So there's someone in my neighborhood who cracks their garage door open about 2-3 feet and there is always this little dog lying in the garage. The dog is attached to a leash that runs out the garage and attaches to the door knob of the side garage door entrance. I guess this allows the dog to go in the yard, but I've never seen the dog leave the garage. I know NC has a law that prohibits dogs being tethered for more than 3 hours per 24 hour period. I have not sat and watched this dog for 3 hours straight, but it is tied up every single time I pass by and at all hours so it's pretty safe to say that they have broken this law.

My question is...should I call animal control? I am pretty sure the dog has food and water (at least I think I've seen bowls...who knows if they're full/empty). I know there are plenty of outside dogs that are happy, but I feel so bad for this little dog being stuck in the garage during this heat. Not to mention, I've seen when the owners arrive and the dog jumps at excitement and they just ignore it and walk right by. I really don't understand why some people own dogs if they don't want to take care of them.

8/4/2011 1:31:01 PM

Quote :

"I've seen when the owners arrive and the dog jumps at excitement and they just ignore it and walk right by"

that makes me sad.

8/4/2011 1:32:27 PM

I dont know how much animal control can do about getting them to show you that they are interested in their dog.

8/4/2011 1:40:05 PM

Scissors+leash=happy dog

8/4/2011 1:42:25 PM

You need to be sure it is out for more than the allowed time. If he isn't, and he has food, shelter, and water then Animal Control can't do anything.

8/4/2011 1:45:24 PM

Quote :

"Not to mention, I've seen when the owners arrive and the dog jumps at excitement and they just ignore it and walk right by."

According to most dog trainers, this is actually good practice. It supposedly helps the dog not to develop separation anxiety and doesn't reward the dog for going ape shit every time you come home. You are supposed to reward/sweet talk the dog once it has calmed down. Having said that, I know no one (including myself) that actually does this.

8/4/2011 1:46:29 PM

Can I call them on suspicion of 3+ hours tied up or do I really need to watch this dog for 3 hours?

Quote :

"According to most dog trainers, this is actually good practice."

Yeah, something tells me they probably didn't learn that in dog training class though.

[Edited on August 4, 2011 at 1:47 PM. Reason : .]

8/4/2011 1:46:35 PM

Sure, but it doesn't mean they will do anything. I'd call and say something like "I drove by so many hours ago, and drove by again just now and the dog was still outside. This happens on a regular basis and I'm concerned for the dog's welfare."

8/4/2011 1:48:40 PM

^^Well, Ceasar the dog whisperer said it, too!

8/4/2011 2:03:05 PM

Quote :

"Having said that, I know no one (including myself) that actually does this."

I did. I'm also not a huge sucker for cute animals, so I had no issue ignoring my dogs until they stopped going apeshit. Now they don't really go apeshit anymore when I get home. I'm lucky if the boxer even gets up off the couch at this point.

8/4/2011 2:06:08 PM

I can't help but pet and hug my dog when I open the door and his whole body is wiggling from excitement, but I do know it's best practice not to. As for my neighbors, what I'm saying is there's a huge difference between ignoring the dog until it calms down and ignoring the dog all day.

8/4/2011 2:09:56 PM

offer to walk their dog for them or check on it, at least introduce yourself as a dog lover.

if nothing changes at least you have built a relationship to justify calling the law.

[Edited on August 4, 2011 at 2:23 PM. Reason : .]

8/4/2011 2:12:53 PM

OP makes his neighbor sound like this:




When he is actually this:

8/4/2011 2:39:52 PM

How long is the leash? If it's a short chain, and the dog is hanging himself up on it, then I'd be concerned. But if it's a longer leash, and he can travel a good distance, I wouldn't be concerned. +1 to as long as he has food, shelter and water, he should be fine. Now, if he's obviously heat stressed, dehydrated, and super thin, then you may have a case.

If I had a garage, I'd stick the dogs in there too during the summer, especially if it's cooler than the rest of the house, and you're not using a/c. The concrete can help them regulate their body temperature. Growing up, we always put our dogs in the basement/garage in the summer, and aside from the calluses they get from laying on concrete, it worked out fine.

8/4/2011 2:58:03 PM

It's not just that he should be fine, it's that Animal Control cannot legally do anything if the animal has food, shelter, and water. The only time they can in that situation if there are obvious signs of abuse. I'm not really sure on the neglect part regarding heat, though. I think the only laws about heat involve animals in cars.

8/4/2011 3:05:03 PM

And ovens.

8/4/2011 3:09:11 PM

I'm pretty sure that falls under abuse.

8/4/2011 3:10:51 PM

Do you know that the garage doesn't have fans going? Or that it's really hot in the garage? Or are you just guessing these things?

I mean--how much of this are you actually seeing, and how much of this are you just guessing?

