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Here's what we have:
2 dogs (Husky breed, not the worst breed for exposure in the cold, but still...);
Chained outside (that's the kicker for me);
A dog house: okay, better than many, but not the best case scenario;
Dogs chained outside, having a doghouse, LIKELY are living that 24/7. Now, a caveat...the person in charge here may be doing a very, very good job of containing the animals while he/she/they are gone during the day. I might catch hell for this, but some folks keep their dogs outside during the day. Not my ideal, but okay. Chains keep them from jumping a fence (any fence here?) and keep them from chasing kids, etc. A doghouse provides some protection for the 8-9 hours that the typical work day will garner them outside.
Would I, personally investigate further? Oh, hell yeah. But then, that's what I do. I'm an asshole when it comes to this.
If you want to know if this is a 24/7 deal for these dogs, drive by on Saturday morning, Saturday afternoon and then Saturday evening. Then, if they're out that whole time, drive by on Sunday the same way. Repeat the next weekend. That's pretty definitive. If you're looking to make a case, I'd do the same each day of the week as a capper, afterwards.
After that, once determined, one needs to decide if this is a detrimental scenario for them or if they just don't have the best life.
This isn't the clearest cut case. A good evaluation needs to be done, emotion aside.
Final answer: What one might see here wouldn't be backed by any abuse/inhumane treatment law. Food, water, shelter, medical care. That's all that's usually written into these things.
If I, personally, can tell you anything, it's to base your findings on your thoughtful evaluation, not your perception. In these cases, perception is emotion. Emotion only serves you (and them) "in the moment" and emotionally driven decisions are how mistakes get made. If the animals are abused somehow, there are many options to change that. That's for later. In this hypothetical, this is a stage I call (and suggest to others, AND command to those seeking help) "Find Out"
"Find Out" is the answer to every question.
Lastly and BTW, thank you for looking out for these dogs. I'll bet a lot of folks drive by them every day and don't notice a damn thing, nevermind care about what they see.
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