Neighbours on holiday and left dog in house

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And the poor bloody animal has been crying and barking for 24 hours. She has the occasional rest but it’s pretty much constant other than that. They have form for this: worst before this recent episode was leaving the poor dog crying for 12 hours straight when they went out one time. That wasn’t the only time but was previously the worst.

They were reported and notified so they know their dog has separation anxiety. Yet this morning in the early hours the entire family fucks off on holiday - must be a holiday as they all had suitcases - and since they left, that poor dog has been crying.

Someone came in for around twenty minutes earlier today to let the dog in the garden and presumably to feed her. But then they fucked off and since then just non stop crying interspersed with barking. it’s honestly NOT annoying me - it’s making me feel so sad for the dog.

Given they had suitcases this has got to be for at least a week, I know the dog will be fed and let out for twenty minutes a day but it’s so clearly in distress! What would you do? Anything?

Call the RSPCA, once ita been abandoned for 24 hours they are able to have the police break in. We had this with a neighbour once, we knew the shory minute a day would make it ‘okay’, so when they has fed the dog we went to the door and restuck the cellotape the RSPCA had put on the front door.

What?

I think maybe that poster means that the RSPCA puts tape on the door, kind of like a crime scene. If the tape is broken then it means someone has attended.

What gives me pause is that someone definitely is coming in to see to the dog at least once a day but the poor girl is so distressed.

What the fuck is wrong with people? I could never do this.

Call the RSPCA, definitely. What bloody awful people, poor dog

I’m not sure if you are able to do so, but I’d be following the feeder into the house and taking that dog home with me.

Then I’d call the RSPCA.

Bastards.

See, I wanna do this. I feel like saying I’ll look after her, just leave her with me. But I’m not matey with the neighbours (arseholes) who have left her and don’t know the person going in either so no doubt I’d end up looking like the weirdo. What gets me most is that THEY KNOW their dog has separation anxiety!

People fucking suck. Not all people. But many people with so-called ‘pets’.

I instead of reporting them straight away would it not make more sense to initially speak to the dog sitter & explain the dog isn't settling. Maybe they'll take it with them or at least contact the owners & see if there's a solution. The owners might be under the impression the dog sitter is staying with the dog for longer. But explain if it's not sorted you'll report them.

Could you speak with the feeder and offer to feed the dog and also walk the dog and watch out for it in it's back yard and put the dog back inside for the night time.
I wonder why they didn't ask you, their neighbour, to help out while they went on holiday.

Because this is another neighbour, although further down the road. So they probably can’t hear the poor dog crying.

they didn’t ask me because I don’t know them. It’s a weird set-up with flats opposite and on top of other flats. They’re ground floor.

I’m certain though that everyone can hear that dog crying. In a situation like this you start to think: am I the weird one for finding the dog’s distress distressing if nobody else seemingly gives a shit?

I’d call the police and RSPCA. Failing that, local vets - vets have more avenues available than most people realise.

I wouldn’t approach the dogs feeder or offer to take the dog in - both would put me and my own family at risk. Strange dogs do not go into my house, no matter how ‘nice’ they seem. And the sort of twat that clearly knows the dog is alone all day but isn’t doing more than sticking around for 20 mins won’t care - probably a dog walker or sitter whose paid to go in more often and CBA.

I volunteer in this field and sadly RSPCA do nothing! not because they don’t care but they don’t have the ‘rights’ to do what you’d think they should and could

please PM me ASAP and i’ll deal with it OP

And thank you for being pro active by posting this - the first step is something not many bother to do but you have because you CARE ! Please PM me

Call the RSPCA. That’s so cruel.

Why are you on MN and not calling the RSPCA straightaway

If you are positive that the poor dog only gets one 20 minute visit a day @PrimaryBufferPanel
then please, please, please, notify the authorities about him or her! I love nearly all animals, except the human variety, but I must admit that dogs have an extra special place in my heart. We have spent thousands of years domesticating them, therefore they rely on us for everything really, not just their food and exercise, but for our love, our company, and for us to provide them with mental stimulation.

I hate the thought of that poor dog suffering like that, but unfortunately through personal experience, I have no faith in the RSPCA at all, unless there are TV cameras there. So I think you should start first with the police, then if a week day with your local council, and if neither of them are interested, I suppose I would have to try the RSPCA. If no-one helped I would have to follow the dog sitter/minder/feeder into the house and rescue the dog - even if that ended up getting me into trouble legally, but I know that many people wouldn't be able to risk getting in trouble with the police etc.

Separation anxiety or not, no dog should be left for 24 hours with just a short walk/feed - it’s so incredibly cruel. I see you’ve had an offer from someone to help, I’d take that with both hands tbh.

My neighbours did this once, for two and a half fucking weeks.

Whole family fucked off and left their poor dog, one of the kids boyfriends was meant to be popping in twice a day for him but in reality was shoving a can of food in once a day, literally flinging some shit off the kitchen floor out the door, letting the dog have a wee and rushing off again. Time spent there, as little as 10 minutes some days.

Going by the sounds and then the kicking off when they got back and the DIY work done... the dog ate their entire kitchen. He was either ripping stuff off the walls or barking the whole time. (And the builders who replaced the kitchen earlier this year confirmed when chatting with us, that at some point it had been trashed then bodged back together).

It was incredibly distressing and the RSPCA and the housing association didn't give a shit (HA sent a letter saying 'don't do it again', thats it..) as someone was going in 'regularly'.

My dogs all found it pretty distressing as well and they'd been familiar with that dogs normal barks etc for years and didn't react at all, but his panicked and desperate howling really got to them!

Let me guess this is a lockdown dog?

People who never had a dog before suddenly decided to get a dog during lockdown without any thought, what happens once lockdowns were over and back to normal. These people annoy me

RSPCA.

They will visit, stick a note in the door requesting contact and as others mentioned, put tape on the door. They'll then return 24hrs later to see if there's evidence of anyone having attended.

We had similar with our neighbours, although in their case they had arranged for their adult child to stay for the week - he didn't. He popped in in the morning to open the back door, and in the evening to shut it.

Whilst RSPCA couldn't do anything as someone checking on an animal once in 24hrs is deemed acceptable, they did follow up with our neighbours when they returned.

How do you propose to "deal with it" exactly?

Report to RSPCA?

RSPCA
(Don't PM random posters on here).

I admit I am not a dog lover having received a nasty nip on my bare leg from a barking dog. It broke the skin after it belted towards me in the driveway when visiting friends. I got such a fright that afterwards I was never the same about dogs.I would never wish them harm though and after reading OPs post I'd have no hesitation in calling the police and RSPCA.

Please don’t waste police time with this.
RSPCA yes, although they can’t do anything if the dog is fed. Might at least make them think about kennels or a proper dog walker next time.
Agree with talking to the person who’s popping in daily. Try and guilt them in to better care.

Everyone keeps saying RSPCA but they can't do much if the dog is being fed once a day as the OP says it is, although worth calling them just in case.

I'd definitely go and speak to the feeder and tell them that the poor dog has been crying loudly all day. Personally I offer to have it for the week but I know that's not practical for everyone, especially if you have young kids.

I really hope the MNer who asked you to PM is a vigilante dog rescuer.