[WoopAhhh]

http://i.imgur.com/BX2LxGs.png

This is what she sent me. I will not let this animal die. We are both high-schoolers without money, so we cannot afford to send him to a vet right away, but IF it comes down to that, I will try my hardest. I have a dog, and his previous owners left him with flea infestations and skin sores. I have cured those with items from my veterinarian, so if that sounds like it would help this dog, please let me know.

1) What do you think is wrong with the dog? What can I do/use to help cure it?

2) Legally the dog is her uncle's, and so we can't just take him. I'm pretty sure her uncle would not allow me to even go to his house and give the dog a bath. So what should we do so that we could help the dog without her uncle suing her? I'm not sure if she'd be willing to call animal control, because her and her mother live with him, and he would kick them out; they have nowhere else to go.

I'm just kind of raging and disgusted and what I've written is probably messy, but I'm determined to do whatever it takes to help this animal.

Edit: According to her, her uncle is a scumbag who has had dogs in the past and let them die. She said he won't let me intervene at all.

 

[Kwenami]

Bugs tend to go for open wounds-so if the dog is scratching, that just makes the problem worse if they scratch until he bleeds. I understand that you don't have money but Avon sells a baby oil that repels bugs along with 100 other uses-buy a bottle and water it down, maybe only a few tbsps are needed for a small spray bottle. Spray the dog (preferably in a gentle way that's not scary, I find Koda prefers her back legs done first but that may be different) with it like bug spray and that should help-but it WILL smell strongly of the baby oil. It is a cheap and mostly effective way to get rid of bugs though, and Avon's products are all carefully tested and it's been used on lots of animals with no negative effects, but do keep an eye on it in case it's irritating the dog. I can't really tell whats bugging him other than bugs, which makes sense and is common, and he should probably see a vet (about 100$ in my area if not a bit more...maybe you can figure out the money somehow...I worked part time when I went to school).

As for the whole "it's not your dog" issue-it's true, and you don't want to put yourself in a bad situation just because the animal is close to a friend of yours (that's why a lot of shelter owner's won't adopt the majority of the dogs that come through, because it's too expensive and if they did so for every animal they would have other issues). I would go with her and maybe suggest the spray, seeing as how you're paying for it (I think it's 5-6$ for a 2L bottle? It lasts forever), and attempt to do so in an un-offending way. It's a good spray for people as well so maybe just use it on yourself while you're there and ask to spray the dog since you already have it out? If you can get the dog downwind a little even so when you spray yourself it goes on then..opps. It is a pretty strong baby oil smell so they WILL notice it, but they may not mind or think it's just you who smells that way. Unfortunately I don't really see a lot here that you can do besides calling animal control-I'd check the law in your area, I don't think someone can sue you for calling animal control but it might be better if you called and not your friend if she's living with them, or you might end up needing to house her for a bit too .

Good luck and I really hope you find something that helps you on this forum. There are lots of knowledgeable people and I wouldn't take my word for gold but get an overall opinion first and be careful with what you do. I'd hate to see you hurt or in a bigger mess with the law since it can affect your ability to get a job etc too.

 

[cac2109]

I would absolutely call animal control (and I'm pretty sure you can do it anonymously). If you are nervous about the repercussions, call and ask them directly about legal action that the uncle could take. They will know. Honestly, though, I think Animal Control is sued far more often than individuals.

My friend lived down the street from someone who neglected their dog (he was left out all day/all night with no shelter, was never socialized with anyone, an became quite aggressive because of it), she called animal control, and the animal control officer went to the house to assess the situation. The dog was actually taken away from the family, but they never knew that she was the one who called (and she never she wanted to remain anonymous).

Honestly, if I were in your situation, I would not even tell my friend I was doing this (I assume she feels the same way about the neglect). That protects her if the uncle gets mad - she can honestly say she had no idea that anyone had called them. If this dog is being so severely neglected, chances are that others know about it, too, and perhaps it could be any number of people could be calling to tip them off.

In general, animal control won't intervene as long as the dog is healthy and has food, water, shelter (so if you tied your dog up in the back yard and ignored him all day, it would be okay as long as he had adequate shelter). This dog's health is being neglected and it certainly sounds like someone should intervene.

This means that if you call them and they go and visit the uncle and determine that the dog's living conditions and health are adequate (and sadly, the standard is not too high) - then they won't take further action. So, if you're uncertain about whether or not animal cruelty is actually taking place, it is still worthwhile to call because there are professionals who can assess this situation. If they determine the dog is in a bad situation, then they will take action to remedy it.

If you are in the US, then take a look here for your state's animal cruelty laws: ASPCA | State Animal Cruelty Laws

I do think it is important that you do something because this dog does not have a voice to stand up for himself.

 

[Kwenami]

The only problem with calling in anonymously is that he might decide it was her friend that did so, and kick them out since they're living together, if he wanted to go to such extremes. Most people are smart enough to figure it out if she's been trying at all to do anything about it. It might be good to have another outsider who's seen the dog (like a neighbor) write that they'll testify with you if it comes to it.

 

[harleyboysmom]

Where there is a will there is a way.
This has got me enraged, so enraged I can't think clearly what to say, but I will later.
Thanks for your concern. I have ideas, probably not legal, but what someone doesn't know won't hurt them
Poor baby!
Only thing that is positive, if AC is involved, and fines are levied, I hope they stipulate never to own an animal again.
Keep us updated please.
Like Kwenami mentioned, are you in the States?

 

[Gingersnaps]

I hope they stipulate never to own an animal again.

Yes. AC needs to intervene for the sake of this dog and any future animals this man may own. It's not just one life at stake but potentially more, especially when he's already caused the deaths of other animals.

If I were the one contacting AC about this, I'd emphasize that the owner is volatile and may retaliate against the people and animals around him. I'd also ask that for the safety of others, AC visit on the premise of a routine spot-check of local animal owners. This is what our local AC did for us when I called in about a case of neglect, and they made a very vocal show of visiting us as well about "routine visits." It made our neighbors think we knew nothing about the situation.

Good luck and give us an update if you can.