Dog left alone

maebee

What can you do about a neighbour who goes away for a week at Christmas and leaves their dog home alone? They went away yesterday and their poor distressed labrador has been barking non-stop ever since. He never barks when they're at home and we always know when they're gone away as the poor dog barks for 6/7 hours at a time. They go away almost every weekend in the Summer and he barks non-stop Friday afternoon to Sunday night. It's a quiet neighbourhood and there's nothing bothering him, except being abandoned. They've asked another neighbour to put dry food & water inside the locked gate for the dog, which he does. This neighbour also thinks it's a disgrace but doesn't want to rock the boat and says nothing. Helpful neighbour has told me how upset he is at listening to distressed dog (which is never walked, even when they are at home). It happened almost every weekend last Summer and when they went away for 2 weeks in August and left the dog behind a locked gate, I called the Dog Warden, who said that once the dog was being fed & watered, which he is, there was nothing he could do. 12.20pm now and the dog is barking non-stop since 6.30 this evening. He'll stop soon and start barking again around 7am. I approached the dog's owners a few years ago but got nowhere with them.

NZ_2014

Its not a nice situation. Dogs should be walked everyday. I might offer my dog walking services for free if I move abroad for a year, love dogs.

SweetChaos

Take the dog to your house and in the new year bring him to a rescue center Your neighbours are inconsiderate @rseholios they dont care for the dog or their neighbours they dont deserve that dog

Gongoozler

Well your only other options are to
Report them to the local authority for noise pollution
Ring the dspca or other local animal welfare group.

maebee

SweetChaos wrote: »

Take the dog to your house and in the new year bring him to a rescue center Your neighbours are inconsiderate @rseholios they dont care for the dog or their neighbours they dont deserve that dog

He's behind a locked gate and if I had the key, I would release him and take him for the week. He's still barking now - 6 hours, non-stop :mad:

Lord Trollington

maebee wrote: »

What can you do about a neighbour who goes away for a week at Christmas and leaves their dog home alone? They went away yesterday and their poor distressed labrador has been barking non-stop ever since. He never barks when they're at home band we always know when they're gone away as the poor dog barks for 6/7 hours at a time. They go away every weekend in the Summer and he barks non-stop Friday afternoon to Sunday night. It's a quiet neighbourhood and there's nothing bothering him, except being abandoned. They've asked another neighbour to put dry food & water inside the locked gate for the dog, which he does. This neighbour also thinks it's a disgrace but doesn't want to rock the boat and says nothing. Helpful neighbour has told me how upset he is at listening to distressed dog (which is never walked, even when they are at home). It happened almost every weekend last Summer and when they went away for 2 weeks in August and left the dog behind a locked gate, I called the Dog Warden, who said that once the dog was being fed & watered, which he is, there was nothing he could do. 12.20pm now and the dog is barking non-stop since 6.30 this evening. He'll stop soon and start barking again around 7am. I approached the dog's owners a few years ago but got nowhere with them.

You've just ruined my Christmas with this story. Poor animals and dogs in particular although their intelligence may not be on a par with us humans they have feelings just like us and feel all the different emotions we do.

Sickens me people neglecting their pets.

maebee

Gongoozler wrote: »

Well your only other options are to
Report them to the local authority for noise pollution
Ring the dspca or other local animal welfare group.

Did that in August. The Dog Warden said if the dog was being fed & watered, he couldn't do much. He said he'd call to the house and have a word. I left it at that as it was the end of the summer and the end of their weekends away. The dog never barked from August until yesterday when they went away for the Christmas. 12.40pm and he's still barking non-stop.

gutenberg

Maybe you & Helpful Neighbour could team up to talk to them about it once they are back? If he's afraid of being seen as rocking the boat, then going as a pair could help him - he could also refuse to feed/water the dog while they're away, meaning they'd have to reconsider their plans.

I do feel for you OP as we have a dog in a similar situation across the street: left alone all day every day, outside, barks like crazy for most of the day, is never walked as far as I can see. Yet because it's not being beaten/starved, the DSPCA/Dog Warden can do very very little

It's pure bloody animal cruelty. I just don't understand why people like that own dogs. In the 4 years we have owned a dog, she has been left alone for about 8 hours on 1 occasion and I felt so bad. Hadn't much of a choice. Any longer and I would put her in kennels.
These people shouldn't own a dog or any other pet. Do you need a bolt cutter for the locked gate?

Sheep Lover

Are you stuck for a turkey OP?

jamo2oo9

How can someone leave a dog behind for a week on its own? If they were away for the night, that's grand but a week is too long and imo, the dog should be looked after by someone, not locked in a cage by him/herself.

Gongoozler

maebee wrote: »

Did that in August. The Dog Warden said if the dog was being fed & watered, he couldn't do much. He said he'd call to the house and have a word. I left it at that as it was the end of the summer and the end of their weekends away. The dog never barked from August until yesterday when they went away for the Christmas. 12.40pm and he's still barking non-stop.

