Chained Dog Reports

The dogs - their pictures and stories

Story #1: Rottweiler; male; may be five or more years old

Dear Animal Advocates,

There is a dog in our neighbourhood that exists in a chain-link pen - He is fed and watered once a day - but spends most of his time alone and frustrated - Now, freezing in winter then hot in summer. No green grass to enjoy, nowhere to run. No blankets, no one to play with him - He's supposed to be a guard dog - but he's friendly and playful with me - I visit him daily and take him a milk bone biscuit, pet him through the fence and talk to him - he watches for me - and never barks - at me. He's craving attention and human contact. His wooden house at the back of the run is all he has - no blankets - just bare wood. He's been trying to dig out and he chews on the boards. No toys - mental cruelty is what I see. What can we do to free him?...

Reported many times to SPCA, most recently that AAS knows of in October 2001. It is easy to confirm this dog's life, as it has never been seen outside this pen.

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Story #2: German shepherd; female; 13 years old

Dear Animal Advocates,

This dog is a beautiful German Shepherd. She has been locked inside a cement prison for years. This animal has no contact with anyone, other than its owners, who as what I've seen don't pay any attention to it, only to maybe feed it. I cannot tell if this poor dog even has clean water. The ground is completely cement, and is covered in feces and urine and smells so vile when you walk by. The dog has to walk in it and smell it continuously, not to mention that its feet are always on this damp cement. After observing the dog through the cement fence I suspect that it is likely that the dog has arthritic feet or legs, - just by watching it walk. The dog does have a very small doghouse, but it is too small to even turn around in. In the summer time I see the owner tending to his yard and garden and this dog is locked up in this cement cage at the back of the yard, without any recognition that it's alive at all. It's never taken out for walks or shown any company so it won't be lonely. What can I do?...

AAS has visited this old dog many times. In November 2001, AAS supporters politely offered a large, insulated dog house with a door flap to the owners of this dog. It was refused.

AAS does not want this dog removed. She is far to old and weak to survive the stress of sudden changes and especially the fear of other dogs. All dogs that have been denied socializing with dogs are fearful of them. They do not know if any dog may not attack them. We would like her to have short walks, a better dog-house and the feces cleaned daily.

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Story #3: mixed breed; five or more years old

Dear Animal Advocates,

Can you please come by & take a look at this poor dog's surroundings & see if you can talk to the owners or do something for this animal. This dog has been penned up for two years. Back then, it would come to the lane fence side of its pen when called. I heard about this dog from a friend of mine (she used to walk by each day on her way to work); it was a loving happy pup, which would thump its tail expectantly and appeared to be happy.

Today at least two years later, it shows signs of severe psychological trauma. It has that "hang-dog" look on its face much like the face of the dog in the picture in your ad. When I reached over to pet it, it let me at first and then just hung its head and slumped itself into its grey plywood slot which doesn't even have a blanket for it to lie on. Obviously the dog has given up expecting any real human contact of inclusion. I was told by someone at the SPCA that as long as there is evidence it is being cared for, they can't do a thing. I feel like going over there with wire cutters and freeing the poor thing. Ironically...a pen, a plywood environment and a tarp equals CARE ???? I sincerely hope you can help this poor animal...obviously the owners don't consider a prison and isolation to be abusive...when you see the dog you will know right away what its psychological state is and how well it fits the criteria you have for advocating this animal's rights. Please let me know if you have been able to help this dog...my heart breaks each time I think of it...

Reported to AAS January 2000

This poor dog is very fearful, but with time and the right person, he can have a life. It is easy to document that this dog has none of its social or emotional needs met - it is never not in this cage. We think that if improvements cannot be made by talking to the owners (but we are convinced that the SPCA has known of this dog for years and so this should have been done already), that the dog should be seized and rehabilitated.

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Story #4: Rottweiler; male; five years old

Dear Animal Advocates,

Please come and help this dog. It's a Rottweiler and I'm afraid of it. Its owners have kept it like this for four years. They used to take it off its chain and take it for a walk sometimes but they stopped years ago. I can see it everyday and it makes me feel so angry. I want to chain them up and make them lie in their own poo. I can't stand to see it any longer, but no one will help it...

This dog was removed by the fearful neighbour and rehabilitated over a period of two years and rehomed.

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Story #5: Rottweiler; male; over five years old

Dear Animal Advocates,

Will you come and see this dog in my neighbourhood? No one will help it and it's been in this dirty cage for at least eight years. It's just a guard dog. They never talk to it or touch it, or pay any attention. Even when they are out in the garden, they don't even look at it. It used to wag its tail when they came out but it stopped a long time ago. I don't think it knows why it's living. Its cage is always full of feces. It has no life. It would be better off dead... Reported: April 2001

AAS does not know if this dog is too old to successfully make a transition to a new home, but when we twice visited him he was friendly and very unaggressive. We would like, at the least, for his life to be improved, by being given daily walks.

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Story #6: pit bull terrier; 18 months old

Dear Animal Advocates,

There's a pup in my neighbourhood. I think they're trying to make it tough. They leave it in the yard, it's only a few months old, and they feed it twice a day but they never bring it in and they never touch it or talk to it. It's a grow-op house and they want to turn this sweet little pup into a guard dog. He must have been so cold and frightened all winter...

We were told by the neighbour that this dog was surrendered to the Vancouver city pound where we suspect it was killed - at taxpayer's expense.

