Dog Worries long rant (sorry)

[tnokie]

I have beagles(Or should I say my name is --- and I have beagles!) I buy sell and trade them on occasion. My neighbor also has some(4). His were looking kind of poor a couple of months ago and I started sneeking them extra food. They gained back and I stopped feeding them extra. At the time I was loaded with my own dogs and gave the food to mine.. Sunday I was out walking around the yard and happened to look at his dogs again.Boy was I shocked. They were nothing but bags of bones,their bellies are sowllen but no meat on them at all. They looked like Ethiopian dogs!
I told my DW that I was going to turn him in to the proper authorities. (They really deal with these problems around here,lots of rescuers/would be saviors!). She didn't want me to. They are nice people and good neighbors who keep an eye on the place when we are gone. So I bought wormer and feed and started feeding the poor creatures again. But how do I keep this up. I don't want to have a confrontation with them but I can't keep footing the bill for their animals.We already have one neighbor who doesn't like us because of our critters(chickens,dogs,pigeons) I hate to make another mad. But my heart says turn him in. They have money to take care of them. He works a lot and doesn't have a lot of time to care for them. Except thats no excuse ,he's off on weekends. Any suggestions.

[SDjulieinSC]

I have turned my neighbors in several times. I hate to do it, but I'd hate to see the critters dead even more.
So far the neighbors don't seem to know it was me. I just act flabberghasted when she tells me about it, and feel better knowing that someone other than myself has reminded her to take better care of her animals. The animals feel better too!

[Ardie/WI]

Turn them in. Act surprised.

[Old John]

You just have to Do what is Right, and let the chips fall, where they fall.
Feeding the Dogs is Right. Letting the Neighbor Know you've been doing
that is probably Right, too.

Taking a Stand, is right. Some Folks can't , simply Can't take a Stand,
even when it is the Right thing to do.

And, Sometimes........."Minding your Own Business" Costs more, in Self-Respect, than it is Worth.
Just...Do what you need to do, as a Good Man.

[sancraft]

I would call and act surprised. I would feed them too. My neighbors here have cats that they care for or feed. I started feeding them and they gained weight. When one got an eye infection, I put penicillin in the food for 10 days and it cleared up. Now I have found a place that will spay and neuter all the feral cats I bring them for $5.00 each. That includes a rabies vaccine. I'll be trapping as many as I can and taking them in. I hate to think of what will happen to them when we move.

[plumcreekfarm]

Maybe talk to them? Too often we deal with our problems by turning to daddy government. Have you asked you neighbor (nicely) why they are not being fed? Maybe it a money problem, a mental health issue, a time crunch etc. Maybe an organization in your area would help you neighbor to feed them or your neighbors family could pitch in. My point is your neighbors are right next door. Why not strike up a conversation and see why this is happening before you go over their heads.

[fishhead]

Excellent idea!

It's always easier to start a fight than to patch things up later.

Originally Posted by Wind in Her Hair

I'd tend to agree with plumcreekfarm on this one -if the relationship I had with my neighbor was already established and a good one. Sometimes it pays to work out a little "script" like the following one:

"Hey, Joe. I was out in the backyard and Tippy and Spot came over to the fence. Man! Have they lost weight! Have they been sick? No? You know, y'all are such good neighbors and we sure appreciate you keeping an eye on our place when we're not around, I'm wondering if I could kinda return the favor. Well, I know you're busy, and if you'd like me to, I'd be happy to feed 'em for you during the week when I feed mine. It would be no trouble at all. Thats what neighbors are for! "

Its important to not show any sign of accusation or veiled threats and to make this out to be a friendly gesture instead of a judgemental one. Make it a "win/win" situaiton. He gets something, you get something. The dogs get fed, everyone is happy. If your neighbor bows up or gets offended, thats his choice and thats his problem. THEN you turn him in.

[plumcreekfarm]

YES! That is exactly what I would say Wind in her Hair. Perfectly put! Wouldn't the whole world work better if we all used intelligent diplomacy first?

[Terri]

Fishheads solution is MUCH! better! So I deleted my answer!

And, since you sell dogs, if he says they have been sick you can bring up digestion, and what brand of food is good, and HOW MUCH of it they need, etc.

[Shepherd]

I agree 100% with PlumCreekFarm and WindInHerHair's suggestions. That is the route I would take. Just put it like - "I know you work a lot and it wouldn't be all that much more work for me to go ahead and lend a helping hand... just tell me where you keep your feed and I can help you feed & water them when I do ours.".

You might even suggest that if you bought the dog food together in quantity (the brand you prefer), you both might be able to save some money.

Good luck and let us know how it goes.

[SDjulieinSC]

Just so you don't all think I'm a trouble making, bad neighbor, I had been helping my neighbor's with their critters since I moved in. I have given them wormers, flea treatments, nail trims, dog houses and advice. I spent the majority of last summer watering their animals each evening when I did mine. I have doctored on 2 of their dogs that were hit by cars. In their defense the new dogs are on chains, however I think that they forget to check collar size as this summer when I was over watering and untangling the chain I noticed a nasty sore. I also helped them with that.
My neighbor and I are friends. We borrow a cup of milk here and an egg there. Heck I even let her borrow my truck from time to time.
I know people do things differently. Basic needs may be one thing to me and something else to her, but any boob should be able to figure that food, water and shelter are important.
I felt that I had no choice but to finally call animal control.
The neighbor and I are still friends and the animals are doing better.

I agree that every attempt should be made to educate and help out, sometimes it is not enough.
I hope your results are as good as mine which ever way you get it done.

[THETOOLMAN]

NO,
I would Call the animal control.Nice is nice BUT wrong is wrong also I never heard of them TELLING who turned them in . These dogs deserve better homes . people who neglect animals should be behind bars.PERIOD!they are wrong!!

[plumcreekfarm]

No one said the animals should continue to suffer, but there is more than one way to get the job done. Besides that "better treatment" could be the animals being put down at the shelter. I still say diplomacy first, especially when there is already a relationship established. Tattling on them first is the elementary school playground way of settling disputes and solving problems.

[DamnearaFarm]

Originally Posted by plumcreekfarm

No one said the animals should continue to suffer, but there is more than one way to get the job done. Besides that "better treatment" could be the animals being put down at the shelter. I still say diplomacy first, especially when there is already a relationship established. Tattling on them first is the elementary school playground way of settling disputes and solving problems.

Being euthanized *IS* better than starving to death in a backyard. To the best of my knowledge, AC gives the owner time to comply with their recommendations and doesn't remove the animals on the spot, unless it's a hardcore case. Then it requires legalities and documentation. At least with us and the horses it does.