He can't do anything in terms of the dogs welfare because I don't think that's part of his job. Did you speak to someone in an animal welfare place? Plus like I said, the noise pollution thing.. It may be local authority still but not the dog unit.

x Purple Pawprints x

Contact the ISPCA.

Does the dog have food, water and shelter?

maebee

Deleted User wrote: »

It's pure bloody animal cruelty. I just don't understand why people like that own dogs. In the 4 years we have owned a dog, she has been left alone for about 8 hours on 1 occasion and I felt so bad. Hadn't much of a choice. Any longer and I would put her in kennels.
These people shouldn't own a dog or any other pet. Do you need a bolt cutter for the locked gate?

:mad: Yes the gate would need a bolt cutter. I just walked over to the gate. The dog has his nose through the bars and is barking non-stop, at nothing. Silent neighbourhood. The poor dog has to be withered at this stage. He does 4 barks, 4 seconds breath, 4 barks. 6 and a half hours now

maebee

x Purple Pawprints x wrote: »

Contact the ISPCA.

Does the dog have food, water and shelter?

Yes. He's got all that but he's distressed at being abandoned.

namloc1980

maebee wrote: »

Did that in August. The Dog Warden said if the dog was being fed & watered, he couldn't do much. He said he'd call to the house and have a word. I left it at that as it was the end of the summer and the end of their weekends away. The dog never barked from August until yesterday when they went away for the Christmas. 12.40pm and he's still barking non-stop.

That's really terrible. It's 12.40am or else you could have gone with 00.40! :mad:

Justjens

Dog is stressed out of it's head. Very interesting documentary on TV a while back showed the owners the affect of their dogs being left on their own. With cameras around the house they were able to record what the dog did when it was left by it's self, the owners were shocked and unaware of what the dog was going through.

The owners of this dog should be made aware of what is happening and what they are doing to this dog when they leave it on it's own.

Paulzx

maebee wrote: »

:mad: Yes the gate would need a bolt cutter. I just walked over to the gate. The dog has his nose through the bars and is barking non-stop, at nothing. Silent neighbourhood. The poor dog has to be withered at this stage. He does 4 barks, 4 seconds breath, 4 barks. 6 and a half hours now

Tell him if he doesn't go to sleep he'll get nothing from Santy

SweetChaos

The only thing I can suggest is that you get a perch like a patio table or something put it over the gate and a stepladder try and get the dog on the table and lift it over . The dog is not going to stop barking its in distress looking for his owners

Matta Harri

SweetChaos wrote: »

The only thing I can suggest is that you get a perch like a patio table or something put it over the gate and a stepladder try and get the dog on the table and lift it over . The dog is not going to stop barking its in distress looking for his owners

I agree, you can't just leave him. Couple of step ladders and strong lads would have him out in no time.

maebee

namloc1980 wrote: »

That's really terrible. It's 12.40am or else you could have gone with 00.40! :mad:

Thanks for that. It's now 1.AM and he's been barking for 6 and a half hours - non-stop.

Frigga_92

That's terrible.
I posted in another thread that we stay put over Christmas because it wouldn't be Christmas without our dogs.
Can't imagine driving off and leaving sad faces behind me with no care about when I see them again.

The poor dog is obviously so distressed. Dogs just want affection, even if it's from someone that has ignored them for a week or a month.

Micky Dolenz

Are you more concerned about the noise or the lonely dog?

x Purple Pawprints x

maebee wrote:

Yes. He's got all that but he's distressed at being abandoned.

If he has food, water and shelter, the dog warden can't really do anything I'm afraid. Blame the law. Animals are property, nothing more.

maebee

Micky Dolenz wrote: »

Are you more concerned about the noise or the lonely dog?

Both.

ziggy23

Please try and get that dog out. I'm so upset thinking of the poor thing some people should not own animals 😖

Micky Dolenz

Can you contact your neighbour?

If not, I would cut the lock,to be replaced with keys later and bring the animal into my home.

I wouldn't bother with wardens or the like but strong words would be had with the neighbour on their return. Like proper strong words.

The Backwards Man

I gave my dog a big hug after reading that, she's regarding me with suspicion right now.

Owners are bastards.

maebee

x Purple Pawprints x wrote: »

If he has food, water and shelter, the dog warden can't really do anything I'm afraid. Blame the law. Animals are property, nothing more.

True. The Dog Warden can do nothing about pet owners' stupidity.:mad:

ziggy23

maebee wrote: »

True. The Dog Warden can do nothing about pet owners' stupidity.:mad:

Keep us updated please poor dog :-(

Cait87

You might be able to take the dog tonight (if you can) and then ring the guards to say that youre taking it into your own hands. so the dog owners cant ring the guards and complain about you. (for your own protection)Then Very politly say that the dogs were disturbing the neighbors grandchildren before santa arrives etc, they should be embarrassed then.

maebee

ziggy23 wrote: »

Keep us updated please poor dog :-(

Will do. He's stopped now. Worn out

Rhys Essien

The owners are ba$tards and dont deserve a pet.Dogs are social animals.They need company.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Social_animal

Cait87

maebee wrote: »

Will do. He's stopped now. Worn out

Thats good news, quiet at last for you and your neighbors

AulBiddy

I am not a huge animal lover but Jesus Christ, this made me feel awful.
Have you informed the neighbours about previous incidents with the dog howling? They might not be aware their dog gets lonely (sounds stupid but some people honestly think they are taking good care of their pet by feeding and watering them alone).
Poor dog.

maebee

Cait87 wrote: »

Thats good news, quiet at last for you and your neighbors

And quiet for the poor exhausted dog.

ABajaninCork

Call the ISPCA if you can. That poor dog. And it's bloody freezing tonight. Does he have shelter?

Specialun

Poor pooch

The owners should not be allowed care for the pet

I say report them again and call them khunts

maebee

ABajaninCork wrote: »

Call the ISPCA if you can. That poor dog. And it's bloody freezing tonight. Does he have shelter?

Yes, he has shelter, food and water. He's just very stressed at being left alone

maebee

AulBiddy wrote: »

Have you informed the neighbours about previous incidents with the dog howling? They might not be aware their dog gets lonely (sounds stupid but some people honestly think they are taking good care of their pet by feeding and watering them alone).
Poor dog.

Yes, they had had a Red Setter before this dog and they did the same with him. They went away every weekend in the summer and the Setter would put his paws on the window ledge, howl and bark. They just don't get it.

BorneTobyWilde

Have you got another dog to put in with him.

braddun

put noise complaint to gards

Son Of A Vidic

Micky Dolenz wrote: »

I would cut the lock,to be replaced with keys later and bring the animal into my home.

I wouldn't bother with wardens or the like but strong words would be had with the neighbour on their return. Like proper strong words.

Same here, out with the bolt cutters and liberate the dog until the scumbag owner returns. Ignorant fúcks like that don't deserve to have a dog imo.

Littlekittylou

SweetChaos wrote: »

Take the dog to your house and in the new year bring him to a rescue center Your neighbours are inconsiderate @rseholios they dont care for the dog or their neighbours they dont deserve that dog

This.

Jesus Wept

Does shelter just mean a kennel? And is that deemed enough? Are dogs not cold as **** outside in winter?

Regardless they obviously need more than food, water, shelter. They need social interaction too.

x Purple Pawprints x

A kennel is deemed enough I think, yes. Unless the neighbours don't come back there isn't a huge amount the OP can do.

DBB

As has already been pointed out, but seems to have been glossed over, you can do something about this officially under the Noise Pollution legislation. It'll take a bit of effort, but it most definitely can be done, and is done reasonably regularly across the country.
The first recommended step is to contact the neighbour and try to sort it amicably at that level. Take note of this meeting. Or, keep a copy of any letters you send them.
If no improvement, you can download a complaint form from your local county council website, or phone them to have one posted to you.
Now you need evidence. This means keeping a diary of what's going on: when they leave, what time the barking starts, what time it stops etc. You should also make some sample recordings of the barking.
In some counties, upon receipt of the complaint, the county warden visits the owner to try to resolve the issue before it goes to court.
The next step is court, and if the case is proven against them, the judge can either direct that they make it their business to deal with it (unfortunately this can result in owners putting an anti-bark shock collar on the dog), or he/she can direct that the dog is rehomed.

I'm also not entirely sure why the ISPCA takes a "there's nothing we can do" stance on cases like this since the introduction of the new welfare legislation last year. The new Act stipulates that animals must be provided for in a way that minimises their stress, specifically in cases like this, that their basic social needs are met. Now, this would involve expert witnesses in a court set-up to convince the judge, but it is still an option which, at the very least, gives the ISPCA and guards grounds for calling to the owners and giving them a serious ticking off/official warning. The old "as long as it's got food, water and shelter" line is an old, outdated one, and its continued use makes me wonder sometimes if it has just become the standard fob-off line in cases like this where the cruelty is a lot more subtle than cuts and bruises, starvation etc.

StormWarrior

I had this problem with a neighbour. The RSPCA told me that if a dog is left alone for 36 hours straight, it's abandonment and they can get involved. Call them, or whoever the Irish equivalent is.

DBB

StormWarrior wrote: »

I had this problem with a neighbour. The RSPCA told me that if a dog is left alone for 36 hours straight, it's abandonment and they can get involved. Call them, or whoever the Irish equivalent is.

This is indeed the case, but I *think* the fact that they have the neighbour feeding the dog negates their definition of abandonment. I could be wrong on this, it is worth checking out, but I've a feeling you'll be told it's not abandonment

Cut the lock and mind the poor doggy in your house

Does Good Neighbour who feeds the dog not have a key to get in?

I'd be taking the poor dog out and bringing him into my house until the neighbours return. Poor dog.

Record some of the barking on your phone. Play it back for the neighbours and see if the obvious distress of the dog doesn't hit home with them. They may not be aware how constant the barking is.

Anyway......go save that doggy!!