I am at a loss, I don't know what to do...

A while ago I posted about my neighbors and their dogs. They leave them tied up all day outside, no food, no water, no shelter. The man who lives there killed one of their dogs, by throwing it against the wall. He also abuses his wife the cops have been there 3 times in the last 2 weeks.

I called the SPCA twice, they came out twice. Since then the people have provided ONE dog house for 2 two dogs. They people that live there only have one dog..a basset hound. This poor dog was left outside all day and all night Easter weekend...the whole weekend. They went away, the daughter was supposed to pick up the dog, but didn't. So he was tied up all day and all night..all weekend. My other neighbor took him over food and water. I had no idea he was left out until the lady (who owns him) asked if I was the one that gave him food and water. I'm usually outside at some point with my dogs, but it was a busy weekend and their car was in the driveway, otherwise I would have checked on him.

So now the lady's adult daughter is coming down everyday and she brings her dog. A gorgeous blue pit..7 months old. And they leave him tied up all day outside. NO WATER..unless I take it to him..when they're not there.

So, today I'm putting my lawn mower away and I hear whimpering and what sounds like choking. Of course I go and look, and this poor dog has wrapped himself up in the cord they had him chained with and was choking. I went right over and untangled him. Even being distressed like that he was a sweet baby. He had no water, it's 90 degrees here today and the yard has little to no shade. I took him a bowl of water with ice in it.

Apparently the man who lives there doesn't think dogs should be in the house, and wants them outside all the time. Since he beats his wife, she does what he demands.

I'm terrified one of those dogs is going to die out there one day. I don't know what to do. I've called the SPCA twice already. I swear if I knew someone that could take these dogs, I'd take them away and give them to responsible owners.

I've let the woman know if she ever needs to come here because of him, she can. But there's not a lot I can do for her either, cuz she won't leave him.

This is a horrible situation, I just don't know what to do. Any advice is welcomed.

Thanks for listening.

Just my two cents.

are of the same mind as you. :)

:P

Smuggle them away and hide them with friends.

more than once. I wanted to steal them and give them to my daughter..she just adopted a pittie....maybe I can find someone that would take them..a rescue or something. I wish we had a group like rescue ink around here. :-)

Have you asked animal control or your vet if they know of any no-kill shelters in the area? It might be a good idea to find one in another county in case they try to find them.

and a few rescues. Tomorrow I'll call a few of them.

Have a talk with the woman and tell her they really MUST provide water or the dogs could die. And in a bowl that won't tip over. I guess the the SPCA doesn't know he killed a dog, and his reaction might be so scary no one would dare to tell them. When he gets mad about anything he probably takes it out on his wife or the dog.

Print out this, or similar information and give it to her-
http://owningadog.co.uk/does-your-dog-have-enough-water-and-shade-2.php

I am going to give it to the wife. The SPCA does know he killed a dog. I told them when I called. One of his daughters brought it into the bedroom and set in down on the bed with the mother and he got pissed and flung it against the wall and killed it. It was a tea cup Chihuahua. The lady/wife told me what happened. She was crying and very upset..said he has anger issues. Apparently he's stabbed her, broken her jaw and arm before. I told her she needed to get away from him.

I don't know why they tie up the dogs, their yard is fenced.

Sounds to me that there are multiple counts of assault and battery, and the cops need to bring him in for questioning. I would talk with the cops to tell them the situation, but not all states have provisions to arrest someone if the victim doesn't press charges. But if someone sees him committing a felony like that, the cops can bring him in. And while they are doing that, it's a good time for a women's group to come in and talk with the victim. They can help persuade her to file charges. Check with the cops and tell them everything--and I mean EVERYTHING--that is going on, and as a neighbor, you have helped out the dogs when they have gone away.

when he gets angry it's usually the middle of the night and he makes her leave with three children..jr high age and a 2 year old. She's had to sleep at rest stops in the car with three children when he wouldn't give her money and she wouldn't call anyone. He makes her and the kids wait till he gets home before they're allowed to have dinner..sometimes it's 10 or 11 at night. She'll usually feed the kids and then they eat again.

She's had an order of protection but because she didn't go to her last court date, the judge dismissed everything. When he punched her in the mouth and broke her tooth, he did it in front of his mother and she never said a word.

She told me she's trying to hold it together for the kids. I finally told her that she's not helping the kids she's hurting them. No child should ever see those things..and they certainly shouldn't be yanked out of bed in the middle of the night to sleep in a car at a rest stop.

I don't think she has anyone..it's very sad. She says she's so happy with the kids during the day when he's gone but when he gets home it's like going to hell. The cops were just there Wednesday night..

He grew up, and when he was big enough, and his old man showed up at the house threatening to beat my grandmother, he threw the old bastard down the stairs and told him never to set foot in his house again.

My father never saw his father after that, and a short time later, my grandfather was murdered in a bar fight.

I'm not big on violent solutions, but in this case, it was probably the best outcome.

For the record my father vowed to be completely different than his father, and he succeeded. I am trying very hard to be the kind of father my father was.

victim of abuse. I think you might want to diriect her to some of the sites which talk directly to these victims and ways they have for combatting it. Ofttimes, there needs to be someone who is outside the family who gets things started. But if she has enough smarts to be able to navigate the web, there are places she needs to see.

Start with this one: http://www.abusedwomen.org/resources.html

http://library.smc.edu/new/research/topics/batteredwomen.htm
http://www.eap.partners.org/WorkLife/Domestic_Abuse/DV_Resources/Related_Websites.asp
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s5lULB1qOeE
http://www.ncadv.org/


These should be a good start. One thing you might want to check into is your state website, as they usually have links to local groups for domestic violence.

This family looks like a murder-suicide in the making. It's never too late as long there is a will to end the status quo--it'll be too late once someone gets killed.

And yes--that's scary, but so is domestic violence. The dog's demise was a major, flashing red warning signal. A bastard that would harm a helpless animal has no qualms againt hurting other humans he deems weaker than himself.

My next door neighbor would tie her dog outside all day no matter the weather. There were times when it was storming and the poor dog was terrified and I finally could not stand it and I would bang on her door and demand that she take him in,. Then when the weather was below 30 degrees she left him outside, and once again I banged on her door and asked her to take him inside. One time when she went out of town and left him out in the cold weather, I called the local animal control. The animal control officer came out and saw that the poor dog was outside and shivering in the cold. Well, he cited her and that ended that problem. I would often take him food and water because his food and water dishes were completely empty. I could not take him into my house because I already have three dogs.

Do you have a local animal control in your area? They will send an animal control officer to check out the condition of the dog. The county where I live has a strict law about dogs being tied outside for more then 2 hours.

While I am generally opposed to stealing, there are times when it's necessary. Many years ago I stole a neglected cat - his dumb valley girl owner kept throwing him outside in subzero cold because she thought he was "too noisy." I took him in, got him neutered and de-wormed, and he lived with me (happily, I think) for the next 20 years. I never regretted that "theft" for an instant.

homes for them.

for the breeds and get help) and then remove them.

Unfortunately, that probably won't end the cycle - he'll just go get another sweet doggie victim. :(

Take photos. Take them whenever you see the dogs without water or shelter and be sure the date is displayed on the photo. Send the photos to the local newspaper and news and to the SPCA and to as many places as you can think of who might take action. This "an" needs to be impressed with his own limits, and maybe the wife should be impressed with his limits as well. But you need to be squeaky clean in order to have as much credibility as possible.

Good luck.

Why didn't I think of that?! I will do that as well as the other things you suggested. Thank you!

I hate to say it, cause I know it's illegal. But if it were me, I'd probably take them, and find a safe place for them. Just to put my own mind at rest. I just cannot abide animal abuse, never mind spousal or child abuse. Animal abuse, however, oftentimes takes a backseat to other forms of abuse. And can frequently lead to aggravated -- well, you get my drift, I think.

Think on it, figure it out, contact others in your area, and most of all -- take care that you are not impacted, whatever action you take. Thank you for caring, hon. So many don't. Let us know what happens. Hugs.

fine some day and get wise.