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

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

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.

Hoc, that is truly a horrible story. What an incredible lack of good judgment. Who gave her the right to "play God" with someone else's pet? She should be prosecuted for cruelty to animals...as well as for theft.

Steve

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

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.

I wouldn't do this. In this sue-happy country of ours, poor boca may end up in some hot water. It's like someone feeding your 4 yo candy when you weren't looking - wouldn't you be just a little irritated? What if your kid got very sick the next day, from who knows what?

[3kids4me Super Moderator and Super Mom Find all posts View Profile Close 3kids4me]

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.

Wow...what a terrible story...although as I was reading it, I remembered the time I was driving home at night and almost ran into a big black lab that was literally laying in the middle of the road. I stopped the car and went over to see if he was okay. He was so friendly that I put him in my car and drove over to our local police station, where they were able to locate and call his owner from his rabies tag. But as I was reading your story...I was afraid you were going to say what a bad idea it is to put a strange pet in your car! (And I guess it could be, in some situations!)

Sharon

[3kids4me Super Moderator and Super Mom Find all posts View Profile Close 3kids4me]

We have the opposite problem on our street. Many of my neighbors have dogs and the dogs pretty much wander around the neighborhood. I guess they have all learned to dodge the electric fences! Since we have two acre zoning, it's rare that I will see most of them in my yard; however, my neighbor across the street has a dog that is always outside and frequently in my yard. My daughter's tutor is deathly afraid of dogs and has told us a few times that she will not even get out of her car if she sees the dog on our property. I don't really want the dog wandering around my yard either, but many calls to the owner have not helped. In the winter, the dog howls loudly at night...often close to midnight...and I think it's because he is cold and they won't let him in!

Anyway, last month we had some workmen putting in a front walk for us, and the homeowner wandered over to get their names because he was considering having some work done. Well of course the dog followed, and as I pulled into my driveway, I see his dog going to the bathroom in my yard while he is standing there negotiating a price with the guys working on my walk. I didn't even know what to say!

Boca, have you made a decision on this yet?