Sooooo... what would you do as an animal lover...

I'm torn on this one... 6 months ago I wasn't... I have rescued her before, but returned her to her owners... Here's a little backround on the story.

Location: Very rural setting, my grandmother had a horse farm, got rid of the horses because she couldn't work them like she could years ago, her lupus is getting worse... lives on a dead end road...her closest neighbor is 2.5 acres away. The neighbor is the issue...

My grandma has lived there for going on 6 years. The neighbor had two raggety dogs... one dog disappeared one day... later to find out they put it in the shed and it died... NO WONDER it was the middle of summer in FLORIDA!!!:eek::eek:

They replaced the dead dog with a white lab-ish puppy, they named her Rosie.

Rosie turns 16 weeks old, and starts showing signs of localized demodex... a month goes by, the dog is untreated and it's getting severe. By the time I got involved... the dog was approximately 7 months old...which means the mange had not been treated for 3 months, she was so bad off that the secondary infection took over and she was refusing food and water, listeless, white gums, refusing to walk...she basically gave up on life. Well, her owners left town for a month, and left her loose without food & water ... 2 weeks into them being gone is where i stepped in. Rosie went to my grandmothers house and camped out on her front porch to pass on near people. I went over, and gave her a good bath, and started her first round of antibiotics (with 6 dogs in my own home, i avoid the vet like the plague if possible I keep a stock of the basics that a vet will shove in your face to get you out of their office). Durring her first bath I discovered she had pores the size of eraser heads, puss and blood coming from everywhere. I treated her with nustock. 24 hours from then is when she started refusing to eat, water, and walk. I went back after 24 hours to evaluate her progress, which she just regressed! The next morning I carried Rosie to my car and took her over an hour away to my vet. Mind you this dog has had maybe two bowls of dog food in the last 2 weeks... She wasn't fed well before that so she was underweight by 15-20 pounds.

Well, she stayed over night at the vet and they kept her on IVs because they saw how orange her pee was and to make sure she started eating. Long story short... we fixed the mange and put 10 pounds on her before her owners even noticed her at my grandmas house. After that, they started causing hell and threatening my grandma for having their dog.

I got all of my vet records and photos together, and a written statement from my vet and took it to our AC&C. The AC&C clerk even said the dog was so bad off that she would have just put it down. So I filed a complaint with a folder full of documentation.

After we made the formal complaint, I returned Rosie to her owners with their own personal copy of the information handed to AC&C. It wasn't pretty, but they got their dog back.

NOW... they keep the dog chained to a tree in their front yard without food, water and shelter. Rain or shine she's chained to that tree. Yes, she has her full coat back, but you can tell she isn't being fed, you can see her hip bones again.

Would you bother calling AC&C again, leave the people along because it's not your property, or would you just make the dog disappear?

hmm.. if I could take teh dog without them noticing maybe i would.. but then again.. you had previously taken her and they mights suspect of you.. and maybe present charges as tresspassing or robbery or something.. or cause trouble to your grandma

probably it´s better to call AC.. and as they already have the previous issue.. they might be able to take her from them... than you can ask if you can take her

yeah, my grandma is my main concern. Since they had previously threatened her life.... I'll just go ahead and start calling AC&C everyday that she's without shelter. They're out of town again :(

I think the authorities need to be involved. If you were to take her again there is nothing stopping them from doing this again to another dog. :(:(

Yes notify AC&C. They went out of town with no food, water, shelter for a dog, IN FLORIDA? That should be more than enough for authorities to confiscate the dog. If not, then there is something wrong with the authority given to them!

Poor girl. Please keep trying to help her, you are her only hope.

And as someone said, if you work alone, this just sets them up to inflict their neglect on another dog.

I would definitely call animal control. Even on a weekend. No animal deserves that neglect, and maybe this time they can take them to court and prohibit them from future animal ownership.

