Need helpful opinions and suggestions....

a friend of mine is being asked to help her boss who is trying to get a dog surrendered. the dog lives with the neighbor of my friend and she knows the dog pretty well. this dog is always outside (and i mean always!) she sleeps on the pine needles that fall to the ground from the pine trees, and whatever seems to be comfy on the ground. sometimes this dog breaks its chain and runs away to my friends house. she will give it food and water but always has to walk the poor dog back home. she says that the dog always trys to escape and gives her pleading looks to let it stay with my friend.

earlier this week my friend saw this dog at work (groomers). the dog was totally infested with fleas. it was bleeding, at alarming rates. it needed 6 baths to help with that. my friend also said that the bather and the dryer got fleas on them, and themselves had to take a doggie flea bath. my friend was in tears when she had to give the dog back to its owner. she had to literally drag the dog out of the cage and persuade it to move (its a malamute).

this dog still had its rusty choke chain collar. but a brand new leash was attached to it. the dog is almost 15 and my friend says she never sees the dog played with, or walked, or paid attention too.

the dog also has been taken away by animal control before for neglect and expiration of vaccinations.

also when i drove by the house to go to her house, i see the poor, poor pooch laying outside. probably infested with the same amount of fleas, again!

my friend is frustrated because she wants the dog to get out of there, but if they dont willingly give up the dog, my friends boss might take the owners to court for neglect and animal abuse. my friend feels alittle uncomfortable testifying against her neighbors.

any advice, opinions, suggestions i could pass on to my friend would be appreciated!

<sorry this is soo long>

The dog is 15 and lives like that...outside with the fleas, with no food, water or love? :mad:

Your friend should definitely testify.

Why does she have to return him? This situation reminds me of Bandit's story. Bandit used to owned by people who lived close to me. He escaped as often as he could and he always ended up at my place. For months, I walked him home and took him back to what I knew was a lousy situation. One day he showed up and I said "screw it". They know where he is, they have my number, if they want him, they can come get him. They never did. They moved not long after.

If it comes to it, I think she should testify. I hope it doesn't come to that though.

I'm with Glacier. Next time he shows up I say he's yours. Testify if need be but think of the poor dog. All he wants is to be loved. If you might get in trouble he can move down here. It would take a while with customs but.....

i agree with OZRON and GLACIER...the owners don't seem to
care...you know...maybe she got out again and got "lost"...
the owner probably won't even bother looking for her...just a
little love and attention is too much to ask of these people...
why 'ask' them for anything else...:mad:

I agree with everyone else. If the dog shows up again, she's fair game. I've done it. My neighbors across the street had this little Cocker/Peke mix they kept outside 24/7 and they would let it run around off leash after us telling them numerous times to keep it on a leash. They have these little monster twin boys that kicked and hit the dog on a few occasions. So one day when we saw it running loose a block over we got him. He has a broken tail, cherry eye, heartworms, and he's not neutered. Some people can't be reasoned with so you just have to do what's best for the innocent animal. They never put up signs or knocked on our door looking for him, so that shows how much they cared.

Your friend might want to help the dog "break loose" just to get her out of that situation quicker. If it goes to court, then I say she should testify, they don't need to get away with what they've subjected this poor dog to. If it was a child, they wouldn't get away with it.

If I had to see that dog live in those conditions I wouldn't be the least bit uncomfortable testifying! Where I live a dog has to have proper shelter. I've got one dog proper shelter and one dog removed for not having it by making a simple phone call. I hope your friend does something to help this dog.

Sadly, but fortunatly; sweet, old, big Jenny has passed on. I'm not sure if she died naturally or by euthanaisa. (most likely natural, and alone )

I feel horrible because she died in pain, infested with fleas, ticks, etc.; and alone outside. I wish i would have known she was slipping, i would have gone over there and stayed with her for her last moments. comforting her, petting her, loving her, letting her know that i had never forgot her over these painful years of neglect and abuse. letting her know that even though i felt i had to return her to her awful home by law, that morally and spiritually i felt that i was doing the wrong thing! i should have kept her, i could have helped her. i feel like since i "had" to take her back all those sad times that i helped in killing her!

but i also feel a sort of joy in that she is no longer suffering, in pain, infested with god knows what, and alone. she is with other dogs that she can play with forever and forever. she can feel and be younger than her 15 years. she will no longer be neglected or abused by the sick people she loved while they hurt her none the less. there is nothing holding her back from going where she pleases now.

R.I.P. JENNY, THERE ARE NO RUSTY CHAINS TO HOLD YOU BACK NOW!!!
Fly free, sweet angel, fly free and far! I will miss you greatly!

Jenny the Malamute (1990-2005)

If your friend even had HALF a soul in her,, she wouldnt even have to think about it!!!!

thanks the friend was me

That was a really tough situation, but don't blame yourself. Even if it was just for a little while, at least the poor thing had SOMEONE to love her, since her owners had no interest. That really breaks my heart. We actually "stole" a neighbors dog when I was little. Her owners beat and neglected her...if you are going to treat a dog like that don't get one!!:mad: