To think RSPCA Should Have Come Out Sooner? (Neighbour Repeatedly Kicking Dog)

[JoffreyBaratheon]

I've posted here before about my neighbours. They have 'issues' and the council ad police have told us that 'agencies are involved' and keeping an eye on them. They have a 5 year old and a 3 or 4 year old. We involved NSPCC several times after seeing/hearing disturbing things I won't go into here as I'm posting about their poor dog.

Yesterday I was having a lie in - had flu so the rest of the family were watching youngest play football but I was home with older son still asleep in back bedroom, me and dog in front. My bed is next to the window and I have full view of next door's drive because of where the window is.

My own dog woke me up barking. But seeing it was just the neighbours coming home she stopped. I was about to go back to sleep when I heard the woman screaming:
"Get out of the fucking car NOW!"
Thinking a child was about to be thwacked and I'd be spending the rest of the weekend on the phone to various agencies, I looked out of the window. Sadly my phone was downstairs or I could have got evidence for what I saw next.

They have a sedan style car with a boot. They have never walked or even taken the dog out anywhere in two years. So I wasn't expecting to see what I saw.

Woman grabs the dog drags it out of the boot and shoves it to the floor (it's a black lab so no mean feat). All the time the younger child was right next to this whole thing going on. The child saw it all.

Then the man starts kicking it. In the stomach. Proper, hard, full on kicks. I went into witness mode, and counted 4 kicks. Then they went in the house; dog scuttling in with them. I was so shocked and it happened so fast, I didn't notice where the little boy was if there at all, but the little girl stood about a foot from this, watching it impassively, clutching a teddy. Totally nmoved and like it was an everyday occurence. Neither parent spoke again or spoke to the child.

I asked my nice neighbour about ten minutes later, if she'd hear owt. She was in the bath so had heard nothing. So no other witness. I could kick myself I didn't have my phone to hand to video this as we have seen so many things - usually the way they treat their kids - and SS don't seem to care or intervene. The child's reaction was really disturbing.

I rang the RSPCA. They took the details. I warned them to be careful as when next door have run ins with the authorities, they can get verbally abusive ad the man has a string of convictions (police told us that after a previous incident).

They said they might have to come out with the police. And they took my number to phone me back with the outcome "but frankly, with no other witnesses, they will probably get to keep the dog".

I have been on this earth half a century ad ever seen ANYTHING like that. What if my kids had seen it?

That was yesterday morning. Still no-one has come out. This dog could have been slowly dying of internal bleeding for all we knew til about an hour ago when I heard him bark. Although I think having owners like that maybe death would be preferable.

So they continue to behave like this and get to keep the kids and the dog.

But also - I described the fact he proper booted the dog hard. It could have been lying there in agony all night.

Anyone have an experience of something similar and how long did they take to come out? Is this because it happened on a Saturday?

We have set ourselves up for months of retaliation - they will be ringing the RSPCA on us now, etc - but I couldn't do nothing. That said - the authorities do nothing. I am thinking of writing to my MP - but have no idea what to say, just I think someone more powerful needs to get involved to force the authorities into action.

Now my other question is - should I ring the SS tomorrow as well? A child was involved in this incident as a child saw it and the child's non reaction to it was what is going to haunt me for months. What else can I do to ensure action is taken?

I woke up this morning and first thought was that poor dog. Do the RSPCA always take days to come out when an animal could be seriously injured after being attacked in broad daylight, by a human?

If I had filmed what I saw yesterday it would have gone viral, trust me. The sight of a grown man kicking a dog hard 4 times in front of a complicit woman who just threw it to the ground and a silent, utterly unfazed child... But only I saw it. And yet again they will get away with it. Right?

[ElsaAintAsColdAsMe]

The RSPCA are shit, really shit, they would have come out right away if you had recorded it because they could have pressed charges and got money out of it.

Could you contact a smaller dog charity near you for advice? They can sometimes be quite persuasive in getting shit owners to part with their dogs.

I would call SS if I were you, and also start keeping a diary of all incidents, however small, which might well come in useful at some point.

I'm so sorry you are going through this OP, it sounds like a nightmare, good for you for keeping on at reporting them, it can't be easy knowing it will have a detrimental effect on your life

[sparechange]

How absolutely awful. That poor dog, and poor you for witnessing it.

The RSPCA are frankly, embarrassingly useless. They have long stopped being an organisation that responds to this sort of thing, and spends most of its efforts on politicaly-motivated campaigns.

And they don't actually have any more powers than you or me. They know the law well, but still have to call the police to enforce their work.

Given the police are already aware of this horrible family, you should report what you saw to them. They broke the law in abusing this animal, and the police can liaise with the RSPCA if they need to, but you are unlikely to get them to treat your report as any sort of priority. Perhaps telling the police that you've heard the dog crying in pain today after the attack might get them out as well...

[IABVU]

So you could have gone outside and stopped the dog being treated badly but didn't?

[Orange1969]

Bloody RSPCA - can't stand them. A dog I reported DIED of neglect despite me spending hours on the telephone repeatedly telephoning the RSPCA. They came out to see the dog, decided he was fine, despite him being outside in freezing conditions and in a terrible physical state.

Please call the police.

[Wishful80sMontage]

Yes if the police are already involved I would update them with this latest incident as well as ss, please keep plugging away OP you are helping those poor children even if its taking the authorities an age to act :(

[ElsaAintAsColdAsMe]

So you could have gone outside and stopped the dog being treated badly but didn't?

From a man with a violent temper and a string of convictions? Op did exactly the right thing imo.