Ugh this kind of stuff makes me so mad, and sad.
What a horrible situation for the dog.... I will NEVER understand why people get animals, and just leave them to fend for themselves, ignore them, don't properly care for them medically and other ways, and don't train them.

This is kind of a sticky situation. I'm not a huge fan of animal control, they are WAY to worried about leagal stuff that could get them into trouble, blah blah blah. I don't know for sure, but I feel like they don't do everything possible to help animals in need.:(

Maybe you could have a dog-loving friend that could take the dog without them noticing?
Good luck to you, and keep us updated.:)

I wouldn't even have asked - I'd have called Animal Control the first time I saw her chained to that tree.

I don't really have too much advice, as I'm not really sure of how the system works in the USA, but I wanted to say that I think it is amazing what you have done and are doing for Rosie. Bless you. :love:

Call the AC&C. Don't attempt at taking the dog again; You'll be one of their first three guesses at where it went.

I agree with everyone else, lol, call the animal control... hopefully they will do something. I know ours in my city probably won't, but maybe if you complain enough they will!!!! Especially since puppy doesn't have shelter... maybe start compiling more pictures and videos to show that they never give her shelter or food. I dunno :-/

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Originally Posted by *LabLoverKEB*

This is kind of a sticky situation. I'm not a huge fan of animal control, they are WAY to worried about leagal stuff that could get them into trouble, blah blah blah. I don't know for sure, but I feel like they don't do everything possible to help animals in need.:(

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I have to agree with this, since I was served a summons by AC to go to court - for helping a homeless cat. Long story, but the charge got thrown out on a technicality. They were more interested in collecting a fine from me, than helping the homeless, abused, neglected animals in this state.

I'd make this dog go "poof" if at all possible. Perhaps there is someone out of the immediate area that would take her, and her present owners wouldn't be able to find her.

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Originally Posted by pomtzu

I'd make this dog go "poof" if at all possible. Perhaps there is someone out of the immediate area that would take her, and her present owners wouldn't be able to find her.

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I second this. You should take that dog away especially since they are out of town... just have it preplanned. Get her to a no kill as far away as possible or have someone ready out of town that will take her.

I would have never given her back in the first place, but that's just me and I'm a stubborn p.i.t.a.

Definately call Animal Control, every day or even hour if necessary. If you can get pix, WITHOUT crossing onto the property (zoom lens) I'd recommend it.

Thanks for the suggestions guys. I guess I'm going to have to ponder on this one for a little while, and talk it over with my grandma. I really don't want to put my grandmother in danger, but at the same time I know we as a family cannot sit idly by watching this poor dog wither away AGAIN. Our local AC&C doesn't have a great track record with confidentiality, and I know they will cause more problems between the neighbors.

If we do take her I'm going to have to put up another kennel to safely house her durring the day. My APBT is highly DA, and it's a chore and a half keeping her from the other 5 pups. I do live a few miles away, and the vet records I gave them have a previous adress. I don't have a landline so they can't 411 me. I really don't think these bafoons have much more of a thought process than that.

Agree with CatLady711 ...

Gets pics, call AC EVERY day. Call the local paper, etc.

Can you offer to buy her from the people? Maybe money will speak louder than their "need" to have a dog? Of course the concern is that they will get another dog. . .I also agree that sometimes animal control doesn't do what needs to be done. You might also want to check if there is an animal advocacy agency in your area and get them involved. They can push harder.

Good luck and bless you for all that you do for those poor babies. . .:love:

Cathy

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Originally Posted by Catherinedana

Can you offer to buy her from the people? Maybe money will speak louder than their "need" to have a dog? Of course the concern is that they will get another dog. . .I also agree that sometimes animal control doesn't do what needs to be done. You might also want to check if there is an animal advocacy agency in your area and get them involved. They can push harder.

Good luck and bless you for all that you do for those poor babies. . .:love:

Cathy

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Yeah, we tried it :( my grandmother offered them 500.00 for her when we first returned her... I know there was bad blood between them at the time, but maybe it's worth another shot now that things have "calmed down" between them