[MrsHartinger352]

My neighbor across the street has a puppy that they keep in a crate on their porch all day long. It cries and screams all day, and they do this all day while they go to work. I do not for one second feel comfortable approaching them with this, because I am pretty sure by their behavior they do some kind of drug regularly. I deal with barking dogs all day, so long as I see water and shade, I mind my own business. I just want to know, is this something I can call animal control for. We live in Florida and it's April, so the puppy is confined to a small cage outside, probably enough to fit two dogs his size, I cannot see if he has water, but he wont stop crying! It's driving me crazy. What can I or would you do in this situation?

[kyle19125]

Call an animal welfare organization like the SPCA, and not (I repeat not) Animal Control which can/does euthanize a good number of animals rescued from such conditions.

[kyle19125]

I see you're in Citrus County. Call the Citrus County Humane Society which is a no-kill shelter and should be able to help. Good luck and let us know what happens!
Humane Society of Citrus County FL, Inc.

[NextExit40Miles]

Crying could be indicative of illness and or pain. Call a local No Kill organization asap.

[macrodome2]

Originally Posted by kyle19125

I see you're in Citrus County. Call the Citrus County Humane Society which is a no-kill shelter and should be able to help. Good luck and let us know what happens!
Humane Society of Citrus County FL, Inc.

^^^ Do this

[LuvMyDad]

You must call someone, whether a local no-kill shelter or the SPCA. This is animal cruelty and you can't turn a blind eye to a helpless animal. You don't have to give your name, address, or any personal information when you call. Please call someone - this is terrible.

[Not_liking_FL]

I hope the puppies owner gets arrested after it's rescued. Leaving an animal in a cage in the Florida sun all day is nothing more than animal abuse.

[d4g4m]

I really don't understand why some people get an animal, mostly a dog and the first thing they do is throw the dog out on the lanai or tie it to a tree to bark and whine all day and night. What is the reason or purpose to this abuse of a dog? When I see those commercials on TV of abused animals, I wonder what kind of a sick bastard wants to do this to animals. If you don't want to treat an animal as a pet/friend of the family, don't get one.

[StarfishKey]

Definitely do call, and don't delay. I had neighbors in Miami who were dealing drugs out of their apartment, and got a puppy they left in this situation. The puppy died from heat exposure and dehydration. They got a second puppy and the second puppy died the same way. They also had children, and Child Services got involved. When people mistreat animals, in the vast majority of cases they are also abusing people and involved in illegal activities that harm the entire community. You have to be really messed up in the head to be immune to suffering, so it means these people are often involved in a range of activities that are illegal and harmful. Usually if someone calls about an animal, especially if you call a government organization, they will create legal records and investigate what is going on with the home. If more action is needed, they will do that. If you're wrong and things are fine, unless you are the type to keep calling to harass them, the file will be closed and no real harm is done. So generally speaking, it's way better to call than not to call. If that does not resolve anything, you can also considering calling the police or complaining to the apartment manager about the noise, which might force them to bring the dog inside.

I am a big proponent of animal rights, but I personally would use the Animal Control number. That is partly because of the power they have to bring criminal charges, and to notify law enforcement if other criminal investigations are needed. But the other reason is, we need to be aware as a society that we have far too many domesticated pets as it is being born. There is no way around the fact that many of them have to be put down. It is in many cases more cruel to keep the dog locked up in an ASPCA cage with constant noise from traumatized doggy neighbors for years without adoption (which is the case for most older dogs because everybody wants a puppy), than it is to put the dog down. I am in favor of no-kill shelters, but we have such an enormous population of dogs and cats and rabbits and parrots, etc., in Florida particularly, that we just do not have the resources to give all of them the lives they deserve to have. We need to stop puppy mills and breeding entirely, because that is in the best interest of these animals and our society in general. The kill shelters are just a symptom of the constant breeding, and lack of neutering, and choice to leave non-neutered animals roaming outdoors without a harness or leash (which should be illegal for all species), that are the true sources of the overpopulation and feralization of pets in Florida. If there were not so far many more animals than there are responsible, financially stable homes for them, the shelters would never choose to put animals down in the first place. It's not like they do it because they like killing.

We as a society need to also change our ways and adopt older animals from shelters if we say we are so concerned about the welfare and life enjoyment of animals. There are more than enough out there currently for every household that wants one to adopt a dog, cat, rabbit, or exotic bird without ever needing to resort to adopting a very young pet. But people need to consider more carefully if they really have the means to care for pets long-term, and if they are a good match for the specific species and breed they are considering.

Also, PLEASE don't buy pets from people on places such as Craigslist. I am really disturbed by the high volume of people I see apparently making a living off of breeding animals in Florida - there is no reason to ever pay for a pet beyond a simple donation fee to a shelter. "Pure bred" animals are often just inbred and will have significant medical problems later anyway. And while we're on the subject, please also do not buy exotic pets like pythons, they are not made to be pets and are happy confined in small places, and they get loose and destroy our Florida environment and then also pose a threat to people in your community.

[OpinionInOcala]

I agree with StarfishKey, though only partially with regards to the purebred snipe. Florida does have a lot of backyard in-breeders damaging the reputation of the legitimate purebred industry.

As an aside, I've never understood the logic of letting a dog suffer to avoid having it go to a kill shelter. That's perhaps among the more selfish and/or evil stances I've seen regularly on the CD forums. If it comes down to it, I'd greatly prefer that a dog be peacefully euthanized over it being left to starve, thirst, and bake in some backyard with a chain embedded in its neck. The desire to needlessly prolong suffering is not unique to the consideration of animal welfare, because we do it to our communities, relatives, and even ourselves as well.