My mom is realtor and she was having an open house at one of the houses she is trying to sell today and i went with her. i went outside to see the backyard, and i saw a small cage [a little smaller than the size of a walk-in closet]. inside the cage there was a beagle. all he had was a little cage thing with blankets in it to sleep in..and a water and food dish that was completley emtpy. i asked the two sons [they are about 21 years old and still live at home] why the dog was in the cage and they said that it did not get along with their other dog. when i went to go back inside the dog started whimpering and crying..and i felt so bad. the beagle didnt look hurt, but he didnt look like he had ever been played with. is this animal abuse?
also..i live in NJ
2007-05-26 13:57:13 · 34 answers · asked by Carlii 2 in Pets ➔ Dogs
The sons told me that the dog was not allowed out of the cage, but I'm not sure if they just said that because strangers were coming over for the open house.
2007-05-26 14:04:51 · update #1
The other dog is perfectly healthy and lives in the house, and they play with him and love him.
2007-05-27 03:18:12 · update #2
That doesn't sound like animal abuse to me. every once in a while I check up on my cats' food and water bowls and find that they are empty; I fill them up right away and they never get hurt. If the dog is outside, thats a good thing. At least it's not cooped up inside the house.
2007-05-26 15:04:32 · answer #1 · answered by Jim ((C.A.B.)) 6 · 0⤊ 1⤋
The laws might be different where you are, but here in Michigan it is NOT animal abuse to just leave your dog outside as long as it has shelter, water, and food. Even though it isn't considered abuse, I still think it should be, poor dog. Did the dog look skinny? Or ill? If so, then I would call animal control. If not, then I would just keep an eye on the dog, if you truly think the dog is unhappy, I would ask the owners if I could take him off their hands, and then I would either keep him, or try to re home in with someone who will actually love him. But this is just what I would do....
2007-05-26 14:04:46 · answer #2 · answered by Stark 6 · 2⤊ 0⤋
In my opinion that isn't abuse but more neglect. If they can't have the dog in the house due to fighting then they should get it and the other dog trained or give the Beagle up to someone that can take care of it. No dog should be in a kennel without food and water and just left outside.
2007-05-26 14:19:01 · answer #3 · answered by sun_and_moon_1973 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Dogs are frequently trained using cages and many dogs continue to use cages throughout their life. I know my sister's dog loves his cage and returns there for sleep and is very protective of it. When it is time to turn in for the night my sister puts him in the cage so that he will not damage anything.
If the dog was in the cage because of all of the activity surrounding the open house then I do not think it qualifies as animal abuse. The key question is how many hours a day is the dog kept in the cage? Perhaps they alternate letting the beagle and the other dog out. Based on what you know I would say it does not qualify as animal abuse.
2007-05-26 14:04:41 · answer #4 · answered by shocksystems 1 · 0⤊ 1⤋
I think it's animal abuse, but I don't know if it fits NJ's legal definition. It sounds like at the least he wasn't getting enough water, and that's horrible. The SPCA would know whether it were technically animal abuse, and they would know what to do about it. That's so sad. My dad had a dog that he kept in a small cage like that--it had food and water, but I still felt so sorry for it. It seemed so lonely and seemed like it really wanted to run around. I don't think keeping a dog in a cage is legally considered animal abuse, but I don't think it's humane, especially if the dog didn't even have a dog house to sleep in when it rains. :(
2007-05-26 14:07:17 · answer #5 · answered by kacey 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
it could be depending on the size of the cage compared to the dog. I'm not sure if there is a box or not but if not that is illegal.
Call your AC or Humane Society - not sure which one handles cruelty in NJ altho pretty sure it is AC.
If AC can't get much accomplished for what ever reason then contact Dogs Deserve Better & have them go out
You are the only hope that poor dog has
Katie: unfortunately there are many places that have no cruelty statutes - no requirements for shelter, vet care etc.
2007-05-26 14:04:17 · answer #6 · answered by sadiejane 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
It depends on your county or city laws - you would have to research. I have never heard of a place that didn't require shelter - doghouse - and have requirements about how big etc. You can call your county animal control and report this - sounds like something I would do. The worst that can happen is that they say it's okay living conditions. They will tell the owners what to do to make it okay by the local laws if it is not and then check in to make sure their orders have been followed if they feel it's in violation.
They only need to feed it once a day, but the water bowl must never be dry.
2007-05-26 14:02:55 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
I really couldnt tell you if that is animal abuse or not. It all depends on alot of different things. If it was one of those open crates that rain (the blankets can get wet in the rain and then the poor dog is laying in wet blankets) and sun can get into and its outside in the weather all day everyday, if the dog doesnt get enough food and water and if the dog isnt let out to atleast go potty, I am pretty sure that would be enough for animal services to come out and atleast fine them, if not take the poor dog! Dogs need to have proper shelter so they can get out of the weather (sun, rain, snow..), they need plenty of food and water, they need to be able to go potty (and not in a crate where they have to sit in there feces all day everyday!) and they need alot of attention, love and exercise! Dogs are social animals and they need their "pack." They need to be walk a few times a day, even if they are outside dogs and have a big yard to run around in! They need to be properly trained and socalized. They need to be played with and loved!.. Dogs cannot just sit outside in a crate all day! That is horrible! I dont understand why people do stupid crap like that! If that dog doesnt get along with their other dog and they dont want it, they need to sell it, give it away or take it to a shelter where it will be properly taken care of untill it finds a good home! I would suggest that you call animal services! Tell them what you saw and what the owners told you. Hopefully they will atleast go out and check on that poor thing and make sure its okay!.. Its good to know that atleast someone cares enough about that poor thing to be concerned! PLEASE call animal services!... Good luck! : )
2007-05-26 14:25:39 · answer #8 · answered by Love-A-Bull 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
In my book it is. At the very least it is being a very irresponsible pet owner. I see this all the time on this board. That is to crate a dog for bad behavior or to avoid bad behavior. Isn't better to socialize the dog and train it? More often than not people want to offer ways to avoid a problem rather than correct it. Here is a typical question and response: "my dog chews up the rug when I leave the house, what to do?" And a typical response would be to crate the dog when you leave. Rarely do I see something like: "that is separation anxiety and here is how to correct that behavior".
2007-05-26 14:09:04 · answer #9 · answered by DaveSFV 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
It depends on if the beagle is allowed outside of the pen, and how well kept the cage was. If you have ANY doubts whatsoever about the dog being abused, I suggest you tell the local shelter or animal abuse program exactly what you saw and let them sort it out.
2007-05-26 14:02:20 · answer #10 · answered by Candy apple 1 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