call RSPCA ?

mirry

Hi everyone, I have a problem that needs advice please.

The house behind our house have new people who moved in (6 weeks ago) They are a young couple and they have a very young dog.
well this dog is left in the garage/garden all day 7am to 9 pm most days,
it howls all day and apart from driving us mad, its quite upseting.
my husband went round and took a peep thru the gate, the dog has toys, looked well fed and healthy, but hes obviously so lonely.

what can i do ?

please help.

Slapps

u could call the RSPCA but i think as longs as the dog has shelter, food and water they won't do alot but it might put ur mind @ rest.

Chrisca50

That seems a long time to leave a poor dog on its own - yea, i would ring the RSPCA and tell them what you have told us and see where it goes from there. At least you have done your best for the poor thing.

BizzyBek

Do ring the rspca. They will be able to visit the owner and give them advice on the dog's behaviour and the stuiability of the current arrngements, highlighting the duty of care that is required.

If you phone the rspca be quite specific about the nature of your concern so as the officer has as much details as possible - ie you are not faulting the feeding, physical treatment - the issue is the long hours of confinement. hth

catkins

Having phoned the RSPCA and few times (once about a dog in similar circumstances) I doubt they will do anything. They have never once been any use when I have contacted them and I also know of a couple of friends who say the same.

Maybe you could see if your local council has a dog warden - they may be more interested

egamar

That behaviour could be considered a noise nuisance. Talk to the council or - if you feel up to it - have a nice chat with the owners. They may not know the dog howls - because they are out!

I would class myself as a very responsible dog owner (although my old fella had to be put to sleep a fortnight ago, so technically I no longer am) and I had a purpose-built run for my two dogs to be in during the day. Concrete floor & grass area, high fence, shelter etc etc. Lovely job.

Then one day my neighbour said "I don't suppose you know, as you're out, but your dog barks all day long while you are gone". Indeed I couldn't know - I wasn't there.

I found a 'dog sitter' then who'd come in once or twice a day depending on my schedule and let the dogs out and play with them.

Your neighbours probably (understandably) don't want a young dog in the house all day peeing and ripping down the curtains while they're out*. Well, they should have though of that, of course: but maybe if you visit your local pet shop you can find an advert for a dog-sitter or dog-walker and hand it to them at the same time saying "maybe this would help you deal with the problem".

* That's why I've always got older dogs from a rescue home: this one http://www.leicesteranimalaid.org.uk/help/donate/index.htm is the one I got Mr Desmond from 13 years ago. RIP, Des.

inkie

I have been dog walking for a neighbour in similar circumstances - I offered to take their dog out, benefits both me and her. Is this something that you can do?

scooper

hi i would definetly ring ,to me thats still abusive really,on its own all day and night.

they will come round and assess the dog and say its not right to be left alone that long and they are usually really good with coming back to check on it.

its better to put your mind at rest knowing that you have sorted it

yo dont have to give your name,or a fake one and a mobile number to ring incase the officer needs more info when he.she is at the address

egamar

Sorry scooper, it may be abusive to you, but it won't be how the RSPCA view it if the minimum standards of care are being met, and from what the OP's husband observed, that is the case.

You say they WILL come around and WILL say it's not right - how do you know that? I'm afraid your confidence is misplaced and you are not helping the OP resolve a very real problem with advice that is a triumph of hope over reality.

One really mustn't anthropomorphize feelings (like loneliness) to animals - it's never helpful to the animal. My old boy - in has last months - always used to look so guilty when he'd forgotten himself and peed on the floor. But dogs don't feel guilt - that's a purely human emotion.

imported_goldie

If it was me I would most certainly phone the RSPCA. If they only give the couple advice and inform them it is not right to leave a dog all day and advise them to get a dog sitter then at least the couple know their dog is suffering. I believe whether they feel loneliness or not they most certainly DO have feelings. All dogs love to be with their owners whenever they can, wherever i am sitting in the house my dog comes and lays at my feet. They NEED companions whether it be human or another pet and to me it is cruel to leave a dog alone all day, especially a young dog who needs stimulation and play. If you try to adopt a dog from the RSPCA and say you are out all day from 7am to 9 pm there is no way they would let you.

helen81_2

Please go carefull with this one..we had EXACTLY the same prob at our previous address..but there was 3 dogs! it got to fireworks time of year one year and we thought at least they'll let the dogs in the house then,whille there are fireworks going off around them but no..they didn't,they left them outside,howling and barking,in the dark and cold,with loud bangs going off!! Well when bonfire night finally arrived,they were left outside again (found out the family had beggered off on holiday!) So we then felt we had no choice but to phone the rspca. Noone came round till the next morning though (saw the van pull up outside the house) As the family were away,all they did was peer over the back gate to see the dogs,then shoved a card through their letterbox to say they had been round.
WELL...2 days later there was an almighty hammering at our front door..the family had returned and were none too pleased that the rspca had been (they had guessed it was us who had rung them,as we had had polite words about the dogs being a pain previous to this happening)
We had a row on the doorstep,it got nasty,we had death threats made against us,police were called,it got worse,were warned that if we didn't drop it with the police they'd beat us up..so we told the police we didn't want to take anything further. 8 months later we'd sold up and left.
I'm not saying that any of this will happen to you,but please think about it hard before you do anything rash.
Good luck, Helen x