Overweight Pets.

Babbawah

Is having an overweight pet not considered animal abuse?

When I'm out walking my dogs I occasionally bump into owners whose dogs are 20%, 30% & as much as 80% overweight. Usually I may add, accompanied by an obviously overweight owner, it would be a comical sight if I didn't think it were so cruel.

It saddens me to see what I consider such obvious neglect of an animals health & welfare.

Should I start reporting this to the RSPCA for prosecution?

tbourner

The RSPCA won't care, they have shelter and food/water (presumably).

I don't consider it animal abuse anyway, just bad ownership. Also there are some situations where they are doing the best they can to reduce the weight but struggling because of the breed/food intolerance/illness/situation etc. it sounds like this is unlikely in the cases you're seeing but you never know, and it's not fair to judge from just walking past them in the street.

hgotsparkle

Before you cast judgement, man breeds of dog can suffer an overactive thyroid, as my mums dog did, he was very overweight but hardly touched food, there was no helping him, it wasn't something that could be controlled. He was happy and thats all that mattered.
It really annoys me when people assume that overweight dogs are neglected.

mellymoo74

One of mine is porky. She's a thief and keeping her food intake down is nigh on impossible so by your standards she should be taken into doggy care.
However the other one is perfect weight does that mean I'm a half a good owner.

RuthnJasper

I do sympathise OP, I know what you mean. But it is difficult to make that call.

For example, I often feel very sad if I see families with exceptionally obese children. The poor kids must get bullied terribly at school, in addition to the health problems.

Personally I feel that - yes, deliberately over-feeding a pet (or a child) so that it becomes a bit chubby at best or severely obese at worst IS abusive. But, as others have mentioned, it is hard to judge without knowing the individual history. I certainly would not advise approaching owners of tubby dogs and taking them to task.

If you are concerned, with good reasoning, that a particular dog is not being cared for properly then your local city or borough (but not county) council will have a dog warden. You could contact them if you are worried.

Dogs, pets in general actually, aren't really able to judge between what is and is not good for them from the food given to them. As with their medical care, they rely on us to do the right thing on their behalf. It saddens me when people are obviously not doing anything to justify that faith their pets have in them.

Maybe you could start an informal series of "doggie fitness walks" in the local area and invite the owners of the tubby mutts along...?!

Merry Christmas! x

chris_n_tj

Such a shame we are not as perfect as the OP.
My Teeg was overweight, YES OVERWEIGHT, but he had health issues IE an Under Active Thyroid and Cushing's to name but a few.
I do not and will not criticize any pet owner that has a dog that looks, or is overweight, we do not know what issues that animal has. Same goes for humans, we don't know if that person has health issues. Maybe they don't, but as I am far from perfect I refuse to call others.

cavework

I would be more concerned about those people that get a dog then decide they cannot be bothered to walk it at all.

lisawood78

Didn't you post the other day that you didn't have dog and had actually never had a dog?

Oh yeh

Babbawah wrote: »

I'm sorry that I cannot recommend anything particular for dogs 'cos I've never felt the need myself. But if you read a few of Monty Roberts horse books from your library then you'll get the general idea of what you should be looking for.

chris_n_tj

I thought I had read that lisawood78 but I couldn't find it. So thanks for posting that.


A complete wind up merchant, sandwich short of a picnic.

mellymoo74

As I said madam is a bit porky but as my two get 4 walks a day 2 of them for an hour and the other two for 1/2 hour it's not lack of exercise she's just a greedy scav (seriously eats her dinner then tries to raid the bin, goes out has a nose for chips etc on the floor)

Live on an estate and the number of dogs who never get either in the house or out of the garden is ridiculous.

rising_from_the_ashes

mellymoo74 wrote: »

One of mine is porky. She's a thief and keeping her food intake down is nigh on impossible so by your standards she should be taken into doggy care.
However the other one is perfect weight does that mean I'm a half a good owner.

Similar here

1 is perfect weight (a constant battle to keep it that way!)
1 is underweight (despite my best efforts to get more on him!)
1 is overweight (working on it!)


OP it's not that black & white

Would you want all overweight children taken into care?