Procrastinating: My Neighbor's Dog

We moved here less than a year ago. It’s wonderful, and it enables us to help more dogs since the setting is less labor intensive. Huge fenced yard is basically what we need to be able to care for more animals. With three jobs, volunteering work is limited, and walking every dog 3 times a day would alone be impossible. This to say that any issues with neighbors has to be dealt with VERY carefully because we just can’t afford to jeopardize our current standing in the neighborhood. We want to help the neighbor’s dog, but not if it means we lose the ability to help dozens more. I guess one could say that we could do the necessary to help the dog and move somewhere else if need be. Not as easily said then done. I think those who saw the pictures of the piece of fenced land we have access to to let our dogs play and exercise is something we may NEVER be able to find elsewhere unless we paid a fortune for it, and that, too, isn’t feasible as we need the money to help the dogs.

When we moved in, the young fellow living two doors down was walking his dog every day. It’s a beautiful male yellow Lab. Young, friendly, etc. About six months ago, he got tired of his prized dog and stopped walking him. The dog has been kept in a cage day in day out for the last 6 months at least, and it NEVER gets to go out to even just stretch out for 5 minutes. The cage has these two metal trays at the bottom collecting feces and urine, and the young lad never cleans them. After about three months stuck in the basement with zero daylight, our landlord complained about the smell so they moved the dog to the roof of the house. Our roofs interconnect so we see the dog every day when doing laundry. The dog barks but not so much. I bring him a raw hide quite often to help him kill extreme boredom. The dog under the sun all day, and every time I go see him he has no water nor food. He’s been losing weight quite a bit. He used to be gorgeous, now he looks a bit rough, and you can see his spine disks sticking out when he stands up. Same as before, the young lad NEVER empties the trays and they are filled with an inch of blackened urine mixed with feces. In the sun, it evaporates faster than the dog can pee, especially since the dog never has anything to drink. Summer is upon us now, and it’s getting tool hot.

He hasn’t been walked in so long that he can no longer walk without injuring his paws because his claws are curved right under his paw pads. The following are images of the dog, the claws and the trays at the bottom of the cage.

No food, no water as usual. (I fill the water bowl after taking pics) Notice the crap in the trays, too. It’s just sick.

We knocked on their door one day last week with a plan. The lad was sleeping on the sofa and wouldn’t get up. His sister slid a window open and talked to us. We claimed that our dogs were bored and we wanted a friend for them. He was hearing us, he was awake, but he did did not get up to talk to us. The sister said she would talk to him for us. Nothing happened. Then we caught up with the mother and asked her the same. She agreed to let the dog’s cage go to our backyard and let the dog hang out with our dogs. Nothing happened. Actually, the lad covered the cage with cardboard so that we can’t see the dog anymore, but that’s it.

Next move is to move the cage and the dog when they are not home and claim that we were just trying to be helpful since the cage is very heavy. Oh and we want to sneak the dog to the vet and have his claws clipped (He’ll need to be drugged because his claws are so long that they will all bleed and hurt badly when being clipped) and run a few tests. What do you think? You think that will work?

Other than that, we can call the Animal Health Institute and report them for keeping a dog caged 24/7 in the sun with images and testimonies. But that’s making them lose face and it translates in jeopardizing our ability to help other dogs. For all we know, the lad could poison our dogs, or someone could call the owner of the land/our backyard and complain. Like I mentioned in the introduction of this post, we will probably never find another place that is ideal to care for many dogs for this price(Only 15k per month). Currently, our dogs BARK a tad, but not very much and we have not received a single complaint in nearly a year. We just can’t fuck that up, but we really want to help this dog.

If you have any suggestions, PLEASE let us know. We’ll be moving the dog to our backyard in the next few days without permission, I think. Still procrastinating/thinking about the best way to deal with this…

marboulette

Offer to buy the dog from the boy. Poor doggy.

Marboulette, ask him what he wants for the dog and I’ll pay it. Can’t look after it, though, but a young one like that would easily be adopted.

