Here’s The Scenario: 

Your neighbor is neglecting his dog. He leaves her out in the yard 24/7, in all kinds of bad weather, no shelter, no bedding, no toys, water dish is empty, pigeons are eating what’s left of her food, he doesn’t spend time with her or even check on her, she may be chained up and unable to move around just to go pottie, he doesn’t even leave a light on at night for her. Poor dog has no quality of life and may even be in poor physical health for all the neglect. Do you speak up?

Short Answer?

Hell Yes!! Get Involved!! You may very well be the only person to ever come along and help this poor little soul. She could spend the rest of her life hidden away, suffering, if no one sees and no one helps. You could be the angel who saves her. But don’t let your anger lead the charge. Hear Me Clearly–to be successful, you must do it with good sense and with kindness. Yes, kindness.

Use Your Compassion Sensibly.

First, restrain your anger, because no doubt you’ll be feeling a lot of that, and with good reason. But remember–your first concern must be for the dog–not just her current situation, but what will that owner do to her if you complain? Too often, if someone is already severely neglecting an animal, they may not think twice about “getting rid of her” altogether at the first signs of interference. Still, you have to try. You may be the only help she gets.

Kindness, Not Anger.

You don’t want your personal anger to stir up trouble and make the situation worse for her. So, regardless the anger you probably feel, you need to count to ten and tread lightly so as not to endanger the dog further. Even though you feel justified and you probably would be justified morally, it’s not as easy as just walking her out of that situation. There are legal issues, and emotional issues too.

Always approach such situations with kindness and compassion. You must dig deep and find a way to set aside your emotions and personal opinions in order to advocate wisely for the dog. If you can express your concern genuinely and with a spirit of kindness, it will show. And the dog’s owner is less likely to feel threatened by your intentions. Also understand and be prepared for your “intervention” to be a process that takes some time to resolve. Patience and grace are called for in these situations.

NEVER EVER JUDGE.

Try not to have any ill will toward the dog’s owner. If you approach this person in anger and with accusations, you’ve lost the battle right there, and now the dog could be in imminent danger. Remember–this is not about you and your anger or even about being right. It’s not. But it IS about saving the animal. So stay focused on that and you’ll do fine. Find out what you can about the situation. There could be more to it than meets the eye, and your rush to judgment may be misplaced.

How the owner responds to you when you approach them can depend a bit on the relationship you may already have with them. If you’re on cordial or friendly terms, you may be able to approach them in a spirit of compassion and wanting to be helpful. Maybe they have something unpleasant or difficult going in their lives and perhaps they might welcome your offer of help. In that case, simply offer to care for the dog for awhile, or to find the dog a new home long-term if that might be what they need, or maybe offer to just provide some food or cash for veterinary bills, vaccinations, etc.  Maybe they’ll agree to let you take her out several times a week for walks to keep her social and happy.

The Owners May Be Suffering, Too.

Although it’s not an excuse, it can be the reason. Oftentimes, if people are struggling with family or financial issues, they’ll be grateful for your gesture, as long as it’s given in kindness. In that case, by offering your help, you become a good samaritan for the whole family. On the other hand, the owner may not have any compelling excuse for neglecting his dog, and he may just be a total jerk. Still, be kind, don’t provoke. Focus on getting the dog safely away from him.

Helping out in small ways initially can build trust and ensure the dog’s safety until you’re able to progress with the dog’s owner toward finding a more permanent solution. Use your instincts and, as I’ve already said, always speak and act out of kindness.

What If The Situation Is Critical?

If the dog is already in grave danger, then building trust slowly isn’t going to work. You need to act quickly.  If you’re comfortable enough talking with the owner and asking if they’ll turn the dog over to you right then and there, by all means give it a shot. If you don’t know how they would respond, or perhaps you’ve already tried unsuccessfully to talk with them, then you’ll need to engage authorities.

Contact any animal welfare agency and ask for assistance. If you don’t get responses right away, and you’re certain the situation needs to be dealt with here and now, then call your police department and ask them to escort you to the property to do a welfare check on the dog. An officer can help you reason with the owner and hopefully convince them to turn the dog over to you.

Document Your Complaint.

Also, if possible, take photos of the dog and its living conditions. Photos that show the neglect. Show these to the officers if the owner refuses to give access to the dog. Trust the officers to intervene–they’re trained to deal with all types of situations and personalities.

If the owner still refuses to turn over the dog after a visit from you and the police department, at least he knows now he’s being watched and held accountable. You may even want to let him know about the photos you took. That can be a very good thing, but it can also be a bad thing. Oftentimes, owners will ditch the animal and you’ll never know what became of her.

I’m Worried About Repercussions For Interfering.

If you think the neighbor would retaliate against you for “sticking your nose in where it doesn’t belong,” then enlist the help of other neighbors. If a group of you steps up collectively, that would take the focus off you directly and also maybe open the dog owner’s eyes to how serious the problem actually is. Knowing he’s being watched closely on all sides at any hour of every day may reduce the chance he’ll take it out on the dog. He may even clean the yard up and start treating her better.

Or, if that doesn’t feel like an option, then lodge a complaint anonymously. If the dog owner is a renter, contact his landlord to report the situation. Or call the police department to report it as a silent witness and ask them to do a welfare check without giving your name. These are excellent options to protect your identity and still find help for the dog.

Whatever The Outcome … 

Human nature can be unpredictable. Having been involved in pet rescue for decades, I feel like I’ve seen the absolute worst of humanity, and not much surprises me anymore. Still, I like to believe that most people are good and will respond favorably to kindness and a compassionate approach. It’s a very fine line we walk when trying to advocate for neglected and abused animals. Just do your best, be patient, be kind, and beyond that don’t beat yourself up if the happy ending doesn’t come right away. You didn’t do this to her–leave the blame where it belongs, be faithful, and just keep trying.

Good Luck and God Bless for stepping up for an innocent life that might have no chance … but for you.

** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** **

God Bless and Happy Pet Parenting!

With love and good wishes,
jeannie.   ?

About jeannie:  I’ve been pro-actively involved in pet rescue all of my life. I founded Milagro Senior Pet Refuge© (Phoenix) in 1998, and BareFootPets (TM) in 2008.  Animal welfare has always been and will always be my heart’s work. If my only legacy is that I save a handful of precious souls that would not survive otherwise, I’m good with that.