[jusdepamplemousse]

Well done for calling. Plenty wouldn't have bothered.

Ideally they would have been out with the police urgently. Unfortunately RSPCA can be fairly hit and miss - resourcing difficulties and also I think a certain lack of care which has developed across the agency? They do some good work but there is a lot of criticism and it can't all be unfounded. I don't know if there might be any point in contacting a local shelter to see if they can or will apply pressure to RSPCA officer? Probably not, just trying to think.

I would call police and SS and make reports there as well. If SS already involved they might be able to help or again to pressure RSPCA. Sadly I don't think you can do more than notify the agencies.

If they treat the dog like this I would worry how they treat the kids. Despicable.

[scarlets]

How awful, to have to witness that.

And that poor kid....

Hopefully you'll be able to get it filmed next time. If these scumbags are already on the authorities' radars, the Police will probably be glad to receive more ammunition.

[Seriouslyffs]

But nice of her to share it, eh?
OP you could have shouted out of the window, or called the police. Or if you really felt you couldn't do anything was it really necessary to describe what you saw? You felt powerless so what are we meant to do?

[scarlets]

Oh - and you were of course right not to go out there and remonstrate with these people!

[sparechange]

And of course you were right not to go outside and intervene. Amazed that people are suggesting you should have done.

[yorkshapudding]

"So you could have gone outside and stopped the dog being treated badly but didn't?"

How exactly could OP have singlehandedly compelled her neighbour, a violent man with a string of criminal convictions, to stop? He doesn't seem the type to respond to being asked nicely and as sad as it is for the poor creature there's no way she should be risking her own safety (and potentially that of her family) for a dog.

[MsAdorabelleDearheartVonLipwig]

Some bloke in our county got caught on cctv kicking his dog in the street. It was all over the news and social media for days. I think he did eventually get caught. Utter bastards. I'd like to give them a kicking. Poor lab. Joff can you keep ringing the RSPCA until they come out?

[Chattymummyhere]

RSPCA won't care unless there is a TV crew following them or witnesses/video proof. It's not worth it to them, no conviction = no money, no TV crew = no publicity for more money grabbing which they don't filter though the to local RSPCA rescues anyway.

The police would of been a better call but again unless a vet check could back up your claims its your word agasint theirs.

[Stanky]

How awful. :( Hope that the police will help the dog and children.

[Ebayaholic]

CCTV is relatively inexpensive these days op, I wouldn't be without it now that I have it. You should get this for your own safety as well as to record their behaviour as this will happen again.

Genuine question, is it appropriate to dial 999 if you believe someone is killing a dog, particularly in front of a child?

[Chattymummyhere]

I would say yes but that's an instinct thing. I've called 999 due to a domestic in a property where I knew a child lived as I could hear it a few houses away and see the man getting right up in the women's face.

[OhMakeMeOver]

Have you ask people in your area if they saw anything? Maybe one of your neighbours opposite might have CCTV outside?? But it'll depend on how far the camera view extends out...

Seriously, OP couldn't have done anything. An aggressive evil man, nasty woman, her DC indoors and she was unwell in shock.

You did the right thing by calling, at least they have it on record now. They sound like fucking disgusting people!

[wheelsonabus]

I'd report it to the NSPCC aswell - I know it's a dog, but watching cruelty is cruel in itself and it all adds to the violent picture of the parents and what is happening in the home. In fact, anything you see happening report it to them as someone needs to know all the facts and get a bigger picture of what these adults are doing.

[JoffreyBaratheon]

IABVU I was alone in the house apart from my 15 year old - and I was in bed so it too me a few minutes to get dressed. But o I didn't go outside because this man and woman are violent and the police have already advised us not to engage with them directly ever.

So I had several reasons not to go out. It happened and was over in seconds and they scuttled indoors.

Maybe I will ring 101 in the morning, as the RSPCA and police still haven't come out. I am also contacting the council (their landlords) and the SS. I really have other stuff to be doing but - as with the way they treat their kids - if the only people close enough to see this stuff happening say and do nothing, these arseholes have got away with it.

[JoffreyBaratheon]

Ironically the only people with CCTV are the thugs.

I told the RSPCA if there was any way they could seize their footage before it's wiped as these dicks actually have a camera pointing right at where they were abusing the dog.

No-one else here has CCTV. We are not a crime zone (or weren't til they moved in).

One of my neighbours has lived here over 50 years and says the police have never been called out to these street - til they moved in.

[JoffreyBaratheon]

OhMake I said to my husband yesterday if I'd filmed it, it would already be viral and they'd already be behind bars. Also if I ever get anything on film, I will not be blanking out their places. I'm fully determined to identify them and shame them.

They did it because our car wasn't in the drive so they assumed we were all out.

Only one other neighbour is close enough (they are in the end house and we're the only ones adjoining) ad they heard nothing. They have seen and heard enough in the past to thoroughly believe us.

[JoffreyBaratheon]

*faces! Doh! (I'd blank the kids' obviously, but not the two adults). Those kids can't be safe if the dog is treated like that, a foot away from one of them.

Must admit I went out and bought my dog all her favourite treats yesterday.

[OhMakeMeOver]

That's a shame. Though if you do ever get anything on film, I think it would be wise to take it to the RSPCA or police before posting online, so something is done before they know it's coming / who did it.

I can't believe, with their track record, that they haven't come out to just assess it and have a look!

[JoffreyBaratheon]

Alright. Monday afternoon still no RSPCA or police turned up. Have phoned county council's contact number for social services/children's services and they sound like they are going to follow it up. But I won't hold my breath as they've known for ages what situation these kids are in and have left them in it.