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Story #7: German shepherd cross; female; 3 years old; purchased by AAS:

Dear Animal Advocates,

Please come and take this dog off her chain. I'll do anything, I can't stand it anymore. She's breaking my heart. This is her second litter at least. She's chained and she can't get away from male dogs, and she can't get away from her own poo and she can't keep her pups clean and they're all crawling with flies. They got her when she was just a pup herself and they chained her outside and when she cried and barked because she was so lonely they wrapped wire around her muzzle and it got infected and you can still see the scars. No one will help her and I live too close and I'm afraid of these guys. Please help her!...

This dog was purchased by AAS. She was spayed and rehomed.

We can tell you with assurance that Vancouver has many back yard breeders. Every municipality should have bylaws that require a breeding license with regulations that permit city ACO's and the SPCA to inspect the dogs and pups. AAS has produced a thoughtful, comprehensive report on back yard breeding with a draft "Control of Breeding" bylaw. If you wish a copy of our proposal "TOO MANY DOGS - ANTI-LITTER LAWS", we would be happy to provide it.

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Story #8: Rottweiler; male; one year; no longer there:

Dear Animal Advocates,

There's a Rottweiler in my neighbourhood and he is chained on sharp gravel in the blazing sun and his chain is so short that he can only take a few steps, and the doghouse must be like an oven. Sometimes I see him and his chain is around his leg and he can't walk at all, and it's cutting into him and it's been like that for god only knows how long. I want to help him so much, but I'm told as long as he has food water and shelter they can't do anything. I was asked by the SPCA, "How do you know it is hot in his dog house?" It was 32 degrees and there is no shade at any time! He looks fierce, but I know he is a sweetheart because sometimes he gets free and then he runs up to me and kisses me with joy. I am afraid of his owners, I'm afraid to take him. Oh please, please help him...

Reported: June 2000

AAS visited this dog several times. On one occasion Spike was loose, running up and down the lane. He came at our call and threw himself with joyful puppy trust into our arms, and "kissed" us over and over. A neighbour put him back into his pen. According to the neighbours Spike dug his way out on many occasions. Luckily he was still a loving, cheerful pup who simply escaped his pen to get the attention he so badly needed. What he got was put back in his pen. AAS offered to buy Spike, but we received no reply and shortly after he disappeared. We were told his owner moved to Surrey, where we believe Spike is probably still chained. We would like the SPCA to trace Spike's whereabouts, to make an inspection and if warranted, to seize Spike. AAS would like to be informed of this action, as we believe with the proper rehabilitation he need not be killed.

Spike is an example of how a sweet-natured, twenty pound pup might be turned into an angry, one hundred pound dog; and of how easy it is for unattended yard dogs to get loose.

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Story #9: Doberman pinscher; 2 years old; still there:

Dear Animal Advocates,

I don't understand how anyone can do this to a dog, but I think this Doberman is ruined now. Please go take a look and try to help him. He spends his whole life in this basement stairwell and he is going crazy. I think he's past help. He rushes up and down the stairs trying to see out, he acts like he's lost his mind. I'd just go get him because I can't stand to see a helpless creature suffer like this, but he's pretty scary now. Can you help him?...

Reported July 2000

AAS has seen this dog several times. It is in a constant state of heightened fear and aggression. Its behaviour meets the BC SPCA guideline definition: Emotional distress: is an aversive (negative) state experienced by animals when exposed to stressors causing negative emotions such as anxiety and fear, or when deprived of mental stimulation resulting in negative emotions such as depression, frustration or boredom.

AAS believes that this dog is a severe risk to the public and that it be seized by the SPCA and be given a chance to be rehabilitated by a trainer who specializes in Doberman Pinschers.

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Story #10: Rottweiler; male; unknown age; still there:

Dear Animal Advocates,

Is there anything you can do for a dog in my neighbourhood? I've given up asking the SPCA. This is about the fifth dog this family has ruined. They get them and chain them up on their dark back porch or keep them in a tiny space at the side of the house and then one day they are gone and they get another one....

Reported: Many times beginning in 1998

AAS has viewed various dogs at this address over a period of three years and we have seen four different dogs. We can confirm the reports that as one dog disappears another is obtained (we believe from the Vancouver City pound and/or the Vancouver SPCA, which we know for certain, sell dogs to purchasers who are clearly unsuitable, and who may even be on record as having previous complaints of animal cruelty and neglect made against them. In fact, we have been told of instances where dogs have been sold by the VCP and the SPCA to owners who have had dogs seized from them in the past. From all we've been told by neighbours, the SPCA and the VCP has long been familiar with the residents of this address's history of dog-ownership. AAS hopes that these people can be stopped from their habit of obtaining, neglecting and dumping dogs.

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Story #11: wolf hybrid; female; two-three years old; disposition unknown:

Dear Animal Advocates,

I live across the lane from a guy who keeps breeding his female wolf hybrid and selling the pups for $300. He keeps her chained to a fence, and sometimes she gets over the fence and just about chokes to death. The dogs are never in the house and the pups aren't either. Isn't there something we can do about this guy?...

Reported: May 2000

We can tell you with assurance that Vancouver has many back yard breeders. Every municipality should have bylaws that require a breeding license with regulations that permit city ACO's and the SPCA to inspect the dogs and pups. AAS has produced a thoughtful, common-sense, comprehensive report on back yard breeding with a draft "Control of Breeding" bylaw. If you wish a copy of our proposal Dog Breeding Regulations - "Too Many Dogs", we would be happy to provide it.

