Last night before I went to bed, I did something I have never ever done before. I put a call in to our city police department. As I had been closing down for the night, I looked out the south window and there was our neighbor who had let his dog out for evening. As the dog was at the full length of the chain, our neighbor was kicking the dog multiple times. The dog couldn’t get away. The neighbor then drug the dog by the chain around its neck into the house. It was 10:30 when I called and spoke to the dispatcher and allowed her to know that this was not an isolated instance. By the time I went to the west end of the house for bed, there was a police car at our neighbor’s home.
I have spoken to him several times when he was out in the yard, kicking at the dog for digging a hole in the grass or chewing on the bark of a tree. He always gave frustrated answers like he couldn’t understand why the dog didn’t know better. How about working with the dog and training it and then rewarding good behavior.
There are some people who should not have pets. That dog has no idea what it is like to run . . . only as far as the chain allows.
I did call the police department this afternoon and allowed them to know I was making an inquiry. The officer who had been at the house said he gave the neighbor a warning. Any further complaints would have the dog removed. The officer said the neighbor said he was teaching the dog discipline . . . yup, right at the end of a steel toed boot. The neighbor was warned about discipline compared to abuse.
This afternoon the dog had been outside for most of the afternoon. Dennis put a pail of water at the edge of Stauffer Avenue so the dog and his chain could reach it for a drink.
I won’t hesitate to keep an eye on the dog. I have been neighbors to his man for 22 years, but I won’t look the other way when he feels the only authority he has is to hurt an innocent animal. The neighbor picked up the puppy at a truck stop where the puppies were being given away. Six months ago, I am sure he thought that tiny little puppy would always stay that way. Now the dog is 70 to 80 lbs, looking like a bit of pit bull in him. If there is retaliation, I will deal with it then. People can be such animals.