCA, humane society or animal rescue in your area that can have that poor dog removed.

 

[Abbey]

Send an email to Animal Planet. They'd probably get things going.

Abbey

 

[Hound dog]

Good idea Abbey.

Steely, next time you make that call.....fib a bit. Exclude the crate. He has no shelter, no food, no water. Access to none of these things. And is left out to fend for himself 24/7. He is crying to the point where you can't stand to listen to it.

Odds are, once they get off their duffs and actually come LOOK at the situation, they'll act.

Years ago I had animal control called on me by a vindictive neighbor. She told them my dogs were left tied out on the patio standing in their own mess without food or water in subzero temps. Couldn't have been further from the truth.

There was a mess on the patio. It was one of the coldest winter's we'd ever had and the stuff was frozen solid to the concrete! But my dogs were only out long enough to go and come back inside. I've never been so furious. Sure, my spoiled dogs were being neglected, get real! I told the dog warden that as soon and the temp rose above freezing I'd clean up the patio and not a moment before. And I did. And she came back to check.

All following calls were ignored.

If fibbing gets them to act.......well good.

I wonder if they're thinking "kennel" when you're saying "crate".

 

[donna723]

Steely, what kind of dog is it? There are breed-specific rescue organizations for practically every breed of dog. I can try to find some links if you'd for like me to.

What kind of crate do they have it in? Really, no crate would give protection from the cold. The wire ones are nothing and the plastic ones have holes on the sides. Even with something over it, it might stop the wind but it would do nothing against the cold.

If you could find a rescue group, maybe animal control could pick up the dog and turn it over to rescue. Poor thing. That's just heartbreaking.

 

[Steely]

Its just a little mixed breed dachshund. Maybe breeded with some bull dog? He is pretty stout, but little.

Perhaps I will continue calling, and fib a bit. Or if he starts crying again, I will be over there in my PJs rescuing his little furry arse. That is just who I am. God help me.

He is not crying now that they have a tarp over the open holed wired crate. But still. It is cold! At least it will be warming up. Yet is it humane to have a dog in a crate the rest of their life? It is like jail, except he has done nothing wrong.

 

[donna723]

Steely, I don't know what part of Texas you're in but these are links to a few dachshund rescue groups. I know that most of the Boston rescue groups take mixes, these probably do too. I haven't checked any of them out though.

www.barkbytes.com/RESCUE/DOXIE.HTM

www.thedachshundnetwork.com/resclink.htm

www.dachshundrescueofhouston.org/

www.dachshundloversoftexas.org/

www.ctdr.org/

 

[Fran]

I'd call animal rescue again and look for dachshund rescue. Bullies who mistreat animals, children and weaker adults should be put in a crate and left outside in temps in the teens. Let them spend time in their own waste and have frozen water. Calling them pigs is unkind to pigs.

 

[donna723]

Do these people ever leave the house? If they do, I'd be over there snatching that dog, just to get the poor thing out of the cold!

If it's that cold, if it even has water, it's probably frozen solid! So apparently it has to poop and pee right in the crate?

 

[Jena]

Steely you are such a good person. I can't stand that as well. disgusting morons their in their sleeping and that little thing is out there freezing. yea i'd basically steel their dog!!! yup.....

 

[flutterbee]

I'd be tempted to go over and ask them if they really want the dog because you know someone who would love to have a dog just like it. (Actually, that's how I ended up with Hydro). You could then take it your SPCA shelter or find a rescue group. Just be very friendly and non-threatening...like you're doing them a favor by trying to take this dog off their hands.

If they're leaving it outside all the time, I can't imagine they are really interested in keeping it. They are probably more interested in keeping the police away which is why they covered it up - to avoid a phone call and someone checking around.

 

[DammitJanet]

You might live in a rural area which has more laid back standards of animal control than cities like klmno refers to. My son works in one of those strict city's. He would have removed that dog and charged those people in a hot minute. He rides around in the summer looking for dogs and kids in cars. If it is over 75 degrees, he takes the doggy and you get a ticket. I guess he does the same thing in the winter. There are limits on leaving animals out. I dont know all the rules...he does though.