Friend Ties Up Dog

[TromboneAl]

Some friends asked us to drop by their house to feed their dog while they were gone for three days. I get there, and the dog is tied to a stake in the yard, and the cable had gotten all tangled up so that he only had about 5 feet of line. He couldn't get to the shade (it's only about 60 degrees here, but still).

It's absolutely animal cruelty, punishable by a fine of up to $1,000 and six months in prison.

It wouldn't have worked to bring him home with us, but now I'm thinking I'll drive over there (30 minutes away) with the truck after dinner, and bring him here. Not sure where he'll sleep.

He's a good dog, but he doesn't get the attention he deserves.

I guess I'll tell them what I think, but it may be the end of our friendship.

 

[REWahoo]

Al, you sure live an 'interesting' life...

 

[harley]

Take him to a no-kill shelter and tell your "friends" he was gone when you got there. Some people don't deserve to have a pet.

 

[bbbamI]

You're a good man Al.

Their actions are outrageous!

 

[dex]

How does tethering or chaining dogs pose a danger to humans?
Dogs tethered for long periods can become highly aggressive. Dogs feel naturally protective of their territory; when confronted with a perceived threat, they respond according to their fight-or-flight instinct. A chained dog, unable to take flight, often feels forced to fight, attacking any unfamiliar animal or person who unwittingly wanders into his or her territory.
Unchain Your Dog.org | Chaining a Dog is a Form of Animal Cruelty/Animal Abuse/Animal Neglect

 

[FIREd]

This is scandalous! Thanks for being so kind-hearted Al.

 

[Purron]

Call the police or animal control. Check the animal laws in your area. I'm guessing you already have since you've quoted the criminal penalaties. I advise you to take pictures and/or get witnesses. I've seen cases like this get ugly.

 

[Orchidflower]

TAl, I had a friend who used the "excuse" that she had the flu and didn't let her son's puppy in (it was way under a year old). I know she used that excuse cause I DID have the flu and my beloved kitty (17-1/2 y.o.) left when I let him out to pee, and never came back and I had told her that. He did what kitty's do and went to hide and die as he had gone from 15 lbs. down to 8. It was a really sad event in my and the son's life as we loved that cat alot.
But she let this little puppy out--and I swear she did not have the flu either but just wanted to get rid of the puppy--and went to sleep leaving him out there so LONG that a neighbor took him to a shelter. That's just cruel to me. If she wanted to get rid of the puppy at least take him to a shelter and not let him wander outside in the traffic and eating heaven knows what.

Long story short: I didn't tell her what I thought, but that WAS the end of our friendship. I just cannot take that type of cruelty to little helpless animals myself. Who wants friends that are so self-centered as that?

 

[NW-Bound]

Or perhaps they are not mean, but simply STUPID. Every summer here, the media has to warn newcomers to the state to not lock their dogs in the car while shopping. The temperature inside a car parked in the AZ sun can reach 140deg or more, which is the temperature to cook steak to medium rare. Hell, it can be 120deg in the shade already!

 

[Orchidflower]

To chain a dog up and leave for 3 days is animal cruelty--no matter how much we sugar coat it.

 

[NW-Bound]

They were counting on T-Al to take care good care of it, perhaps.

 

[Stevewc]

I don't want to comment badly about T-Al's friend but I'm thinking maybe there is a problem with the dog getting out of the fence or something like that? That is if this was inside a fence?
But I do agree the owner didn't give this much thought and made a bad decision.
Not knowing the people or all the facts leaves me really wondering though, to say the least.
I'm a big animal lover/nut so not something I would do. Don't get me wrong.
Just kind of puzzles me, like what tha He*L were they thinking?
Or, were they thinking?
Steve

 

[LARS]

Hope you did get the dog. Good dog... bad, bad people... and you are correct it sounds like cruelty to an animal if you wanted to report it.

 

[Calgary_Girl]

I would report their a**es to the police so fast that it wouldn't even be funny. This is definitely animal cruelty. Who cares if the friendship will be over? I wouldn't want to have friends like this.

 

[JOHNNIE36]

T/Al, I agree with the posts that say those "friends" of yours don't need or deserve a dog. However, if you use your method of taking the dog to a no-kill shelter and then tell them the dog ran away, they might go out and get another. Don't let them do this. I'd tell them what you did and why and to hell with the friendship.