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Story #12: cross breed; male; 18 months old; no longer there:

Dear Animal Advocates,

Right next door to me there is a dog that was put on a clothesline chain when he was just a pup and left there all day, every day and every night. He was so frightened and alone and he cried so much and barked to be taken inside, and some neighbours complained to the SPCA who told his owners that they would give him a fine for having a "barking dog" if they didn't keep him quiet so this is what they did to him. He likes me because sometimes when the owners aren't home I take him for walks, but he tries to jump the fence to get to me and just about strangles. I can't stand to put him back on this chain anymore and I just want to steal him but they would know if I took him and there's nowhere I can hide him. I cry at night listening to him cry, but he's almost given up now and doesn't cry as much because he knows he'll have the muzzle put on. Can you do something to help this dog? I just can't stand it anymore...

This dog was removed, probably by the person who reported it to AAS.

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Story #13: cross breed; very old; died in its pen:

Dear Animal Advocates,

There are many unhappy dogs in my neighbourhood, all up and down the lane there are dogs that have been chained for years, and dogs in pens, and garages and one in a plywood cage that is so dark and this is their third dog they've kept there. Someone keeps stealing them. I hope they are happier because they couldn't be unhappier. But there is very old, big dog that is chained under a porch and he is so sad. The owners never touch him or take him off his heavy chain and he just lies in the dirt, covered in flies. I am too old to help this dog. I wish the people who stole the other dogs would steal this old dog too...

This dog died in the mud in its pen.

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Story #14: Rottweiler, German shepherd cross; female; three years; no longer there:

Dear Animal Advocates,

I see this dog everyday and bring her treats and throw them over the fence to her but I can't get near her because she is chained to the house and I think she may be aggressive because she has been beaten. Another neighbour told me he saw her being beaten with a 2 X 4 once and for three days she could hardly stand up, so I worry she may bite if I try to save her. Her owners only push a bowl of food at her once a day, and sometimes I think they forget. Sometimes she has no water but I don't know for how long. If she didn't scare me I'd just go take her one night. Is there anything you can do?..

This dog was removed, probably by one of the neighbours.

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Story #15: German shepherd cross; two years old; no longer there:

Dear Animal Advocates,

I live next door to three dogs who have lived in the backyard for four years and the female keeps having puppies. The dogs are never allowed in and food is just thrown onto the ground and sometimes the water is green and slimy so when no one is home I take them food and water. They are almost feral. Last Sunday the female started to give birth again and she was running all around the filthy yard with pups falling out of her and into the muddy ground because she had no place to hide from the male dogs and she wasn't able to lick them so they were dying. I phoned the SPCA but they said it wasn't an emergency, and hung up on me. Shouldn't there be a law against this?...

This dog and her pups were removed, probably by the neighbour.

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Story #16: two purebred dogs; two years old; no longer there:

Dear Animal Advocates,

There are two purebred dogs in a cage down the lane from me. The man keeps them for hunting he says, but we think he is breeding them too. The cage is covered over so it is always dark in there and the cement floor is black with excrement and urine and the smell is sickening even 50 yards away. These dogs are never taken out as far as anyone can tell. Their lives are pointless, they are timid and they cry a lot, even after years. The water is disgusting! How can this be okay as the SPCA says?...

These dogs were removed, probably by one of the many neighbours who were upset.

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Story #17: pit bull terrier; age unknown; no longer there:

Dear Animal Advocates,

There is a poor sad pit bull next door to me in a cage. His ears are cropped and he disappears for a day or two sometimes so I think they may be using him for fighting. He's very quiet, I've never heard him bark, he just looks sad and puzzled all the time. Is there anywhere for a pit bull? I would take him if there was...

We were told that this dog was moved to a Surrey pit-bull fighting location.

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Story #18: purebred pointer; age unknown; still there:

Dear Animal Advocates,

I see a dog in a cage when I walk my dog everyday. The neighbours are all upset because this man has had seven dogs in twelve years and they keep disappearing. He says they are hunting dogs, not house dogs, as though there is any difference to the dog! One of the neighbours saw him put one of the dogs in the trunk of his car to take him somewhere. Another neighbour says she has seen the owner beat his dogs. Shouldn't there be a law against keeping dogs in cages? It is so lonely for them. I don't know how they survive. I know this is a nice boy, but he'd be better off dead....

Reported: February 2001

The neglect of this dog is easily verifiable, as it is almost never absent from this cage. This is a case where the guidelines should be used to stop this person's career of purchase/neglect/dispose.

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Story #19: German shepherd, husky cross; male; young; still there:

Dear Animal Advocates,

This dog has been chained here since it was a tiny pup. Sometimes the kids take it for a walk, but the parents won't let it in the house so it spends 24 hours a day like this, year in and year out. Sometimes I worry he will choke to death because he gets tangled in his chain and there is a step just in front of him. When he was a pup the chain was so heavy for his tiny neck. You could tow a truck with his chain. Why do they have a dog? A cheap alarm. The police have told some neighbours to get a dog because of break-ins. That's not why dogs were put on earth. They sure weren't put on earth for this!....

Reported: March 2000

This dog is at risk of strangling and its living conditions should change or it should be removed.

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Story #20: two Rottweilers; young; no longer there:

Dear Animal Advocates Society,

All the neighbours have complained over and over to the SPCA, but they can't do anything. There is a Rottweiler chained to a drug house near here and the owners say they are going to breed her and sell the pups for drug money. Her name is "Baby". The poor thing barks and cries and some of the neighbours who don't realize she is asking the only was she knows to not be outside and lonely all winter, have complained about her barking so now the owners have been warned about her barking. That is so unfair! Why isn't there a law against chaining dogs, and against breeding them too unless you have a license? They're out of money so she has no food, and she seems really dehydrated because they don't even bother making sure she has water. When we take her food and water she drinks and eats like it's her last meal! The SPCA says that as long as we're giving her food and water, then she's getting food and water and they can't do anything. Does that mean we have to let her starve? Can you do anything?...

