Worried about next door’s dogs.

You did the right and responsible thing.
An owner owes it to their pet to act in their best interests.

I would offer to walk them or let them out in the garden in the middle of the day. My neigh our does this for me of I'm out longer than four hours and I reciprocate by baby sitting their pup who has separation issues. Couldn't listen to a dog crying and not help.

Just read you tried, oh well can't help some folks?

OP has already offered to let the dogs out in the middle of the day but the neighbour has declined. That is not a man who has his dogs’ best interests at heart.

I called RSPCA over a bedraggled hungry stray a couple of years ago, that lived behind my bins i think- they came after several phone calls, dropped me off a cardboard cat carrier, asked me to 'catch it & get it in box' then ring them When i tried this i got a huge scratch & bitten by the said cat (& i was trying to be gentle with it) so then i had to take antibiotics for two weeks afterwards on advice of my dr! - (No good deed goes unpunished comes to mind)so i told them they would have to catch it themselves! Whether they ever bothered I'm not sure.?

When we had our new kitchen fitted two years ago the kitchen fitter used to bring his two dogs with him most days. He used to leave them in his car and would take them over the road for a short walk when he had his lunch break. They were well behaved but used to gaze out of the window when I passed by taking our dog out for his walk. We both felt sorry for them as it was no life for a dog and they were quite big dogs as well, but it was none of our business.

I think everything is my business.

RSPCA would not respond to that as no abuse is taking place.
I have exactly same situation with a neighbour who has an 1 year old German Shepard left in tiny kitchen for 8 hours, he’s a policeman I’d have liked to think he knew better, clearly not. Breaks my heart poor dog.

Contact the dog warden. Details will be on your local council's website.
They're more use than the RSPCA in cases like this.

I disagree JuicyLucy. The dogs’ basic needs are being wilfully neglected. Apart from the loneliness and lack of exercise and stimulation, how do they ‘hold themselves’ all those hours? What would he do if one couldn’t hang on any longer? I trust you have called the RSPCA about your neighbour’s dog. A young gsd needs lots of exercise, socialising and stimulation. Saying ‘they wouldn’t do anything’ isn’t acceptable in my book. The dog can’t do anything. You can.

The trouble is those of us who are animal lovers and really care are thought of as softies and over the top by some people.
I know our son thinks l treat our dog like a child, l don't but what l do is put his needs before our own. We took him on as a rescue and he is our responsibility, like a child he cannot look after himself.
Those dogs and others like them are the same, they need a voice.

The neighbour obviously lives alone. and the dogs might mean everything to him. Maybe his circumstances have changed and he got the younger dog to keep the older dog company? As has been mentioned before, if the RSPCA got involved the older dog would probably be euthanised.

Well said GSM.

If a dog means everything to you you don’t leave it alone for hours on end just so you can enjoy it for a while before going to bed or at weekends. When I was working I had cats, who with a cat flap, litter trays and supply of dried food and water can be safely left while you’re out at work so long as you don’t live on a busy road where they might be run over. Dogs are a totally different kettle of fish. We had dogs only once one of us was at home all day. It’s not necessarily the case that an older dog will be euthanised if they are healthy and OP could liaise with the RSPCA about this. For instance a healthy dog taken in by Dogs’ Trust will not be euthanised. There are many people like me who are happy to give a home to an older rescue dog.

I had to rehome daughters dog rather than take the dog myself.
It was a terrible, terrible decision to make, but the right one, because I was unable to commit to the time and effort required.

Any fool can claim to be a dog lover, but the proof is in deeds, not empty words.

Contact the local dog warden and maybe a word in his ear from someone like that may help. I hate animals suffering, some think cos they are fed and watered thats enough, but definitely isn't. They need exercise and doing things to stop them being bored like the young one sounds it is with the howling. Poor dogs ?

When we walked GDBA puppies, the association said they must not be left for longer than four hours. Obviously as young pups they weren’t left anything like that long but as they neared their time to leave us at approximately a year old we stretched it longer to get them ready to go back for further training. I’m sure that at the time their blind owners were not allowed to leave them for more than four hours either.

I don’t know if this helps but I contacted the RSPCA about a dog near my parents house that was being left out chained up all the time. It was gone within a day. I heard later he was bleeding around his neck from being restrained. I never hesitate to report animal or child cruelty. Good luck.

Well done Fernhillnana. I applaud you.✔️✔️✔️

Fernhillnana good on you. I have a rescue who has been treated very badly, shes a nervous wreck. Cruelty has to be reported ?

Thank you Fernhill and for doing that and helping that poor dog, hopefully they found a lovely new home.
Our rescue was also mistreated and when we went to pick him up he was trying to hide under a coffee table, even though he couldn't fit properly. Our previous BC had been left in a conservatory for 2 years and never socialised or walked. His mind never really recovered properly. I really despair of people and wonder why they get animals only to mistreat them.
We have a great rescue centre near us, Woodgreen, The doghouse is filmed there. You cannot get a dog from them unless you are at home most of the time. They come and do home visits. We have had all of our dogs from there.

It is abusive Juicylucy to leave dogs alone regularly for that amount of time. I do wonder why some people bother having dogs at all.

I think you should call the council for advice. You can say that one is disturbing you with howling, that is the truth and you are doing the moral thing. They will probably talk to the owner about the dogs and give him some advice.

Casdon

Please don’t criticise the RSPCA, it’s a charity, and doesn’t have the resources to follow up every contact, or the facilities to take envy animal who needs it into their care. It’s quite right that they make sure that those animals they are caring for are going to excellent homes. If we gave them more, I’m sure they would do more.

Sorry Casdon but I totally disagree with you on "If we gave them more, I’m sure they would do more."

RSPCA , for me, = shower of chancers (same with SSPCA) who have some genuine animal lovers amongst their inspectors but who would sooner put down a healthy animal than take the months, possibly even a couple of years, of rehabilitation that so many need.

If you want to donate to a really dedicated charity, do your research about salaries, turnover and advertising before you part with a penny.

My late husband and I ran a mixed species animal rescue for over 30 years, and I only came across one inspector for whom I could feel respect - he used to bring us animals because he didn't want them put down simply to make way for the more easily rehomed younger/fitter/prettier ones. That was the unwritten policy that underlay the charity's "good works".

In 2021 the lowest-paying job at Rspca is a VETERINARY NURSE with a salary of £27,302 per year.

The CEO gets £85,000 (plus benefits but excluding pensions)

The very first newborn hedgehog that I hand reared was given to me by our vet, who had no time to care for him, himself. New at that time to hedgehogs, I called the SSPCA for advice on feeding and was told "just put it into a garden, it will be fine".

I promise, as unbelievable as it seems, that is 100% true. (In case anyone reading needs to hand rear a hedgehog, you can get advice for the "Glop" recipe, and other baby needs, from St Tiggywinkles Hospital or PM me.)

Basically it seems to me that the larger the charity the more it feels self-important and the less it actually does for the supposedly intended cause.

I was a foster mum for dogs and cats for a local run animal charity. I must admit we would not rehome if dog to be left more than 4hrs without someone walking or letting out for business etc at least [but this not ideal]. Of course people could tell lies but you get a feel for the right home for that animal after a while. It is still on trust though. Can be difficult.