 

[sweetana3]

I have had neighbors almost anywhere I have lived that are just plain stupid. Right now we have the neighbor's cat living in our backyard with food and catty shacks and a new kitten friend who showed up 2 months ago. They threw him away because he clawed the furniture. Our neighbors to the side are wonderful and let him hang out in their yard too.

In NC, we lived next to horrible neighbors who ran thru five dogs in less than 2 years. Felt somewhat sorry for their kids who ran wild and needed more adult attention. Just before we left, the police had a nice visit with the couple about their young son. One summer I kept both the new dog and their daughter company (held my own summer camp) and never heard a word from the mom. I was really glad to leave that place even though I liked the house and the area.

This was a very nice subdivision but it does not ensure intelligent responsible neighbors.

 

[Dawg52]

Take him to a no-kill shelter and tell your "friends" he was gone when you got there. Some people don't deserve to have a pet.

I wonder if the dog stays tied to a stake when they are home? I would be inclined to do the above if you didn't want to confront your buddies and potentially end your friendship. But if your like me, it would be hard not to say something.

You could tell them that the dog was wrapped up and could not get out of the sun. And explain that a boarding kennel might be a safer option in the future. This might be one way to save the friendship along with expressing concern for the safety of the dog.

 

[travelover]

When I need to board my dog, it is only $14 a day at the vet's place. So basically these folks would rather torture their dog than spend less than $50 to make sure it is safe.

 

[TromboneAl]

He's here now, getting plenty of pampering and attention.



We went for a walk on the beach last night, and soon we'll go for a long run on the beach.

He was tied up because of the friend's ignorance and stupidity. I talked to her last night, and couldn't figure out the reason he was tethered. The yard is fenced, and he can't get out. She said something like "I guess I didn't need to tie him up." I don't get it. But even being alone in the yard for three days is bad enough. She'd said that she couldn't get him into the kennel.

He's a very good and smart dog -- very eager to please. Dog training was a hobby of mine a long time ago, and when we dogsat him a few years back, I'd taught him sit, down, and stay. He still responds well to those. He has a little trouble relaxing.

 

[Sue J]

Hate to say this out loud, Al, but it looks to me like he'd love to be adopted by you and Lena.

Are you two interested in a dog? Can you really let him go back to being tied up in the yard?

We are cat people and when we've needed to be gone for a trip we get a pet sitter who comes once a day for food and water, litter scooping and playing or brushing. She also waters plants, brings in mail and will open and close curtains if you'd like. For dogs she visits twice a day or more if you'd like and that includes a walking.

My cat does not transition well (carrier/car/new location) so this works best for us.

 

[donheff]

I agree that you should tell them why what they were doing is wrong. but if it turns out the dog is left chained while they are at work every day you will be faced with a tough situation.

 

[ERD50]

We stopped 'dog sitting' for neighbors and friends years ago. We are happy to help out these people, but dogs are just too much. Most of the dogs get antsy when left alone for most of the day, compounding the situation.

One too many times, while those people are off on a beach somewhere, and we decide to 'stay-cation', DW ends up cleaning up a 'mess' the dog made, or the dog runs off and we end up looking for it in the middle of the night. Just because we didn't go to a beach doesn't mean we don't want to relax at home on our time off. Playing maid and dog sitter is no fun, and it is a big responsibility. Ties you up early morning and late night. No more.

So after that, if they didn't get the hint from the stories about the clean up and the middle of the night searches, we gently said, 'Oh, sorry, but we were thinking we might get away for a quick overnight trip or something that week, so we really couldn't commit to watching your dogs'. The requests ended after that.

We watch cats, birds, caged or tanked things, and water flowers for people. Those are pretty much once a day, anytime during the day things. No problem. But no more dogs. We don't have dogs for those very reasons, they need to make arrangements with a professional service.

-ERD50

 

[TromboneAl]

I've printed out these for when they pick him up:

California Dog Tethering Law | eHow.com

The Facts About Chaining and Tethering : The Humane Society of the United States

Teaching Your Dog to Walk on a Loose Leash

 

[TromboneAl]

it looks to me like he'd love to be adopted by you and Lena.

Right. We'd enjoy it, but for me, there are too many disadvantages.

He slept in our bedroom last night. There was a lot of snoring, bad smells, and farting. And then we let the dog in!

 

[Purron]

Good for you in trying to educate them. Hopefully, they will learn and change how they care for their dog. He looks to be in good condition otherwise so hopefully this is just a case of ignorance on this one issue. BTW, here's the ASCPA's stance on tethering dogs:

ASPCA | Tethering