We were told these dogs were surrendered to the SPCA or the VCP.

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Story #21: no longer there:

Dear Animal Advocates,

A few months ago I phoned you about an old dog on a chain near me that I used to see when I walked my dog. I tried to tell his owners that this was no life for a dog, but I couldn't communicate with them. The neighbours around here say he has been there for about ten years, and they've all tried to get him help, but they had to give up. He was a friendly old boy and he would come as far as his chain allowed to say hello to me and my dog, but then about six months ago I stopped seeing him. All winter I walked past and I thought he must be gone. And then one day, I heard him crying. There was no one home so I walked up the driveway to his doghouse and there he was, his rear end paralysed and unable to get out to pee or defecate. He was frozen to the floor of the doghouse by his own urine-soaked long hair. And he was matted all over his body, huge, heavy mats full of urine and feces. His water bowl had only a bit of dirty water in it. I just want you to know that I took that old dog, and got him all fixed up and he's with friends, and has lots of dog and cat buddies, and family, and love and he is getting around like a champ in his cart, and I just wish to God that I'd taken him when I fist saw him, but at least the last year or two of his life will help to make up for all the years of loneliness...

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Story #22: no longer there:

Dear Animal Advocates,

In my neighbourhood, there was a dog that was chained her whole life in a backyard to the fence. The grass disappeared years ago and all she had to lie in for years was dirt and mud. She could get under the overhang of the garage sometimes when it rained, but then she got too old and arthritic because she stopped getting up when I called to her, and she sometimes just lay there in the rain and the snow in the hole she had dug for herself. I don't think she ever had any fun her whole miserable life. I don't know what kept her alive all those years. No one in the family ever looked at her, they just walked past her everyday and they never even said hello. She used to jump and bark and try to greet them, but she got yelled at and smacked for that, so she gave that up years ago too. She looked so sick so I took her off her chain and took her to my vet and he found that her body was riddled with maggots. She couldn't get away from the flies attracted by her waste and she couldn't get away from the waste, and finally she got too old to chase the flies away, so they laid eggs and then her vagina and anus and her sides were full of maggots burrowing all over. She was too old and sick to save, so I had her put to sleep and her owners never even looked for her. My vet told me that he has seen many dogs like this. Why can't the SPCA take dogs away from people who do this to them? And if the SPCA really hasn't got a law to take dogs away from people like this, why haven't they asked for a law? There is something really sick with our society. The next time, I am not going to bother trying to make people be kind to their dog, and I am not going to bother asking the SPCA for help. I am just going to take it, right away. That's what I should have done for this poor old girl when there was still a chance for happiness for her. She will haunt me for the rest of my life. I just wish I had done the right thing for her...

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Story #23: no longer there:

Dear Animal Advocates,

I moved to East Van a year ago and I am shocked by all the neglected dogs in my neighbourhood, it seems every third yard has a frantic or a depressed dog curled up under a porch or in a pen in it all day. I can hear them barking and howling at night so many of them live their whole lives alone. This is Canada, not some third world country and I can't understand when I phone the SPCA why nothing ever changes. They say they can't do anything as long as the dog is fed and has water and shelter. What about sick? You can see that one dog must have infected ears as she shakes her head all the time and another has a bald neck because of years of a heavy chain around it.

The one that really got to my whole family though is the little old beagle in a garage except for a few minutes a day when it is let out to do its business. I can hear it night and day in the garage, crying and crying. I've met neighbours while I am out walking my dog and they say he's been in the garage for about ten years and the SPCA says there nothing wrong with a dog living in a garage because there is a window in the garage. Once in a while he was left in the yard and sometimes he would make a break for freedom and get out, but he was always caught and returned to his dark prison.

One day my 10 year old daughter and I saw him out and so we took him home and gave him to friends. Hi owners didn't even look for him. When he was taken to the vet he was found to have such chronically infected ears that he was almost deaf and his ears will have to be cleaned every day for the rest of his life. I am certain that by doing the right thing for that poor old dog, I have set an example for my daughter that if you see suffering, you must do something. As Albert Einstein said, "The world is a dangerous place to live, not because of the people who are evil, but because of the people who don't do anything about it." I haven't ever even had a speeding ticket, but I could not live with myself if I had let that dog be put back in the garage.

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Story #25: strangled:

From many apocryphal reports we receive, such as the one that follows, it is AAS's understanding that many more dogs choke to death on chains and ropes than the public has any idea of. It is the SPCA and Animal Control Officers who see this. But we know it happens. There is no moral reason to permit a person to chain their dog. Perhaps as a society we're not quite ready to say a dog cannot be isolated, but as a society we should have no hesitation in saying you can't chain your dog...

Dear Animal Advocates,

This is what the animal control officer relayed to me. She feels very badly that she was unable to help the dog sooner. The dog that strangled was a Staffordshire Terrier/ Lab cross about 4 years old intact male...

One dog was left inside the house and this one (the strangled one) tied outside on the deck. This was pretty much a daily occurrence and so nothing unusual about where he was tied. We had had many complaints of barking dog. The rope was tied to the top post of the banister, came down (as the photo shows) wraps around the tree, then got tangled up with a piece of tin, wraps around the tree again. The dog, though he was used to being tied, was not a docile dog by any means and I imagine that once he was in that predicament started to fight to get away. The neighbour called in the first barking complaint at 9:22 A.M. and said the dog had barked pretty much all night. Shortly thereafter I received a third call and called her back. In this message she indicated that the dog was "just laying there" and was concerned about the dog being hurt. My first thought was that the dog had suffered from direct sunlight because I thought she said the dog was on the deck. So at about 2:30 - 3:00 I attended the residence and found the dog dead with rigor mortis. There was dirt thrown for approximate 5 feet or more from the dog's struggle and the body was in a fair sized hole. Now, there could have been a hole there before from the dog trying to cool in the heat. But, I must say that while we stood and waited in the shade for the RCMP, we cooked. I couldn't imagine what that dog had been going through before or during its struggle.

