Neighbours reported us to the RSPCA

[olebiscuitbarrel]

Here's a photo of my dog taken this morning after the man from the RSPCA had been (this is probably going to out me, hence name change)

He turned up at 9am, having had a report that our dog is always in the garden for long periods of time, he was left out in the rain and is looking 'thin with matted fur'.

After spending a couple of minutes cuddling the dog and chatting, he went away perfectly satisfied having noted that the dog was in very good condition.

The dog really loves being in our garden. He asks to go outside all the time, because it's big, there's lots for him to sniff, explore and chew and his favourite spot is lying outside the patio door, both guarding and sunbathing. He also being a retriever, loves the rain, and there are plenty of places he could shelter if he wanted to, but when I tried to call him in yesterday, he wasn't having it. He wanted to run about 'catching' it.

We back onto a field where people like to exercise their dogs so when he sees them, he sometimes woofs but always call him and then the woofing stops (it never lasts more than about a minute). We never leave him outside for long periods of time and never when we go out.

It can only be one set of neighbours who reported us, because we only have neighbours on one side, who would have been able to see the dog outside in the rain yesterday. They had previously threatened to report us a few months ago, when he found a weakness in the fence and escaped into their garden, we apologised, made good the damage and had the fence professionally mended and reinforced so that he couldn't get out again. I don't think they like dogs because after we moved in, we had the police round saying that they had reported that we had not been cleaning up after him fouling in the street (another untrue accusation, I always carry poop bags, I've had dogs for years and always been responsible).

I can understand that maybe they get irritated when he barks (although its never for more than about a minute as we stop him and never at unsociable hours) but I am really cross at the 'extremely thin with matted fur' embellishment. AIBU and should I go and say something? (Sorry for long post, don't want to drip feed)

Poor tiny sausage. He is very hard done to, look at him! He's had no cuddles for A WHOLE MINUTE and also WHERE IS HIS BISCUIT???

I'm surprised he didn't call them himself.

Similar happened us. We have an elderly rescue terrier who is food aggressive and has fear issues with being handled, so he lives outside. He has a warm kennel with his own duvet for bedding, is very happy to plod along and sometimes will allow us to rub his belly. Point is he's a grumpy sod but we muddle along with him. We live in the middle of nowhere, all immediate neighbours know his issues. His hair was on the straggly side recently as it's quite a to do taking him to the vet - he needs general aneastheic to be groomed. Some kind person - not our neighbours so we can only assume one of the nurses who comes to treat my dad every day - reported us to animal welfare. Apparently dog is never walked and lies in his own faeces! The man took one look and went "well, he could probably do with a wee haircut" and that was it.

Some folk have nowt better to do.

What a lovely dog! My dog pretty much lives outside too when we let her :)

I'm surprised they even bothered. I once reported a dog that was outside locked in a tiny garden all the time and was clearly unhappy about it (always whimpering and barking) and RSPCA told me there was bugger all they could do about it! I'd just ignore your neighbour, they sound like an idiot.

Here he is a few weeks ago in his natural habitat!

He's out there now, happily lying in the rain. The RSPCA man did say that he ought to have a kennel if he is outside for any length of time, so I will get him one, but I doubt the daft mutt will actually use it. He does have plenty of fresh water though.

The thing is, I am now going to get a bit paranoid if they are curtain twitching every time I let him out and I do have a large family (more than 4 children) so I am really worried that they might now report us to Social Services for some other imagined piece of neglect. My house is often chaos.

Goldens usually live up to their nickname of "swamp collies"

What a happy well cared for dog. All of them on this thread look happy and well cared for.

DH and i have been watching vids of a beautiful retriever called Oshie

Google Oshies World.

If you neglect your dog so much that he looks like that, then God knows how you treat your children! So if Social Services do come, I'd imagine they'd be horrified.

Stupid people, reporting a happy dog. We used to have a golden retriever and he was outside in all weathers, perfectly happy. He could open the back door but only came in when he wanted to see us.

