Dog in outside cage

[SunshineCake]

A family has a business breeding dogs. They have at least one guard dog and maybe two. Recently I saw the second dog in a cage that didn't look much bigger than the dog. A few days later I was with someone who noticed the gate was shut and mused that some one must have reported them and therefore they have shut the large gate and now the dog and cage can't be seen.

If the dog is in the cage as a deterrent I can see that to a degree but it just feels so cruel.

Is there anything to be done?

It is cruel, but sadly not illegal.
As long as the dog has food and shelter, no amount of reporting to animal welfare will make any difference.

I couldn't see a bed and wonder where the room was for it as the cage didn't look much bigger than the dog.

How long is the dog kept in the cage?

Caging/crating/kenneling dogs outdoors is not illegal.

Oh a cage as opposed to a dog run? I actually would report ,that if there is no room for the dog to walk around.

I would report it. Not sure if it is illegal or not but it is definitely cruel. Dogs are social animals and although working dogs are kennelled, they are worked regularly and have a rapport with their trainers/owners. A dog isolated like this will get issues through lack of socialising. That's without considering whether the dog is warm enough, has room to move and is allowed out to do it's business so it's not sitting around it's own poo, which would make it very miserable indeed.

You might not get very far through reporting ...but you might and at least you will know you have done the right thing

It looked like a rectangular cage. The dog is large and the cage looked barely bigger than him.

It might not be illegal to keep a dog in a cage but in one where there is barely room to turn around?

Working dogs are kennelled. It’s not cruel. It’s what they are used to.
Before retirement ours lived on sawdust in an outside kennel when not training or working. She was very happy and very well looked after.
She travelled in a dog trailer with other dogs, in a small compartment with air conditioning but no light, from Hampshire to the Highlands for grouse season. She lived in temporary kennels. She loved it.

Our challenge has been calming the working character and training her to be a household pet. She will still disappear for an hour chasing pheasants, given half a chance. She lies down in puddles to cool off after a five mile run. She prefers the floor to the sofas.

I’m not sure you can say it’s cruel to keep dogs to do the jobs dogs were bred to do.

It’s pretty cruel to keep a big, high energy dog in a tiny flat or house with minimal exercise and feeding it to excess. Then leaving it alone for six or seven hours. Probably more cruel.

Sadly, in my experience, the RSPCA will do nothing. As long as a dog has shelter, food and water they don't have the power to seize the dog.

I agree it's cruel but I'm not sure you'd have much luck - but I would report it anyway so you have peace of mind that you've done the right thing.

The bar for animal cruelty is shocking in this country.

Didn't look like he had any shelter.

@CherryPavlova

Working dogs are kennelled. It’s not cruel. It’s what they are used to. Before retirement ours lived on sawdust in an outside kennel when not training or working. She was very happy and very well looked after. She travelled in a dog trailer with other dogs, in a small compartment with air conditioning but no light, from Hampshire to the Highlands for grouse season. She lived in temporary kennels. She loved it.

Our challenge has been calming the working character and training her to be a household pet. She will still disappear for an hour chasing pheasants, given half a chance. She lies down in puddles to cool off after a five mile run. She prefers the floor to the sofas.

I’m not sure you can say it’s cruel to keep dogs to do the jobs dogs were bred to do.

Surely a kennel and a cage are wildly different things? OP said the cage was barely bigger than the poor dog, and didn’t look like there was shelter

I'm not sure a kennel and cage is hugely different. Not sure we're clear about length of time or provision of shelter. Not sure it's how most pets live but working dogs are different- just as some horses are stabled and some are not. Some cats live ins6sone don't. It's the details that are important not vague ideas.

If the dog is crammed into an inadequate crate with no shelter for more than very short periods eg while kennel cleaned, then that's an issue.

If the dog has a weatherproof, cosy, clean kennel and a run and is used to that and happy with it, no problem.

If they have a buisness breeding dogs they would have to be registered with the council. Maybe contact the council. A lot of people do keep dogs in outdoor kennels. I have working dogs mine are in my house.

This is a cage not a kennel. No sight of a bed or a shorter/roof to cage. Given they have had puppies stolen I think it is a guard dog. Since I saw it the gate has been shut so all I can see is the top of the cage.

There's a world of difference between a properly kenneled working dog, and what the OP describes, which is a small crate dumped outside with no shelter from the elements, used for prolonged periods.

OP - report to both the RSPCA and the council (the latter in the context of the dog breeding). If there's nothing sheltering the dog from the elements then it's one of those rare cases where the RSPCA might actually be able to seize the dog.

Take a photo report to RSPCA and the council. If they are breeding dogs they need to be registered with the council.

If you have concerns for the dog . DO THE RIGHT THING. 2 wrongs don't make it right. wrong to treat a dog like that . wrong for you to ignore it