Venting about bad neighbors...

[FloriTexan]

Some people should not be allowed to have pets. While my neighbors are good people they are clueless when it comes to pets. Several years ago they kept a dog chained in their chained link fence. He tried to jump the fence and hung himself. So they replace him with a new fence and two beautiful red golden retrievers, brother and sister. They put the dogs in the backyard with a large baby pool (for drinking water and cooling off) and a make shift shed for shade. No trees. They named them but since they never trained them the dogs didn't realize they had names. They never got walked or played with. They never get groomed. They rarely mow the yard and when they mow is about the only time they pick up the poo. They'd go on vacation and ask us to care for them and it took both me and my husband to feed them. One to distract them from the gate so the other could get in. After a week of caring for them I was ready to steal them or midnight requisition them to better loving homes. We have since declined any chance to care for them because we do not want to get in their business.

The other day the husband/owner saw me in my yard and told me that the male dog had passed away a week ago. As a dog owner myself I was concerned how? Was he sick? Yes, he'd been acting weird for a long time and they worried it would be too expensive to take him to the vet to either get a diagnosis or put him down so they let him just lay down and die in the back yard. At this point in the conversation I am utterly speechless. I told him that explained while the other dog hadn't stopped barking for a week. Yes, he said, she is lonely. I suggested she would need a lot of care since her brother was the only companionship she'd ever known, that she'd needs lots of walks (at least 45 minutes a day). He said that the kids were now trying to play with her "some" and walking her "some."

Then he presumes to ask me what I know about cats. They have cats that they keep in the house (I was surprised at that) and he said they now refuse to use the litter box and why would that be. I asked if he'd taken them to the vet, they could be sick, was the box clean? did they share or try to separate them? I could tell it was like too much information. His response was they'd probably have to get rid of them if they couldn't stop the behavior.

Last night he came over to tell me they got a new puppy. Isn't it great! Puppy is now slaved in the backyard. I'm sure he will be neglected to the same fate.

I mean, you can't afford to put one dog out of misery or even bother to find out why he's sick and dying so you buy a puppy!!! :wtf: :grr:

I just stood there and changed the subject. My husband says to just leave it alone but I am this close to giving him a peice of my mind and call the authorities.

Sorry, had to get it off my chest.

[ceile]

1. Geez....

You must be so frustrated! Maybe the gate gets accidently left open and the dogs find their way to new owners....it could happen, right? ;-)

[FloriTexan]

3. Incredibly frustrating and makes me mad and sad...

I wanted to smack him the other night when he was bragging about the new pup. I wanted to smack him and yell you let your other dog just die, lying in the yard, alone and probably in pain and suffering, and instead of taking the time with the remaining dog and making the rest of her life rewarding you just buy a puppy to annoy her to death. Just another dog to put on ignore. I heard the new puppy whining/barking last night for a while so I peaked through the fence. I watched the older dog finally get up off the high grass ground and try to distract him. I know its just a matter of time before the cordial polite relationship with the neighbors is ruined because I will have to step in. I just don't know what to do. I feel guilty for doing and saying nothing.

[alstephenson]

11. I'm speechless. PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE

help these poor animals. PLEASE.

[FloriTexan]

12. I note they have a lock on the gate now...

I hear you and feel your pain. I just don't know what to do. I heard the kids out back playing with them last night. My hope is that at least one of them will begin to bond with them and see over their care and love them. Hopefully the cycle will break. If not, it is a matter of time before I do something that I won't regret, but may have to pay a higher price for -- like a bail bond for theft or assault.

[HarukaTheTrophyWife]

2. I'd honestly find somebody who could take them in

Somebody from out of town, and rescue (steal) the dogs.

[FloriTexan]

4. I know no less than 5 people

who are trying to find homes for dogs for various reasons and have been trying for months. I can't afford to take them in and I'm afraid that if I just let them loose they will just be picked up by the city and returned to them (has happened a couple of times already). If not that, then they will just replace them with new dogs and the cycle begins. I'm afraid I will end up having to call in the authorities, but at this point its all just me being whiney about the whole thing. Plus, I am having big issues with my other neighbor who has had a green pool and weed-full back yard for 7 years because neithter the City nor the State Health Department can look thru or over their extremely private fence to see the problem so they can report it. Apparently, that's considered invasion of privacy. I'm afraid I'll have the same issues next door with the dogs.

The only consolation I can even remotely try to achieve is that they could be homeless, starving, and unfed.

[hamsterjill]

5. I know exactly where you're coming from.

I have neighbors that are much the same. Their dogs languish out in the backyard dying for attention and affection. They feed and water them when they remember.

I've bought dog houses for their dogs for the winters, fed and watered them through the fence, and I have offered to get the dogs fixed (one keeps having puppies). The neighbors have yet to take me up on any of my offers to spay/neuter, and I make that offer on a regular basis.

I live in a city where if you complain, the dogs will be turned over to animal control and euthanized. The owners get off scott free, and then, as indicated in an up-post, they simply get more dogs and the cycle repeats.

Why do people even HAVE pets if they aren't going to pay any attention to them? I will never understand the simple concept of that.

[FloriTexan]

6. I wonder the same...

why have pets? Its not for protection, companionship, breeding, showing, it would just appear they like to love them from afar. I just know I'm going to have a meltdown with them one day. I'm going to go from zero (being nice and friendly) to Godzilla in 5 seconds flat.

[roody]

8. I would do an abduction and spay.

[hamsterjill]

10. But then what?

These dogs are behind a locked gate, unfortunately, but even so, if I were to do an abduction, where would I put the dogs? I have no space myself and no potential for available homes. I live in a city that euthanizes over 50,000 healthy animals every year because of the overpopulation of pets. Every rescue organization in the city is completely overwhelmed and overloaded.

And if you do that, then the idiots just get more dogs and the process repeats itself.

I'm not trying to be sarcastic here. I'm honestly interested in your ideas. Maybe someone with a fresh perspective has a good idea.

[roody]

13. I don't know. Obviously easier said than done.

[roody]

7. Is there any way you can raise their consciousness? I kept

asking to walk my neighbor's neglected dog. One day we had a conversation about how difficult he was. I suggested euthanization. Now they walk him and bring him in the house a lot. A friend told me that I had acted as their conscience.

[FloriTexan]

9. I think I tried that too...

When he was telling about the dog that died (and before the puppy), I told him that they needed to give the surviving dog plenty of attention, walk her everyday for at least 45 minutes, I told him that she'd lost her life-long companion. They have two kids who could split that time. I saw them take her once, hopefully, I'm just not home to witness them do this more often.