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Story #26: pure bred German shepherd:

Dear Animal Advocates,

The dog in the alley barks most of the time, because he's so lonely and knows he is being left out. He loves people. On a sunny weekend when a lot of people are outside in the neighbourhood he doesn't bark. But when he realises he's the only one out there, he gets so anxious. It's so sad because he's still so perky and eager to please. His entire existence is this pen! I think the owners would sell him to AAS. The other dog is across the street from me. He lives on the porch in the back yard. He just lies there in a heap, with his head down. Looks like he's given up. No human contact, except for food. My daughter walks by and pets him through the fence and says he is such a sweetheart. He's a beautiful German shepherd...

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Story #27: St Bernard; female; approximately 1 ½ years:

First reported to AAS in June 2001, subsequently in September and December 2001. Four different people, all neighbours, reported this dog to AAS.

All four people told us substantially the same things. That:

1. This dog was being kept in a small pen at the back of the property. From the time of purchase at approximately 3-4 months old, and with the rare exception, and then only very briefly, she was never let out, nor walked; nor played with; nor was any "attention" paid to her; in short - she was denied all of her basic social needs.

2. She was exposed to heat, cold, wet, and storms, and that she barked and cried all day and all night; her barking and crying was her only way of begging to be included in her pack (her family); for this she was punished;

3. On the few occasions she was seen in the yard with a family member she was punished for being rambunctious by being hit and hosed with water;

4. After repeated complaints by the neighbours to the SPCA, this dog's owners transferred her to their windowless garage where she was kept sometimes 24 hours a day in a cage shorter than she and only barely high enough for her to stand;

5. When she is allowed into her outside pen, if she barks she is put back into the cage in the garage;

6. The SPCA has seen this dog's cage in the garage and has told a neighbour that there is nothing it can do.

On January 7, 2001, AAS sent a letter to this dog's owners offering to purchase her at a price to be named by the owners. We described the home we had waiting for her where she would be taken for daily runs and have another dog for company. We did not receive a reply.

We believe that this dog's almost constant barking and crying fits the SPCA guideline for Emotional distress: Emotional distress: is an aversive (negative) state experienced by animals when exposed to stressors causing negative emotions such as anxiety and fear, or when deprived of mental stimulation resulting in negative emotions such as depression, frustration or boredom.

AAS is specifically asking that the SPCA "raise the bar" for this dog immediately;

1. that her owners have amply demonstrated that their response to appeals to them to improve her life, made by many neighbours, the SPCA, and AAS, have resulted in even worse treatment of her;

2. that the SPCA seize her and that it refuse to return her no matter what improvements her owners agree under this pressure to make;

3. that it keep her in a foster home for the duration of any legal attempts for the owners to have her returned to them;

4. that AAS be notified of the seizure of her so that we may assist in any way acceptable to the SPCA in her care and rehoming so that she is not resold to another unsuitable home, but also so that she goes to a St Bernard-experienced home because of probable future veterinary needs (the breed is prone to genetic diseases).

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Story #28: Rottweiler; male; approximately 2 years old:

Reported to AAS December 2002. We were told that:

1. This dog has been confined to a pen at the rear of the property since a pup;

2. He cries and barks out of loneliness and fear even still, especially during storms;

3. His pen is covered in feces to the extant that he is forced to walk in it;

4. Lack of a covered area forces him out into the freezing rain resulting in him being soaked to the skin;

5. His "house" is in such disrepair that boards are missing;

6. He is denied any stimulation by the fact of the fence being very high and of solid construction;

7. Appeals to the owners to treat him better or allow him to be rehomed have been unsuccessful;

8. Calls to the SPCA over a period of more than a year have resulted in no change;

9. Calls to City Hall resulted in being told to "prosecute this yourself". (AAS has been told of this response by a number of people trying to get help for an isolated dog.)

10. "Many" neighbours are upset about his treatment;

11. He has been reported to the SPCA as recently as January 10, 2001.

On January 8, 2002, AAS viewed this dog and his pen and confirmed all we were told.

Because of his long-term isolation he is a fearful dog, a prime candidate to seriously bite, and now perhaps so ruined that he cannot be safely rehomed. He is the very type of dog that the taxpayers of the City of Vancouver pay their pound to euthanize, many times a year. He would first be labelled "unadoptable" and then killed, thus preserving the fiction that the Vancouver City Pound is no-kill.

Although we know that euthanasia of these dogs is the cheapest solution, we cannot believe it is the solution preferred by you or the citizens of Vancouver.

AAS is specifically asking that the SPCA "raise the bar" for this dog immediately;

1. that his owners have amply demonstrated that their response to appeals to them to improve his life, made by at least one neighbour and the SPCA, has resulted in no better treatment of him;

2. that the SPCA strongly urge his owners to surrender him, and if that fails, to seize him and that it refuse to return him no matter what improvements his owners agree to under this pressure;

3. that it keeps him in a suitable, experienced foster home for the duration of any legal attempts for the owners to have him returned to them;

4. that AAS be notified of the seizure of this dog so that we may assist in any way acceptable to the SPCA in his care, rehabilitation, and rehoming (at which we have been very successful).