Well… We haven’t actually considered that… We haven’t even thought about that… Man, we can’t afford this… We just bought a truck… I’m broke… Aaaaahhhh… Sigh… Will consider it. Thanks.

marboulette

I feel your pain as I’m in a very similar situation with a husky next door. I can’t bear to hear him cry and howl anymore. I was thinking of writing a letter to them. I would suggest they give up the dog(in a very very nice way). I don’t have as much to lose as you. I have contacted the authorities posted here in the other threads, but no replies?? They had a mixed black dog when i moved in, he disappeared after a couple months. The 2 huskies were next and one of them is now gone. About 3 weeks ago, a little weiner dog appears on the scene. He is now tied up out front on the shortest leash ever made, not even as long as he is. Anyone had luck getting a neighbour to give up a dog? I can see these guys causing some trouble if i get involved and proceed the wrong way. As far as the little buggar out front, I could just do a drive by and snatch him at night :ponder: but i won’t

Huh? … Huh?.. :astonished: Erm… OK, I’ll ask… I can’t refuse, sorry, and I feel humbled. :blush:

marboulette

Huh? … Huh?.. :astonished: Erm… OK, I’ll ask… I can’t refuse, sorry, and I feel humbled. :blush:

marboulette[/quote]
Breaks my heart. Plus, I’m in need of some karma points. :slight_smile:

A kind gesture jimipresley :bravo:

Tough call mate, seems everyone knows there is a problem, but no one is willing to cowboy up.

I’d suggest finding the “leader” in the neighborhood and having them sort it out. You could also try asking for the dog straight out. Taking their dog and doing right by it, even though it’s the right thing to do, will cause you endless grief in the end.

Huh? … Huh?.. :astonished: Erm… OK, I’ll ask… I can’t refuse, sorry, and I feel humbled. :blush:

marboulette[/quote]
Breaks my heart. Plus, I’m in need of some karma points. :slight_smile:[/quote]

Thanks to you both. I started to write that I’d donate to his emancipation via pay pal or something, but then thought that I really can’t now. I may be back in Taiwan in a few months and, if I am, I’ll surely make it up then! Plus, my son has been promised a doggy if we return there.

Given that these people see dogs as they would any given material item, what are the chances they go out and buy a new one? :ponder:

[quote=“Okami”]Tough call mate, seems everyone knows there is a problem, but no one is willing to cowboy up.

I’d suggest finding the “leader” in the neighborhood and having them sort it out. You could also try asking for the dog straight out. Taking their dog and doing right by it, even though it’s the right thing to do, will cause you endless grief in the end.[/quote]

Afraid to cowboy up is right, and endless grief is the reason why. So you think taking the dog and moving the cage will not work. I fear you are right. Will hold off on moving the cage now. :s Maybe I can sneak the dog to the vet unnoticed…

jimi, it could take a while before I get to actually get a translator here again to deal with the lad or his sister or mother. They are never home. And truth be told, my hopes are slim that he will sell the dog. Goddamn face in this country is such a burden… Good thing is the translator is unemployed and willing to come over anytime. I’m guessing within ten days at the most we’ll have an answer.

marboulette

I think/hope the young lad realizes that a dog is a tad more maintenance than just buying a TV stand, but he’s just too lazy, selfish, desensitized and careless to step up to the plate. I doubt he would buy another big dog anyways. Maybe a lap dog. I hope not.

marboulette

Hey, Mr Marboulette.
The dog is an obvious liability and hardly a pleasure to it’s “owners”. Methinks they will easily part with it if the correct protocol and face-saving issues are observed. Sorry I can’t take on adoptions because my apartment is smallish and not amenable to keeping pets other than fish and my girlfriend. Otherwise it would be a veritable menagerie.

Marb, I’m not busting your chops on this and I understand your predicament. I can’t do shit in my neighborhood or I would get it just as bad as you. Trust me, Several kilos of thermite later and the Mazu temple near my house will be ready for demolition, Oh, how I hate them. :fume:

I’d suggest getting someone slick because if you use reason with these people, then you’ve lost before anyone has even opened their mouth. I see no mention of a father or their standing in the community. They may have no juice and you could proceed with anything as long as it was cleared with the big cheeses in the neighborhood. BTW, anything that happens to that dog is now your fault. They stuck it next to your roof for a reason.