My parents now have a similar dog and he goes out, runs round to the living room window, waits for everyone to wave and then runs in all excited. Then the same thing over and over.

He's gorgeous! As are all the doggies on this thread!

I can't believe someone could be so self-absorbed that they would deliberately waste the time of a fucking CHARITY to make a point about a personal grievance that could be settled by being a grown-up and just having a chat.

Don't worry, I've been reported to the SSPCA (Scottish version) more than once. The inspector was lovely & told me that over 90% of reports he gets are malicious - what a waste of resources. Don't give it a second thought, just pity the saddoes that waste the time of a charity that could be helping animals that are really in need.

Sort of with tigermoll on this :)

I'm just grateful they turned up to inspect - your DD(dog!) is beautiful by the way!

People who aren't familiar with dogs...maybe a wet dog barking on a cold day does look a bit matted and unloved! They probably have no idea what a wet dog looks like but I suppose it's nice they care enough to call?

Ok still annoying as hell but...

Op, this happened to a friend of mine.
I suggested he put an 'As approved by the RSPCA' sign by his front door!

Ring the police up and tell them you heard the next door neighbour beating up her husband.

I used to work for another charity that does animal welfare callouts. Malicious calls happen a lot. So do genuinely misguided ones, where people mean well but just misunderstood what they saw (reporting a horse being left blindfolded in a field when it actually had a fly mask on, or for not having a rug on).

Some people are just total arseholes though!

Beautiful, happy doglet op 😊

There are some good, GOOD puppers on this thread.

stares at arsehole cat

Is there no end to that dog suffering, OP?

Mud! Poor love.

We had this done to us as well. My late husband and I owned a petshop, and had a German Shepherd, who slept in the petshop at night (she loved it, and was a guard dog - this was in South Africa). She even managed to switch the heater on if she was cold lol. She was the runt of the litter, so was quite small for her breed. At one stage she developed a skin condition, which we got treated. One day the SPCA showed up and said one of our neighbours had reported us for animal abuse, as our dog was in such bad condition.

One look at her and it was obvious she was a very healthy, happy and well loved dog, and I showed him the medication.

Some people really have nothing better to do with their time than to stick their noses into other people's business. All fair and good if an animal really does look neglected, but a dog with a healthy, shiny coat who gets lots of love and attention?

"Swamp collie"
Love it!!

olebiscuitbarrel, you don't hang black bin liners on your washing line by any chance do you?

Wow that's the most mistreated emaciated pooch iv ever seen. Just look at the sheer sadness in those eyes

Your neighbours are idiots.

This happened to a good friend of mine she was never more gutted as she loves her dog. Some people genuinely think a dog free roaming their own garden is being neglected. The mind boggles. I'd not bother saying anything though what could be achieved? Unless they tell you honestly what their actual problem is.

Report them to the police for harassment. It sounds like they have bothered you a few times. Write everything down that you can remember. Neighbours like that just don't stop and you shouldn't have to live in fear of what next.

That poor, abused dog. I am willing to take him off your hands because he's so mistreated. I will nurse him back to health - it'll be a long snuggle... I mean, slog.

He is lovely. I'd rather have you than the dog we live next door to that barks all evening most evenings and early in the morning too. The other evening it was barking from 8-midnight! And growls whenever you go in the garden! And I still wouldn't report them!

I live in a small estate on the edge of a golf course and woodland park. Loads of folk seem to have dogs here as easy to walk/exercise in area. A lot are kept outside and their barking drives me nuts. One barks perhaps if delivery person on property and this sets of another dog and another so it goes on. Have a family member who trains working dogs and they do not bark. It is training that is required and an awful lot of owners don't know how or bother to get training themselves. Your dog does look well cared for and apart from barking just accept your dog probably did look a bit bedraggled when he was wet.

Im shocked the rapca turned up
You're dog is lovely!