What is the right thing to do - re: neighbors dog?

[BocaBum99 Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close BocaBum99]

I have a neighbor who either recently acquired or recently changed the way they are caring for their dog. In the middle of the day for about a week now, there has been a continous howling sound like the dog is in pain. It is extremely loud and actually quite annoying.

At first, I thought it was my neighbor across the street due to the volume of the sound. Yesterday, I took a walk looking for the dog to see why it was howling. It turns out that the dog is about a block away. It was tied to a post in the front yard. Nobody appeared to be around. I couldn't tell if anyone was home. The yard was fenced in, so I couldn't knock on the door for fear of being bitten by the dog.

It seems to me that the owner may have just gotten a new dog and decided to leave it outside during the day. Maybe the dog just needs to get used to its new surroundings and owners.

What is the right thing to do? Personally, I'd like to just have the dog stop annoying me. But, it's not the barking that bothers me, it's the howling like the dog is in pain that bothers me the most.

[Pstreet1 Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Pstreet1]

Since you can't knock on the front door, which would I think be the first choice, if I were you, I'd write a letter and mail it. I assume you don't know their name, so I'd use "Regarding your dog" as the name and explain just what you've said here. If that fails to resolve the issue, I'd call the humane society and ask what to do. I might call the humane society before writing the letter to see if they have a better solution.

[katiemack Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close katiemack]

I sympathize. We had a similar situation when we first moved here.

We contacted the people who lived in the home, and it turned out to be an senior citizen whose daughter actually owned the pet, but the daughter lived out of state, leaving the dog in her mom's care. Unfortunately the dog was too hard to care for, the woman was not well, and the dog was a handful. So she used to leave it outside. In the heat, sun, weather...you name it. The woman was almost deaf and never heard the dog howling.

When we spoke to her, she blamed her daughter. We tried reasoning with her that it was her responsibility to get the daughter to act or to do it herself. We called her three times, each time to no satisfaction. On the third time, we called the local Animal Control officer, who went to the home and cited them. I was sorry to do it, but the dog needed care and we needed less stress.

Eventually, the dog was left out again, and again they refused to be reasonable when we called. Again we called Animal Control.

Eventually, the daughter came, took the dog and mom and put the house up for sale. But during the time they lived here, it was a recurring problem.

We tried to do the "neighborly" thing by contacting them directly....we tried to avoid involving the "authorities," but eventually it just had to come to that.

We are fortunate that there are strict ordinances in our area regarding animal control and care for an animal....with heat and other elements, a dog's howling could be anything from heat stroke to being bitten by a snake. When a dog owner doesn't care enough for the dog to keep it safe from such conditions, I feel it is the "stranger's" responsibility to act in the dog's interests.

In that vein, I have often written notes and left it on car windows to alert owners that their dog doesn't enjoy being left alone in the vehicle....a car's internal temperature in the sun can kill a pet....yet don't ask me, dog owners don't seem to get this fact. Two windows cranked open slightly doesn't do a darn thing to keep them cool, especially in Arizona.

[ArtsieAng Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close ArtsieAng]

BB,

It's possible that your neighbors got a new dog, or that they are baby sitting a dog for a friend, or family member, etc. Whatever the case, sounds as if the dog is not being treated correctly/kindly, as well as causing a disturbance, in the neighborhood.

I would ask around to see if any of my other neighbors know the story, and can give you some insight to the situation. I think writing a letter, as suggested, or ringing the bell of the the house directly next to them, might help. Whoever lives right next store probably knows a little about them, and in all likelihood, is also being bothered by the howling. Good luck!!!

Poor dogie.

[BocaBum99 Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close BocaBum99]

Thanks for the advice. We are going to go for the letter route. It is quite possible that the owners don't know that the dog is howling like it is. Got to give them a chance to correct the situation.

I don't know the local ordinances regarding noise and proper care of pets. We'll leave that out of it for now unless the owners become impossible to deal with. The humane society is a good idea, too, if it continues.

Perhaps the dog just needs to be untied from the post. Their yard is completely fenced in and there is plenty of room for the dog to run around and play. I know I wouldn't be happy if I were tied down to one spot all day.

The good news is that the dog is not a problem at night. If it were, I'd be taking much swifter action.

[RESORT2ME Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close RESORT2ME]

You may think I'm a meany. IMHO, those who mistreat a pet, deserve to be treated likewise.

The pet may very well just be lonely, however it should not be left to howling. That is cruel. If you are uncomfortable, imagine how the dog feels.

There are animal control persons who will put an end to the situation. Let them.

I agree, "Poor Dog."

[BocaBum99 Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close BocaBum99]

The interesting thing about the whole situation is that I know that this dog has been howling for about a week. But, for the most part, I just tried to tune it out and ignore it. I twinged a bit hearing it all the time. But, I lived with it. I only started focusing attention on it due to the Michael Vick thread. I have since noticed that most of my neighbors have dogs. I can't even point one out that doesn't have one. For the most part, they just bark and add to the ambient noise. There is something about a dog howling that really makes you want to take action. It's a bit like a crying baby, I suppose. It's supposed to be irritating so that someone does something to make the pain go away, whatever it is.