[quote=“Okami”]Marb, I’m not busting your chops on this[/quote]I know, I know. The confused smiley was directed at the situation, not at your response. I appreciate the opinion and I am seriously reconsidering moving the dog and the cage now. My wife thinks we should do that before we try to buy the dog and possibly suck up jimi some of his cash. We agreed to sleep on it and discuss it tomorrow.

[quote]I can’t do shit in my neighborhood or I would get it just as bad as you. Trust me, Several kilos of thermite later and the Mazu temple near my house will be ready for demolition, Oh, how I hate them. :fume: [/quote] That made me laugh out loud. A sympathetic laugh that is.

[quote]I’d suggest getting someone slick[/quote]Our translator is pretty good, I think. She managed to steel/take two Chihuahas and a miniature doberman from this guy who hordes dogs just recently. She’s our best hope. One 4 YO Chihuahua with heartworms still up for grabs. Being treated at the moment. I think it will be fine, and these little guys are super easy to re-home.

[quote]I see no mention of a father or their standing in the community. [/quote]Never seen a father. Seems like Mom with daughter and son.

[quote]They may have no juice and you could proceed with anything as long as it was cleared with the big cheeses in the neighborhood.[/quote]If there is such a person, we have no idea who it would be. [quote]BTW, anything that happens to that dog is now your fault. They stuck it next to your roof for a reason.[/quote]Pressure is on the landlord since she is the one who initially complained about the smell in the basement which led to the dog being moved into the sun on the roof. No wonder she appears to dislike the idea of us trying to help the dog now…

marboulette

[quote=“housecat”]

Thanks to you both. I started to write that I’d donate to his emancipation via pay pal or something, but then thought that I really can’t now. I may be back in Taiwan in a few months and, if I am, I’ll surely make it up then! Plus, my son has been promised a doggy if we return there.[/quote]

I missed this post. If you want to make up for it, you can just get in touch when you’re back. My wife and I would be stoked to meet housecat and housekitten. :wink:

marboulette

First, I want to send the thanks to you, jimi, once again for your offer to help this dog.

We made the decision to intercept the mother as soon as we can-it’s not easy as she is not home often. We will offer to help on the spot to move the dog and cage for her since it’s heavy and big. If that fails, then we might ask what the young lad would take to let the dog go. And if that fails… I don’t know… One step at the time, I guess.

I will keep you posted as soon as I know better.

marboulette

Recently, another forumosan contacted me and offered to “pitch in” to buy the dog. So worse case scenario, the bill wouldn’t all be yours, jimi, and we probably would have pitched in a bit, too. In any case, I want to thank the both of you again for your generosity and willingness to help this poor pooch. You guys rock!

The good news is you get your karma points AND you get to keep your money. :slight_smile: I intercepted the mother only a couple hours ago, and I got her on the phone with our translator. The young lad refused to move the cage, but he finally got around to cleaning it after we commented on the health issue for the dog. He also agreed to let us take the dog out of the cage whenever we want so long as the dog is back there at night. It’s not perfect, but I think it is acceptable for the time being. No one lost face, and we can now work on building a relation with the neighbors which will enable us to eventually, maybe, take the dog from them for good. But for now, the dog will be playing around our backyard and hanging out with our dogs all day. I’ll be letting him out around noon and back in his cage around midnight just about every day. It’s not ideal, but it’s more than MANY dogs get. Much better than a 30 minute walk three times a day like most pets are used to, except he does have to be back in his cage at night. He’ll be out before it gets too hot, and there is always shade to be found in our backyard. I’m happy with that.

No time today because I want to be around when I first let him interact with our dogs. I wouldn’t want the dog to be injured in a fight on day one. He gets to get out of there either later this evening or tomorrow and I will take him to the vet to have his claws clipped. I’m guessing he’ll need to be drugged to withstand the pain because the claws are too long by now making it impossible to cut them without causing pain and bleeding.

Again, many, many thanks and I’ll post pictures of the pooch playing in our yard soon. I think I will name him Amigo. :slight_smile:

Best,

marboulette

Great news! :bravo: :notworthy: :thumbsup:

Well, it is quite an improvement in doggie’s life. Bit by bit, inch by inch, easy does it. Hopefully, he will be free soon.