advice on a situation(with neighbor) im not quite sure how to handle

edited March 2009 in General
So my neighbor who lives across from me has 2 dogs. She seems nice and has 2 kids (7 yr old & a baby)
I couldnt help but to notice strange things about her and her dogs since i moved onto this base 1 year ago.
- her dogs are never out on walks
- husband is deployed often & she wld go to her moms place, leaving 2 dogs behind alone in the hse, sometimes for 2 days straight.
- we only see her dogs when we are at her door, no1 besides 1 other neighbor has been in her hse.

So 2 days ago, the only neighbor/person(besides her fam), wendy, who has been in her hse, came over to ask me for some advice. This is what she told me.

Our neighbor is a lil crazy when it comes to her dogs. As mentioned, she wld leave for 2 days straight on a regular basis, on about 3 occasions Wendy has offered to watch her dogs, she declined, but eventually gave her the keys so Wendy cld get into her hse to let the dogs out to potty.

Peanut(1 yr old papillon), lives in a crate all her life, she is not allowed to walk arnd the hse or go outside, she pottys where she sleeps and eats, in a small crate. She is given 1 handful of food a day because my neighbor doesnt want her to poop so much in the crate & stink up the hse. She is given water once a day, (water gets taken away after 5 mins), so she doesnt pee so much either.

Kenta( 11 yr old mix, large breed), lives in a cornered off area of the hse, is given 1 cup of food a day, also to prevent it from pooping so much, same situation as peanut when it comes to water.

Her children are not suppose to touch the dogs are they are "dirty" (of cos peanut is effing dirty, she sleeps & potty in a small crate all her life!)
Both dogs are obviously not socialized and they dont get to go out. She wont let her dogs outside as she doesnt want them to bring in dirt from the backyard when they come into the hse after pottying.

We tried to tactfully approach this issue with her, made suggestions like perhaps she shld give her dogs away or something. Wendy even offered to take in her dogs.
But, she said she doesnt want to give the dogs away, she only wants to sell them. The papillon for $700 and a couple hundred for Kenta.

I feel so sorry for these dogs, lack of food,water,love, space,proper care, exercise, basically everything. I want to report her to the base police, but as a last resort. She seems like a real nice person, but just not with her dogs.
Any suggestions on how this issue shld be handled?

Comments

  • edited November -1
    I'm thinking all you can do is file a complaint with animal control and/or the police to see if they are willing to look into the situation. Outside of that you could keep offering to buy or take the dogs from her. There aren't a lot of options in this situation.
  • edited November -1
    If animal control works the same way as in the states, the living conditions of the dogs alone is enough evidence to search and seize.
  • edited November -1
    I agree with Brandon and Jen. It sounds like these poor dogs live terrible lives. And if the military laws are the same as US civilian laws, she is guilty of animal cruelty by the living conditions alone.

    It makes no sense to me that someone would bring an animal into their home just to treat it this way... If you are afraid of dirt, a pet is NOT for you.
  • edited November -1
    Absolutely tell animal control or police. Try to inform them that you need to have your personal info. kept quiet b/c you have to live next door to her. This is animal cruelty and it shouldn't be allowed to continue. If the dogs get out of that situation soon,they hopefully are young enough to be reconditioned. I hope that she can also get some form of counseling because her behavior is not healthy/normal. I wonder , seriously, how her human children are handled. People can be awfully good at hiding things. Sad situation :(
  • edited November -1
    wow. that is really sad story. I can understand not wanting to do something because she seems "nice" but she is not being nice to her dogs. I agree with everyone else here, you should report her for animal cruelty. I mean could you imagine a life like that, being locked in a cage all the time and not being fed or walked.... sounds miserable. ;-(
  • edited November -1
    I would assume things are a bit more complicated as
    a)you are in Japan
    and
    b)you are on a military base.

    I would think that the base has some sort of housing authority, perhaps you could place an anonymous complaint. She absolutely needs to be reported. We are programmed by society that tattling is wrong. But great heros are those who are not afraid to speak up for what is right. This woman is clearly un-well. She really shouldn't have animals OR children. There may be some sort of backlash however you will be helping her. She needs to know that what she is doing is wrong. This could be the beginning of her getting some help.
  • edited November -1
    Yeah, how does she treat her kids? (not in public i mean...) I would report her too. There has to be some type of animal cruelty law, even on a military base in Japan. Sleeping in their own feces can't be ok, even if it's not the USA and water for 5 mins. a day?? I'm actually surprised her animals are still alive!
  • edited November -1
    This is so totally wrong! These are the five animal freedoms that are in force in the UK, this should really apply to EVERY PLACE on this earth! Here they are;

    Freedom from thirst, hunger and malnutrition - by ready access to fresh water and a diet to maintain full health and vigor.
    Freedom from discomfort - by providing a suitable environment including shelter and a comfortable resting area.
    Freedom from pain, injury and disease - by prevention or rapid diagnosis and treatment.
    Freedom to express normal behavior - by providing sufficient space, proper facilities and company of the animals own kind.
    Freedom from fear and distress - by ensuring conditions that avoid mental suffering.

    This woman is not obiding by ANY of these animal freedoms. This makes me sick and angry. Please report this nutcase.
  • edited November -1
    : ( poor things
    its hertbreaking
  • edited November -1
    That is just truly disgusting. I am horrified. Everyone is right, they've tied your hands. You have to report them.
  • edited November -1
    If this is a US base, aren't they subject to US laws?
  • edited November -1
    Yes
  • edited November -1
    Wow that's just awful, not just for the dogs but for the kids as well. She is teaching them a really bad thing, and the fact that there is feces in the house even for for an instant is a health risk. Pets aside, as we have all expressed how cruel she has been to them, she has been putting her kids at risk for some major illnesses with these unclean conditions. A baby doesn't mind ingesting dog poop; and piddle doesn't just stay in one spot, the kids may step/crawl in it.

    If you can't get anything done for the dogs sake, you can get something done for the children's sake as these unsanitary conditions aren't acceptable. This in turn would help the dogs as she would have to better maintain the dogs or give them up for the well being of her kids.
  • edited November -1
    update:

    so ive filed a report with the base police, they said they will look into it & get back to me
    im really anxious to see what happens, really hope they will do something abt it & help the doggies out
    Thanks all for the suggestions.
  • edited November -1
    You're doing a great thing, I just hope the base police follow through!!! :o)
  • edited November -1
    Have a K9 unit on base?? They would be a good contact as well....??
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