Klaus can take lids off!

[koshergrl]

Does he ever get out of the garage? That's so sad.

 

[Kooshdakhaa]

Does he ever get out of the garage? That's so sad.

He does get out...I let him out in my yard for a while 2-3 times a day and his owner comes and gets him in the evenings, once for a 30-minute walk and then later he comes and gets him and takes him over to his girlfriend's house and they'll be gone a couple hours, sometimes three.

But he spends many hours in there by himself. I think it's better than the Jeep he was being kept in, though, at least he can move around and kept warm over the winter. I try to let him in the house when I have time to watch him very closely with my dogs. (He and one of my Dobermans got into a bit of a spat when he was first staying with us and I was trying to let him hang out in the house. I can't risk it.)

Poor dog. The guy needs to make other arrangments soon, as the weather warms up it gets very hot in my garage. This wasn't supposed to be a permanent solution, anyway! I wish I could convince him to let the dog go.

 

[Kooshdakhaa]

Oh, and he does have his shots. When he was being kept in the Jeep at the start of last winter, people were calling Animal Control and complaining (myself included). Animal Control came and made him take the dog to the vet and get shots and a check up. The temps were dropping, it was as cold as 10 below and this dog was in that Jeep! Animal Control would come and stick a thermometer in the Jeep and check the temperature, but not in the dead of night. This is a short-haired dog, too. Pitbull/Sharpei mix. But they said he was okay because he had a doghouse with straw in the back of the Jeep. That wasn't the owner's doing...a local charity called Straw for Dogs brought it for him. They go around trying to help these poor dogs who are kept out in people's backyards all winter long, bring them a doghouse, straw, toys, take them for walks, etc.

I was going crazy with worry for the dog, that's why I tracked down the owner and offered him the use of my garage until he could get a place that would allow him to keep the dog. He's staying at his dad's place in a nearby trailer court and the owner of the place doesn't allow pitbulls. The Jeep is parked near my house and I work in the area, too, so this poor, sad dog was constantly in my sight.

When the dog was in the Jeep I would hear him howling sometimes. : ( Since he's been in the garage I've never heard him howl...so I think it's been a little better for him. The garage has some windows so daylight gets in and I keep a lamp on at night out there for him. The guy only comes at night on weekdays, but I make sure the dog gets plenty of potty breaks.

 

[Noomi]

Speaking of dog food, my idiot neighbors have a gorgeous Border Collie who looks about 15 years old because he's so damned neglected. They feed him bacon and eggs, toast and chocolate - he has a bowel problem so he doesn't absorb much food, so he can eat chocolate, which they give him by the trailer load.
They wonder why he always comes up to our place - when I'm outside with my three, he comes up to play, obviously! Then he gets dragged back home and because he has one of those collars that deliver a mild electric shock if he barks (or something like it) the neighbor shocks the poor dog as 'punishment'.

I have notified the RSPCA at least twice in the past 6 months about these people, and nothing has happened. I guess they must make the dog presentable if they ever have a visit from the authorities.

THAT breaks MY heart, to see such a beautiful dog reduced to a miserable animal who looks double his age.

Any wonder why I am strongly in favor of prison time for people who abuse and neglect animals?

My three are gorgeous, and perfect dogs - except for the Jack Russell who is a bit, erm, chubby, to say the least. The two Borders couldn't be healthier, though.

 

[Kooshdakhaa]

My dogs are all healthy, although the two little ones (min pin and min pin mix) have a tendency to get chubby. One of my Dobermans who is 9 1/2 has arthritis in one of her knees, but I started giving her Adequan shots, after the loading dose she now gets them once a month. The vet was just going to put her on Meloxicam (pain pills) for the rest of her life, but I don't want to do that if there's another way. And, lo and behold...the Adequan works! : ) The vet agreed with that plan and taught me how to give her the shots. Plus she gets Glucosamine/MSM.

I'm with you, Noomi, the penalties for animal abuse really need to be harsher, in my state for sure.