8/4/2011 3:11:41 PM

Yea, keep you nose in your own business. You stated that it has food, shelter and water.
Would you call animal control if they left it in a fenced in kennel outside? Because that would be hotter and less humane than a garage that is adjoined to an air conditioned house. Not everybody treats there dog like it is a child, to many people they are just pets.

8/4/2011 3:15:10 PM

My main concern was that the dog is tied up every single time I pass by so I was wondering if this warrants a call to animal control. It just concerns me since it doesn't seem the owners even care about him. His white fur is filthy and he lays in the garage all day. It would be nice to think of the dog having better owners. I'm not arguing for the owners to treat the dog like a child, but really...why would you own a dog if you tie it up all day and night and don't even acknowledge it?

8/4/2011 3:45:41 PM

Quote :

"Yea, keep you nose in your own business."

8/4/2011 3:47:46 PM

First, figure out if it really is tied up more than the allotted time, if so, and it bothers you call them up.

8/4/2011 3:48:19 PM

And be prepared. If you can't prove it is out that long and the owners say differently then Animal Control will just walk away. They may drive by a couple times if they think the dog looks neglected, but really the best you can hope for is that the visit from Animal Control will scare them in to setting the dog up inside, or out of sight of the road.

8/4/2011 3:52:42 PM

you have yet to show anything cruel unusual or even harmful to the dog.

you feel bad because it doesnt get attention.

This is none of your business and you should keep your nose out of it.

8/4/2011 3:56:08 PM

^
The 3+ hours of being tied up is against the law and can easily be proven. Just wish I lived across the street to witness/video tape for that amount of time.

8/4/2011 4:10:57 PM

one of the houses in my neighborhood keeps their garage door about 2 feet open, and they have a boxer thats always laying on the driveway outside the garage, not on a leash, and he just looks at the passing cars like "u mad?"

8/4/2011 4:14:46 PM

one of the dogs in my house barks or whines if he isn't in the same room as you, he seems so sad.

[Edited on August 4, 2011 at 4:33 PM. Reason : .]

8/4/2011 4:28:07 PM

I am all for people injecting themselves into situations where necessary, but honestly based on your description, this is a case of mind your own business.

8/4/2011 4:31:48 PM

Quote :

"Just wish I lived across the street to witness/video tape for that amount of time."

This tells me you don't *know* that they've left him there for 3+ hours. In which case, it's guessing.

8/4/2011 4:37:51 PM

ncsujen07, do these people have a fenced yard? If not I would consider contacting the Coalition to Unchain Dogs and see if they can help at all.

http://unchaindogs.net/

8/4/2011 4:44:24 PM

Quote :

" This tells me you don't *know* that they've left him there for 3+ hours. In which case, it's guessing."

You're right, I'm guessing...but it's based on seeing him tied up when I leave for work (6:45am some days, 7:45am other days), when I return (anywhere from 3:00-5:30pm), when I go to the gym after work (5 or 6pm) and return (6:30-8:00ish), any time I go somewhere and return on the weekends (all hours), when I have a weekday off and go somewhere (all hours), when I return from a night out (11pm-2am), etc.

If I call, I'll say what elise said. Better safe than sorry.

And no, wolfpackgrrr, they don't have a fenced yard so I'll definitely look into that. Thanks.

8/4/2011 4:51:45 PM

Yeah generally when people are doing that it's because they don't have a fenced yard for their dog.

8/4/2011 5:03:17 PM

I guess my questions were: how long is the leash? Is it attached to a collar or he in a harness? Does the dog look
neglected besides the coat being matted? (Some breeds require high levels of coat maintenance, the matting may not be a problem unless it's causing the dog discomfort, or it allows the dog to harbor external parasites like fleas, ticks, mites, etc.)

8/4/2011 5:17:58 PM

Quote :

"http://unchaindogs.net/"

I like this idea!

8/4/2011 5:21:38 PM

Quote :

"To lobby for legislation to help chained dogs. Lobbying for legislation which disallows or severely restricts tethering of dogs."

I don't, how many dog owners will rid themselves of dogs if this legislation passes? And how many of those dogs will subsequently die?

I mean do animal rights groups ever actually think of the effects of their goals?

[Edited on August 4, 2011 at 5:24 PM. Reason : The free fencing thing is fine lol.]

8/4/2011 5:23:54 PM

that's as far as i read. free fences ftw!

8/4/2011 5:28:43 PM

Right, so you want a dog with food, water, and a home to be taken away from it's legitimate owners... only to sit in a shelter for a week before getting the needle. GOOD THINKING OP!