[taffy19 Gold Contributor Find all posts View Profile Close taffy19]

It is a horrible problem to listen to because you know that the dog is in misery or very lonesome otherwise the dog wouldn't howl. Why not get a second animal to keep it company in the yard if you are gone so much?

We had a dog bark constantly in our neighborhood during the day and my neighbor asked all of us to put in a complaint. I didn't because I didn't know what they would do with the dog. They came to pick up the dog one day and most likely it was put to sleep because the owners didn't care enough.

It certainly was nice not to hear it bark anymore but I hate to think what happened to the poor dog. I cannot understand these people. Why have a dog if you don't want to take care of it properly?

[BoardGirl Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close BoardGirl]

Dogs should not be tied out indefinitely. It's cruel.

I wonder if Lucky jumped the fence a time or two and this is the next step. Sounds to me like he is not getting the human attention he deserves. Dogs need people, or other animals. They are social creatures. A dog whose needs are not being met will try whatever they can to meet those needs. Crying and howling are supposed to get the attention of their humans, who should then attend to doggie's needs. If they are unable or unwilling to meet the needs of this dog, then they should rehome him with someone that will.

My girl is currently injured, and is on 'bed rest' - crated most hours of day and night to restrict movement. She earned run of the house years ago. You would think I'd been beating her for all the crying when I leave the room just to go use the toilet or get a drink from the garage fridge. I come sit by her and everything is fine again. Well, as fine as a confined border collie can be once they tire of kongs and bones and stuffed animals.

Point being, this neighbor dog is not being well-cared for, even if tying her out is the worst of it. Does she have water she can get to? Shade? Any toys? Does anyone ever interact with her?? Please keep an eye on the situation. Dogs whose needs go consistently unmet can become desperate. In certain breeds, being tied out all the time has been known to turn them crazy from frustration.

I do not claim to be an authority but have studied info from animal behaviorists that specialize in canines. I had to because my dog 'is a handful.'

[BocaBum99 Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close BocaBum99]

Today, the dog wasn't howling. When it was, it was tied to a poll in the shade. No water, no toys, nothing but an empty car port. It's interesting that it stopped today. The dog wasn't tied to the poll. Must be in the house. It's hot this afternoon, so I had to close the windows and turn the A/C on. Can't hear the dogs when that happens. We'll stay tuned to see what happens. If I see the owner, I'll talk to him. We'll see what happens.

[shaggy Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close shaggy]

Bad, Bad dawg owners. Good luck -- to you and to the dawg. shaggy

[taffy19 Gold Contributor Find all posts View Profile Close taffy19]

Today, the dog wasn't howling. When it was, it was tied to a poll in the shade. No water, no toys, nothing but an empty car port. It's interesting that it stopped today. The dog wasn't tied to the poll. Must be in the house. It's hot this afternoon, so I had to close the windows and turn the A/C on. Can't hear the dogs when that happens. We'll stay tuned to see what happens. If I see the owner, I'll talk to him. We'll see what happens.

Boca, if the dog has no water, I would call animal control. This is absolutely cruel to any animal. I hate to see animals tied up too and it makes them mean.

Why do people have animals if they really don't like them? I can never understand that? Nobody forces anyone to have a pet.

[Hoc Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close Hoc]

Boca, if the dog has no water, I would call animal control. This is absolutely cruel to any animal. I hate to see animals tied up too and it makes them mean.

The only problem I have with calling animal control is that they sometimes take the dog, then kill it. Personally, if lack of water is the problem, I'd just push a water dish within the dog's reach.

[Hoc Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close Hoc]

Actually, I wanted to add a story (a true one) that shows how some people, in the name of doing what's right for animals, do exactly the wrong thing.

A friend of a friend was traveling in the San Jose area and saw a dog running loose. She decided that its owners were bad pet owners and had let it run free. So, she took it into her car and brought it home with her to Southern California. A week or so later, she had it castrated.

Two weeks after that, when she tried to take its food bowl away from it while it was eating, it snapped at her. So, she decided the dog was vicious and had it put to sleep.

In other words, because a dog was running loose (for all she knew, it could have dug under a fence and got out), she stole it, castrated it and killed it. Perhaps it had been destined for a very nice, comfortable life with a family that loved it, but it escaped from the yard.

She regularly adopts rescue dogs and considers herself a dog lover and, for the most part, she is. But, in the name of being humane to animals, she did exactly the opposite with this dog.

[taffy19 Gold Contributor Find all posts View Profile Close taffy19]

The only problem I have with calling animal control is that they sometimes take the dog, then kill it. Personally, if lack of water is the problem, I'd just push a water dish within the dog's reach.

How can the dog reach it if he is tied to a post? I would have done the same if the dog could come to the front gate but going into someone's front yard may be a bad idea if you don't know the people and the dog is tied down. He could pull the post out of the ground and attack and injure you.

The owners of that dog are idiots but you are right, calling animal control may be lethal for the dog. I hope that Boca can talk some sense into these people. They shouldn't keep a dog if they don't want to care for it. I hope it was in the house the second time Boca went by there.