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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

To hate the way my neighbours treat their dog?

32 replies

mydogisthebest · 18/11/2018 17:00

Not really asking for advice but just want to let off steam that I hate my neighbours because of the way they treat their dog.

It's a small breed, one most people would regard as a lap dog type. If the neighbours are there the dog is tied up in the garden on a lead attached to a piece of rope with a stake in the grass. He only has the grass to lie on and no shelter. He does usually have food and water.

When the neighbours are out (at work or out in evening/weekend) the dog is inside.

So today they are in and the dog has been in the garden since 8am. It is unlikely to be taken inside until about 11pm (when they go to bed). So basically it doesn't spend any time with them. It's either outside on its own or inside on its own.

It barks (or rather yaps) at anything and everything which is quite annoying but the thing that annoys me is that it often barks and cries while staring at the house. In other words because it wants to go inside. It has been barking literally constantly for the last 2 hours and if I look out the bedroom window it is just standing looking at their house.

If it rains heavily they will usually take it in but I think often they don't realise it is raining. When we had snow it was out there in it all the time.

I love dogs. I have 2 of my own and have had dogs for over 30 years BUT why the hell would you get a dog then never spend any time with it? They never take it for a walk, never play with it, no interaction at all except to pick it up to take it in for the night or if they go out.

I have contacted the RSPCA several times but as the dog has food and water they are not interested. I have contacted the council and the dog warden but they are not interested.

I did try to talk to the neighbours but they were not interested and now they blank me and DH if they see us.

I feel so sorry for the dog and just wish I could do something. Another neighbour said she was tempted to steal him.

OP posts:
TansyViolet · 18/11/2018 17:06

They should rehome it. The poor dog deserves better and what can they possibly be gaining from owning it other than vet and food bills. Could you put animal rescue details through the door in the hope they'll give it to them?

WendyWoofer · 18/11/2018 17:28

That's extremely sad. Poor dog! Why do people get dogs just to treat them this way?

The dog would be much better off if he were rehomed. At least the rehoming centre would assess the suitability of prospective new owners.

I truly hope your neighbours will do the decent thing and give that poor dog a chance in life - by rehoming him, via a rehoming centre.

Maelstrop · 18/11/2018 17:32

So horrible. Dogs are pack animals and love to be with their humans. Contact the RSPCA again and tell them it has no shelter.

RedHelenB · 18/11/2018 17:32

Could you volunteer to walk it with your dogs so at least it has some company to look forward to?

Deadbudgie · 18/11/2018 17:38

Could he come round yours at least some of the time? Do they ever walk it? Think I’d be jumping over the wall

CSIblonde · 18/11/2018 17:45

In the bloody snow with no shelter & alone 24/7? That's grim, poor little thing. They sound so bloody disinterested they'd probably not bother if he erm, 'went missing'. Just saying...

greendale17 · 18/11/2018 17:51

So today they are in and the dog has been in the garden since 8am. It is unlikely to be taken inside until about 11pm (when they go to bed).

^Who does this? That is animal cruelty in my opinion

Wolfiefan · 18/11/2018 17:55

Honestly why do they even have a dog? Mine is allowed in the garden and sometimes likes to lie out there. But she’s never tied up and she can come back in whenever she likes. Apart from anything how lonely must that poor dog be?

RandomMess · 18/11/2018 17:57

SadSadSadSadSadSadSad

FFSFFSFFS · 18/11/2018 18:02

Can you start putting rescue places leaflets in their letterbox?

Can you offer to buy it off them? (and you can then rehome it through a trusted rescue). £500 might do the trick (its a lot of money - but I think would make them sit up...)

That is totally heartbreaking.

I just took one bite of my lovely piping hot dinner and had to put it down because my pup rang his bells to go outside to the toilet. So on goes my coat, out we go, we have a wander, decides no he doesn't want to go to the toilet, and I'm back in front of a now lukewarm dinner. He's now on his favourite pillow on the coach.

I cannot bear hearing about neglected doggies. They're just so vulnerable and so totally dependant on us :-(

MeredithGrey1 · 18/11/2018 18:28

Baffles me why people like this would have a pet. They’re just throwing money away on food for it, which is normally worth it because you get the joy of having the pet, but it sounds like they barely even interact with it at all, so why are they bothering? If they got rid of the dog and threw the money in the garden they wouldn’t notice much difference.