8/5/2011 5:19:11 AM

ncsujen07 sounds like a complete idiot and should mind her own damn business

8/5/2011 7:37:06 AM

Quote :

"I guess my questions were: how long is the leash? Is it attached to a collar or he in a harness? Does the dog look neglected besides the coat being matted? (Some breeds require high levels of coat maintenance, the matting may not be a problem unless it's causing the dog discomfort, or it allows the dog to harbor external parasites like fleas, ticks, mites, etc.) "

The leash is actually fairly long since it extends from the dog's collar to the door on the side of the garage (outside). It's hard to tell without walking up to him to see if he looks starved or is actually being fed. I think he's a maltese or some sort of mix like that so he's small. The fence people contacted me back and I gave them more information. I guess I'll just wait to hear from them. If the tethering ordinance doesn't apply to my area, then there's not much I can do anyway.

8/5/2011 8:20:56 AM

This is dumb. Mind your own business unless the dog looks all mistreated. You're going to end up getting the thing shut in the house/garage all day which is probably a worse situation then being on the leash (you admit yourself the leash is pretty long).

8/5/2011 8:38:06 AM

Do you live in the city of Durham, or Orange County? The city ordinance only applies to dogs outside but the Orange county one is a bit vague. North Carolina does not have a law about tethering dogs.

Either way, mind your own business. You are going to get this dog put down and have neighbors that hate you all because you think a dog isnt getting enough attention. I hope they never find out you were the snitch. snitches get stitches

Are you going to call the cops on me because i let my dogs out to use the bathroom with no leash and my yard isnt fenced in?

mind your own fucking business

I personally would be more worried if it WASNT tethered and could just come and go as it pleased and was playing in the road, but thats just me.

mind your own business

8/5/2011 9:27:06 AM

I have mixed feelings about the Coalition to Unchain Dogs people. On the one hand I think it's a good idea in theory, but I don't see it being very effective in practice.

1) Fences are expensive, and the ones I've seen constructed by the Coalition are barely bigger than a large dog kennel and not sure of high quality. There is one example right on Club Blvd. here in Durham that I'm glad only houses tiny dogs,and not large ones.

2) A lot of people keep dogs tied up around here as cheap and effective security systems against crackheads, especially more in the hood. They're not pets, but are more working or guard dogs. A rule banning tethering may eliminate a method of people's security, and possibly lead to more destroyed dogs.

3) There are many tied/chained dogs in this area, and I'm not sure the Coalition has the resources to help all of them.

4) People who tie their dogs up for shorter periods of time get lumped in the same boat as dogs who are constantly chained up and ignored.

5) I guess I'm not totally on board with the idea that all dogs are cuddly pets, and shouldn't have jobs, which seems to underlie some people's thinking I've talked to who work with the Coalition. I deal with this when I'm either packing or running with my Weimaraner mix, and have to explain to people their kids can't pet my dog, and that he's working. If I could find an affordable harness he'd be pulling a cart too.

8/5/2011 10:23:48 AM

Would it be better if the garage door was closed and the dog couldn't go out in the yard? Who cares if it is "tied up" when the only reason for it being tied up is so the dog can have more space than just the garage. While in a perfect world all dogs would be treated better than that, I have a feeling that dog still has it pretty good compared to most.

8/5/2011 11:09:35 AM

Quote :

"Should I call animal control? "

No.

8/5/2011 2:14:07 PM

Quote :

"Right, so you want a dog with food, water, and a home to be taken away from it's legitimate owners... only to sit in a shelter for a week before getting the needle. GOOD THINKING OP!"

IT OFFENDS MY DECENCY, TO THINK OF CHAINED DOG!

I bet that dog is just sitting their all day thinking, I wish that nice lady that walks by would save me from this horrible nightmare I live in.

8/5/2011 4:02:45 PM

my dog roams free. no fence. no tether. never comes in the house. she couldn't be happier.

[Edited on August 5, 2011 at 4:47 PM. Reason : mind your own business, OP]

8/5/2011 4:47:32 PM

fwiw, my family's dog is has white fur and he looks dirty but he's well fed, taken care of, up to date on everything, and has free roam.. dirty white fur doesn't = not taken care of (white dogs get dirty quickly)


As it has already been stated multiple times, unless you see an obvious sign of abuse I think you would be wasting your time to call.

8/5/2011 5:25:31 PM

Quote :

"Quote : "Should I call animal control? " No."

ok... /end thread

8/5/2011 5:38:26 PM

Eh I think you guys are being too hard on her. The only one who has seen the situation is her. The rest of us are just extrapolating from what tiny bit of information is in this thread. I think most people with common sense can tell the difference between a neglected dog and one that's taken care of. Knowing animal control they'll either tell her the law doesn't prohibit chaining your dog and do nothing, or they'll swing by during work hours when the owners most likely aren't there and make their own decision on if the dog is being neglected from what they can see from the yard. Animal control isn't in the habit of taking dogs from people's property just for shits and giggles.

8/7/2011 11:11:55 AM

i saw two dogs in a hot car one sunday in downtown greensboro in the summer

i did not mind my own business

called dat 190% police without hesitation

i mean that was clearly an abuse situation, though.

^ i agree with that.

8/7/2011 8:23:03 PM