Is it OK to keep a dog in a shed?

majorwally

I personally wouldn't dream of it as I believe a pet should be part of the family.
However, one of my neighbours leaves his dog in the shed 24/7.
Comes home from work, opens the shed to feed dog, closes the shed till next morning.

I feel so sad for this dog.
What sort of life is that.

I have NEVER seen him take the dog for a walk and I don't think the dog is allowed to even run around in the backyard surrounding the shed (I can't actually see the yard, just the shed)

I was so concerned I phoned the RSPCA but they said it's not illegal so nothing they could do!

Think I might dognap him and let him run mad in my garden!

PasturesNew

In a shed ... with the dog having free access to come/go as he likes is fine - it's a big kennel. Nobody used to have dogs in the house, people had kennels in the garden.

Locked up like that ... no, that's just wrong.

Phone somebody .... an expert .... speak to the RSPCA again. Maybe you didn't use their alert words.... think carefully about how you phrase it. Then say it slowly to them so they listen.

bouicca21

Someone near me did the same. He sometimes used the place as a workshop but mostly the poor dog was on its own most of the day. Pedigree !!!!! (the dog not the owner). I suspected he was a back street breeder. Nothing was ever done about it.

Edited to add that MSE is being a trifle over sensitive - for the exclamation marks substitute a word meaning female dog.

sheramber

Where does the dog toilet?

He must clean the shed out sometime, surely.

Are you sure he never walks it? A neighbour across from mentioned to me that my next door neighbour , who had recently moved in, never took his dog out.

I was able to assure he walked it every night at 11 pm. His wife was in hospital and he worked all day, visited her at night, made his meal then walked the dog. the dog was in a kennel in the garden, not shut in the house all day.

Some days he took the dog to work with him.

robotrobo

Is it OK to keep a dog in a shed?


HE KEEPS THE WIFE NICE AND WARM!.

Doody

My experience of the RSPCA is that will not respond unless and animal is dead or dying. A neighbour had a young dog in a decent enclosure at the end of the garden. It was young and separated from its family and howled in distress most of the time. The RSPCA did not respond, although IIRC they said if it had appeared younger they might have been able to take action. There were also guard dogs fairly near that were kept in small enclosures that paced incessantly in their little spaces. The inspector said they were fed and watered, and had exercise when they went out on their 'jobs' and that legally his hands were tied.

Paradigm

It's wrong (in my opinion) but not illegal if the dog is fed & watered adequately but in these temps that shed must be like a sauna & that's not good, possibly dangerous for any dog.

JIL

That makes me so sad, why has he got a dog? It does not seem to be serving any purpose. I think I would be writing letters to the RSPCA on a daily basis saying it's being mistreated. They will get so fed up they should pop round and check it out.

peachyprice

Surely it must be too hot at the moment for that dog to be locked in a sweltering shed all day? Maybe try that angle with RSPCA?

Could you put a thermometer in your own shed to see how hot it gets to back up the likelyhood that it could get hot enough to could kill the dog?

bugslet

I think I'd find someone that wants a dog and liberate it one day.

As far as the RSPCA are concerned, their hands are tied by the law unfortunately.

bmthmark

Its all about the way you tell the RSPCA. If you have said there is a dog in a shed, he gets fed and watered but its not nice. Then they will not be able to do anything as everything is fine.
However if you were to say the dog is locked in a shed and doesn't look well due to excessive heat and that you are extremely worried about the health of the dog. If you haven't seen them clean the shed out, mention that as well. That may get a better reaction.