On January 8, 2002 we photographed the dog, the pen, and the feces (we counted over thirty deposits of feces); we confirmed that there was no water; and confirmed that boards are missing from the sides of the doghouse (although that can't be seen in this photo). Rocky weighs at least 80 lbs, perhaps 100 lbs. We observed him again on March 1st.

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Story #29: German shepherd; male; approximately 2 years old:

Reported to AAS December 2002: (Please see the complainant's email, next page). The complainant told us:

1. That the dog has been there for a year, perhaps two;

2. That there is often two dogs, both chained (We saw only one dog when we investigated.)

3. That calls to city hall met with suggestions that the complainant get neighbours' signatures and go to a prosecutor himself;

4. That appeals to the dogs' owners are not acknowledged.

The attached email tells better than I can, what this dog's condition is.

---- Original Message -----
To: office@animaladvocates.com
Sent: Tuesday, December 11, 2001 10:35 AM
Subject: Guard-dog and horrible noise and anger

Dear Animal Advocates,

I moved from a residence on East 34th due to the lack of problem solving around two excessively barking guard dogs at ----East 33rd,Van.The address has a 'guard dog on' duty sign facing 33rd.The two dogs are still a problem as I visited my old address and could still hear the German Shepherd guard dog in a lot of stress. There is sometimes two dogs there but the noise problem (excessive non stop barking, whining, howling are all because of confinement of this beautiful animal - the shepherd.

During my year-long stay there I complained many, many times to the Dog Barking section in the Vancouver pages of the phone book. The problem, and I documented it for the summer autumn and winter of last yea. I went away and then would return and the owners, perhaps because of their country of origin and terrible attitudes about dogs, the role of animals, and lack of understanding of the rules about dog containment, just ignored the city inspector visits, and the neighbours were afraid of any reprisals, and would not sign the complaint or were not prepared to go to court if they submitted documentation notes, left me in a quandary, and I was without any recourse other than complain to the City.

In due time I was told to stop complaining until I could convince a neighbour to join in on the complaint. Now that I have moved, the problem has gone right back to the excessive explained above. The new neighbours are fed up with the noise and I hope they will contact the City, but it is not fair to the dog (and sometimes dogs, as two are often there), are left out, so if this is in need of investigation I leave it to your organization. I visit my old address 2-4 times a week and the barking on occasion HAS BEEN AWFUL!

----- Original Message -----
To: animaladvocates@telus.net
Sent: Tuesday, March 05, 2002 11:04 AM
Subject: an update on the shepherd on 33rd

I might add after reading the reports on the dog on east 33rd, that a neighbour told me the dog was originally there before the house was built. He was put there to stop materials from being stolen and he has been there for at least 3 -4 years and was a guard dog who was never quiet and never happy,so I hope you can do something as it was barking to the point of hoarseness the other day (early days of March when weather was sunny).

AAS believes that this dog is very fearful and angry and that his rehabilitation may take a long time. AAS would like to be told if this dog is seized or surrendered and to be able to offer assistance in its rehabilitation

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Story #30: four Rottweilers:

1. AAS has been contacted many times over a period of several years about the number of Rottweilers at this residence;

2. Some complainants believe that the dogs are being bred and sold;

3. Some complainants are fearful that if the dogs escape they may seriously injure a person or even kill a child.

AAS has observed these dogs on several occasions and they seem good-natured, but they are large enough and unsocialized enough to be a risk to humans and other dogs. AAS has had many reports of large dogs, escaping their yards, pens, and tethers, killing small dogs. We would like the owner of these dogs to have his dogs assessed for aggression, and to not be permitted to keep his dogs outside unattended. As we have pointed out, no fence, pen, or tether is foolproof, and yard dogs are typically very unsocialized. If these dogs are being bred, this is further reason for AAS's "Control of Breeding" laws.

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Story #31: Jack Russell terrier x beagle pup kept in garage:

----- Original Message -----
To: Animal Advocates Society
Sent: Tuesday, February 19, 2002 9:21 AM
Subject: Jack Russell/Beagle cross pup kept in garage

Dear Animal Advocates, I feel strangely uncomfortable about doing this as I feel the family concerned is probably acting out of ignorance rather than deliberate cruelty. However, I have spoken to them about the treatment of their dog and little has improved. The dog in question is a Jack Russell / Beagle cross - quite young at about 9 months to 1 year - male. He spends his nights and a good part of the day in a cage in an enclosed garage. His owners will tell you that he goes out and also plays with the neighbourhood children. "Going out" means that he is taken to the back garden and tethered by his short leash to the back deck. There he sits, ignored, then back to the garage. There is no evidence of playing with the children. At Christmas time, he spent his entire days and nights in the garage. I was told that this was because the child "who loves him" had gone away on holiday. So, grandmother and a teenage girl were looking after him. I asked if I might take him for walks and was allowed to do so once, never again. Grandmother does not speak good English so granddaughter (?) translates. I told them that the dog had to have better treatment and, if not, I would report them. This was when I was told that he goes out and that the neighbourhood children come in to play. The other evening the child "who loves him" was out playing in the yard - where was the dog? In his cage in the garage. The other evening, Prince was tied up outside in the back when grandmother took his food out. He was so happy to see someone - anyone - that he jumped up and down. Grandmother flapped a towel at him. That is his human contact. He is a gorgeous, lively little fellow. I have neighbours who would corroborate the story. Please note, on wet days, Prince does not go out in the back (remains in the garage all day).

The number of dogs being kept in garages is growing. AAS hears reports of this almost monthly. It is one of the gravest infractions of humane behaviour toward a helpless being that we know of. To be kept your whole life, from puppyhood up, in a dark garage is unspeakably cruel. These dogs become so unsocialized that when the dogs' "families" finally "get rid of them", they are almost always euthanized because of behaviour problems.

