If You Saw This... What Would You Do?

[JoffreyBaratheon]

A while ago, I posted about something I saw a few months back. (Probably posted on AIBU for traffic). I'm posting again because I can't help thinking there is something that could still be done about it. Also - due to something I saw on FB, the other day.

Briefly, I was ill in bed with flu when my family were out, and I was woken up by hearing my neighbour on her front drive, screaming "Get out of the effing car now!" Thinking she was attacking her kids again (many calls to SS and NSPCC, resulting in total denials, and nothing ever done), I looked out of the window thinking I better witness whatever it was, this time.

I had been asleep so my phone was downstairs. It happened so quickly I couldn't go get my phone. I should say - the police had already looked into the neighbours' pasts, and wouldn't tell us the details but said they have a criminal record and are dangerous to approach, so we should not speak to them directly in any way if we saw something. The only reason I didn't ring the police is - I rang the RSPCA and contacted the NSPCC.

I saw the woman lift their large black lab out of the boot of the car (family saloon car, no dog compartment - literally it was shut in the boot), and throw it to the concrete floor. Where the man neighbour kicked it hard in the stomach 4 times. Really hard. Their child (aged about 3?) stood between them watching impassively.

Needless to say it is the single worst thing I have ever seen in my life and I have been haunted by it ever since.

RSPCA came out but the upshot was, she denied everything and they said because only I saw it and not another, separate, neighbour and because I hadn't filmed it - there was nothing they could do. No mark on the dog but the inspector did tell me on the phone afterwards that is not unusual. They recently got a man near here 6 months behind bars for precisely the same act, also denied, also not a mark or wound on the dog. But a neighbour filmed it.

So the bottom line with the RSPCA is - if you didn't film it; it never happened.

A week or so later we saw the man burying the dog about a foot, or less down, and near his back door. (Using a kiddies' seaside spade and stamping up and down madly on it after the first thin sprinkling of soil). I rang RSPCA and they would have come out and necropsied, only they discovered the neighbours had been 'backwards and forwards' the entire last week or two of its life, to the vet's. It was PTS with advanced cancer. It must have been ill a long time - obviously on the day a week or so before when I saw them hurting it.

It turned out that the RSPCA had called after my phone call but finding no-one in, left a note. The neighbours must have panicked, rushed the dog to the PDSA vet, then had that last week of its life, took it back and forth to make it look like they were concerned owners. Vet had PTS that morning - my son and I saw the man stamping up and down on the dead dog that afternoon. RSPCA had finally made it out to visit, a couple of days before where they fell for the story.

Neighbours denied everything and the RSPCA accepted they must be good owners as they'd gone back and forth to the vet (AFTER they had the RSPCA's calling card...) I said, well if it had cancer, doesn't that make it worse that they were throwing it to the ground and kicking it? Apparently as I didn't film it, it doesn't count as cruelty.

Now the other day I saw my neighbour's FB and her picture is now this dog's. Under it a load of morons posting their sympathy and her milking it. I'd love to find a way to expose these people for the cruel arses they really are. But there is no way I can do that.

Yet... I know what I saw.

I can't get it out of my mind. And now to see the hypocrisy of someone asking for sympathy for the death of a dog I saw her, with my own eyes, hurt and hurt badly... The inspector did say "They all say 'I love my dog, I'd never hurt him!'" and I can understand why they need hard proof. Well sort of. Because I didn't film it, it did still happen... (I contacted the NSPCC about the child seeing all this, btw and it looks like no social worker has come out, or anything). That is the other disturbing aspect of this that abusers an carry it off as 'malicious neighbours' if anyone does see something. The child's utter blankness and lack of reaction freaked me out the most, at the time. Sod's Law would have it my other (nice) neighbours were busy when this happened and heard and saw nothing.

I'm wondering - is there anything else that can be done, if the RSPCA couldn't act? I'm still having nightmares and now terrified my own dog could escape and if she ended up in their garden...

[honeyroar]

Good for you. And I hope you didn't read my post as a criticism, because it wasn't. It must be hell living next door to them and not being able to murder them.

[MsAdorabelleDearheartVonLipwig]

Aww Joff. (hugs)

[JoffreyBaratheon]

honey thanks for that and I didn't see your post as criticism or negative in any way. In fact I thought it was lovely. Right now, pup is having a lie-in upstairs (which is a first in 18 months!) I think it is hard to shake those images from my mind as I'm also worried about her and my lovely neighbour's old collie. Our 21 year old cat died about 6 weeks ago and I must admit, part of me was relieved I won't have to worry about what would happen if she strayed into their garden, any more. We won't be getting another cat.

Ms, back at you.