You’re not unreasonable to hate how they treat it but it sounds like you’ve done everything you can and if RSPCA aren’t interested then (short of dog-napping!) I’m not sure what you can do.

MotorcycleMayhem · 18/11/2018 18:34

Our neighbours were same with their jack russell. Fortunately they decided to rehome him. It was awful listening to him bark all the time and know he was so lonely and unloved. I massively judged, and continue to judge, the parents of that household.

Maybe report to the council as a noise nuisance? If they rent, report to their landlord / letting agent as well?

RSPCA welfare standards are so low, it's very sad.

mydogisthebest · 18/11/2018 18:46

I did offer to walk him with mine but neighbour said he doesn't like other dogs. So that also rules out him coming into my house. I am not sure I would suggest that anyway because I think neighbour would get annoyed.

I have put rescue centre leaflets through their door and sent them anonymously. Also some pages printed out from the internet about dogs not being left outside. I would guess they know it was me or DH who sent them.

In the summer my back door was literally open constantly so my dogs could go in and out and now it is colder I seem to spend the day opening and closing it so they can go in and out (they love taking turns!). Would never just leave them out there.

I sometimes make a big thing about getting them in - if it starts to rain or in the summer when it was too hot for them to stay out and say really loudly something like "come in now dogs it's far too hot for you/raining/cold" etc in the hope they will hear me but it has no effect if they do.

In the summer he was out and only had the tiniest bit of shade. I was so worried about him and had to keep checking on him. DH. although concerned for him, thinks I am too obsessed but it bothers me such a lot.

We only moved into our house at the beginning of last year so not sure how long they have had the dog but they had him when we moved in

OP posts:
RosieStarr · 18/11/2018 18:48

We have a similar situation here. The poor dog barks constantly, but is generally ignored. If it is dragged in after barking endlessly, they shout at it and the poor thing whimpers. Why do people bother having animals if they won’t look after them?

mydogisthebest · 18/11/2018 18:49

They do rent but no idea who their letting agent is. I suppose I could try and find out who the landlord is but could be if they pay their rent on time and are otherwise good tenants the landlord may well not be interested

OP posts:
MotorcycleMayhem · 18/11/2018 18:53

Letting agents can usually be found by looking the house up online then seeing when it was last advertised on Rightmove etc for let. I've had to do that before for burglar alarms going off in vacant houses.

If it's a private let it won't show up though.

MotorcycleMayhem · 18/11/2018 18:53

And it's still worth a go.

Katedotness1963 · 18/11/2018 18:53

What a miserable life for the poor dog! I dont understand getting a puppy and leaving it outside...

mydogisthebest · 18/11/2018 18:55

RosieStarr, that is sad too. I keep trying to think that the dog could be treated worse as in it could be beaten, not fed etc (we have a rescue that was beaten, not fed regularly, no access to water most of the time) but it is still cruelty in my opinion.

I love my dogs to bit and get so much pleasure from them. I just don't understand why you would have one and never spend any time with it. They are also not teaching their children how to treat animals

OP posts:
FFSFFSFFS · 18/11/2018 19:02

I would find that really really hard to cope with too and would also be "obsessed" by it.

Yes it could be worse for the dog - but it could also be much much better.

I agree I just don't understand why have the dog then? Horrible. :-(

WendyWoofer · 18/11/2018 19:37

I've had a think about this (in fact it's been preying heavily on my mind since I read it).

OP I think in your situation I would jump the fence, take the dog and take it to a rehoming centre claiming I found the dog, wandering. It's not something I would normally do but that poor dog needs some positive intervention.

I would then sit and pray those neglectful owners wouldn't turn up to claim the dog.

Poor, poor puppy 😥

SilentIsla · 18/11/2018 19:43

Report it. Some people are betting vile.

SilentIsla · 18/11/2018 19:43

..beyond vile

EmeraldShamrock · 18/11/2018 19:46

It is awful. The poor dog. I am not what you can do about it, if they provide food and water.
They do not deserve to be pet owners.

kangaroo74 · 18/11/2018 23:38

How cruel poor dog
If dog has food/water then not much you can do but saying that you have phoned rspca and they've been out too so just trying to think what more you can do
Maybe you can offer to buy the dog off them or try to get the dog to come in your garden as they truly don't deserve to be pet owners