We are convinced that the SPCA gets many more reports than we do, as everyone automatically and always thinks the SPCA will do something to stop this cruelty and phone the SPCA first.

From ten years of experience we do not believe that this family can be educated to feel the compassion that is required for the keeping of a pet animal. We want the SPCA to confirm this report and to seize the dog, before it suffers the fate of many other dogs that have been the scrutiny of neighbours and the SPCA and put in a cage in the basement or garden shed. We believe that enforcement of the law is as great an educational tool as any, and for the sake of animals that are suffering now - it is the only humane action.

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Story #32: Rottweiler; female:

1. This dog was first reported to AAS in 1999. The complainant had approached the owners many times, begging them to take her for a walk; give her a toy or a bone; groom her. In fact, the complainant supplied toys and brushes for the dog. The owners ignored these and refused permission to walk their dog.

2. After years of being a good guard dog and barking furiously at the approach of strangers, this dog has given up and is eerily silent. She watches anyone approaching with fear and puzzlement.

3. The complainant has told AAS that she has seen this dog being beaten, for barking one of the very few natural behaviours she has any way of expressing. Even this is denied her (and hundreds of other dogs).

Being beaten is the result of neighbours' complaints to the City about barking; the dog is invariably punished.This dog is not the problem. Even her owners are not the problem. Like every owner in this report, they are uneducated, uncomprehending, and naturally unsympathetic. And they are unchecked. It is this that is the root of the problems of suffering dogs; of angry, terrorized, distraught neighbours; of law-breaking by theft; and ultimately, of the cost of City Animal Control Officers (ACO's) having to respond to many barking complaints; having to pick up loose dogs; impounding and euthanizing the victims. Victims first, of neglect by owners. Second, of neglect by the City. Third, of neglect by the SPCA. Their punishment for being victimized is a long, lonely, meaningless life (the unluckiest), or death at a pound.

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Story #33: Rottweiler cross:

1. This dog was first reported to AAS in December 2001. The complainant told us that she first noticed the dog in the summer of 2001 and that he is always in his front yard or in his doghouse.

2. She reported that he seems to have arthritis in his rear back and legs. She also reported that since phoning the SPCA she does not see him as often. The day in January 2002 that AAS took the photograph below, he was not to be seen.

3. A week later an AAS member reported that he was padlocked into the doghouse (his nose could be seen poking out).

4. We think it not unlikely that he is very stiff because of confinement in the doghouse.

5. The complainant phoned the SPCA several times, most recently in December 2001, when she was told what she had been told before: that there is not enough neglect for the SPCA to do anything.

We believe that the SPCA should be watching this dog, not the neighbour, not AAS. And if the SPCA sees an infraction of its revised Dog Care Guidelines, it should seize this dog. Again, we do not believe that this dog's owners can have any comprehension of the suffering they are causing to a sentient being and that education in cases such as this is not only ineffective, but a betrayal of the dog.

We also question from where people who do this to dogs are getting large, adult, Rottweilers and shepherd crosses. We know for a fact that some neglected dogs have been bought from the SPCA and the VCP.

We know for a fact that some volunteers from the SPCA and the VCP have secretly removed and rehomed dogs sold to neglectors by the SPCA and the VCP.

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Story 34: yellow lab cross:

1. This dog is an example of the growing phenomenon of the "porch dog". They spend their whole lives boxed onto a porch. They usually get to stare in a window at their "family" who, unconcerned, go about their business while the dog barks, and cries and begs to be brought inside and be made a part of its family. For expressing its loneliness in the only way a dog can, these dogs are usually beaten.

2. This dog was reported to AAS in December 2001. We were told that it is now approximately eight months old and has been a "porch dog" since a small pup.

3. When the complainant phoned the VCP in December she was told that someone else had already reported this pup's pitiable crying, howling, and barking, in April 2001.

(Pitiable to the neighbours, but not the owners, which is why AAS believes that if a person can be unmoved by a puppy's cries of loneliness they will not be moved by attempts to "educate" them. Education is for the educable - the young; laws are for adults; and to abrogate one's duty to prevent suffering with the "education is the best tool" excuse is transparently self-serving)

We want the SPCA to investigate this complaint (if they have not already), and to urge the owners to surrender this dog. If the mistreatment of the dog persists, we want the SPCA to seize the dog.

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Story #35: Dobermann pinscher:

1. This dog is owned by a multiple neglector who is well-known to the VCP, and probably the SPCA. He has surrendered at least two ruined dogs to the VCP and we have been told that concerned neighbours have removed several more;

2. It was reported to AAS in October, 2001;

3. This dog's eyes look haunted. He looks as though he has retreated into madness. He was strangely silent when AAS visited him;

4. This man should be prosecuted to the full extent of the law.

AAS would like to try to help to make sure that this dog is given a chance to have some happiness.

We question where this man keeps getting large breed adult dogs.

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Story #36: large red cross breed:

1. Reports to AAS indicate that this dog is tethered 24/7/365 and has been for at least two years; 2. AAS first visited this dog in March 2001, several subsequent times, the most recent being February 25, 2002; 3. We have never seen it not on its tether.

We think this dog is friendly and rehabilitatable, but also think that the owner perhaps can be required to stop tethering this dog. If not, the dog should be seized.

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Story #37: Akita:

1. This dog was first reported to AAS in October, 2001;

2. We were told that this dog is known to the VCP;

3. That it has been on its tether for a year;

4. That this is not the first dog neglected at this address.

AAS thinks there is not much chance of this dog's owner treating this dog any differently and we think it should be seized and rehabilitated.

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Story #38: large black cross breed:

1. This dog was first reported to AAS in the Fall of 2001;

2. AAS has visited viewed this dog several times and it has always been on its tether in the carport;

3. We believe it has been there for two years;

4. On our most recent viewing of this dog its tether came unfastened and it ran into the lane, dragging the tether, and it attacked our dog a large German shepherd cross.

The attack did not unduly alarm us as we are very used to dogs and we know that this poor dog is never able to meet dogs properly and is only reacting to a dog walking by its property that it believes may be a threat. The dog stopped its attack when we told it to and ran down the lane, dragging its tether and disappeared. The next-door neighbour was watching (the owner of the pointer in Report No. 1.18) and told me he would tell the owners that their dog was loose.

AAS thinks this dog is probably friendly. Our own old beagle has challenged dogs that have the nerve to walk past our home. We think that the owner should be made to provide a fence for when their dog is outside and to not be allowed to keep the dog unattended in the yard.

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Story #39: muzzled shepherd:

February 2003

I am writing to let you know about a German Shepherd that is permanently muzzled in her back yard next door to my parents. Three years ago these people had another Shepherd who died of asphyxiation after being muzzled during hot weather. The SPCA was called, they came and removed the dog and told the neighbour not to muzzle dogs anymore. They also let my parents know that they should call if they ever saw a dog muzzled.

Last summer (2002) I called the SPCA because their new Shepherd was muzzled. When the SPCA did check, they contacted me to let me know that when they inspected the dog was not muzzled. They stated that the dog was obviously not integrated into the family, but it did have shelter from the elements and food and water. I told the inspector about the dog who had died previously and he could find no record of it.

This beautiful dog is now muzzled almost all the time on a cement pad in a fenced in area. She is seldom, if ever walked and the cement pad is not flushed off everyday. There is also a Chow that shares this area.

The address of this dog is ______ in Vancouver.

Further information: Since AAS began reporting this dogs to the SPCA, further SPCA inspections have been made. We were told by the SPCA that the owners have been told to stop muzzling this dog. The SPCA also told us (without comment) that the owners said they would begin to keep this dog in their garage.

The complainant tells us that the dog continues to be muzzled on occasion, even in 30 degree heat.

We were also told that the Chow is a young female that has not been seen as of this date (June 12/03) for a few months, but that it was bred, and the pups, which were kept in this pen, were sold before she was disposed of.

There is no law regulating the breeding and selling of pups in the City of Vancouver, to say nothing of any laws against the keeping of dogs this way. Nor has the SPCA ever asked for any regulations to control backyard breeding.

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Story #40: dog in dirty pen:

March 28/03

Enclosed are pictures of a dog that lives in Vancouver. The SPCA has been notified of the conditions the dog is living in but so far nothing has changed. The dog still has a beautiful disposition despite its circumstances. The one thing I am not sure of is if he is outside at night. He spends his days in this filthy pen, and I can't see the owners bringing the dog inside when he is covered in mud.

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Story #41: East 14th Avenue:

December 2002

1. What is the address of the dog you are reporting?

East Vancouver

2. What is the breed(s), age, sex, size, colouring of the dog(s)?

I believe it is a German Shepherd about 10 months old.

3. How long has the dog (or dogs) been there?

Late spring of 2002.

4. Is it tethered, loose, in a pen, in a garage, in a shed, in a basement, on a porch or balcony, etc?

It is in a backyard. It's hard to see exactly, but i believe it is tethered. Sometimes it is brought under the porch - a small space. It spends all day outside, no matter how cold.

5. If in a pen or enclosure, how big is it?

Sometimes they keep it under the back porch, which is a small space, cold and dark.

6. Can the dog(s) see out of its place of keeping or is its vision blocked?

She can see when she's in the backyard, not sure about under the porch.

7. If tethered, how long is the tether and what is it made of?

We can't see far enough into the yard.

8. Is the dog in danger of choking on its tether (i.e. can the dog get up high and possibly fall or jump and strangle itself?)

Not sure.

9. Is the shelter dry inside?

It's probably very damp under the porch, but not dry at all when the dog is in the backyard.

10. Is it positioned to provide protection from wind and heat?

Not in the backyard.

11. Is the dog fed regularly? If not, is the dog thin?

I think so.

12. Is there clean water at all times?

We don't know.

13. Is there excrement that the dog must live near or in?

We don't know.

14. Is there a smell of urine?

We don't know.

15. Is the dog ever walked? How frequently?

This is really a big part of the issue. It's a big energetic dog that is walked maybe once a day. In fact, I myself have only ever seen it walked three times in 5 months. It has a lot of pent-up energy and neighbours around the street have commented that it is being neglected - and not walked enough or long enough.

16. Have you witnessed it being beaten or yelled at?

They just tell the dog to shut up, but are not giving it any training or guidance. There are 5 people in the house (at least) all giving her different directions, and the poor animal is becoming very confused and increasingly unsocialized.

17. Is the dog ever muzzled?

No, because it barks all the time.

18. Describe its personality

She started off crying a lot when they first got her. Now that she is about 10 months, she is very jumpy because there is no leader in the house to act as the alpha-dog. She's extremely unsocialized. Last month, she got out of the yard and came to visit us. I was scared to go close to her as she seems to have become very jumpy and unpredictable. I think she would be a nice animal with training - she looks healthy, but just is very bored. Nobody talks to her during the day, or takes her out for walks. I believe she has to wait until evening before anyone comes home to walk her. During the day she is very volatile, and barks continually.

19. Do you visit it? Talk to it? Feed it treats? (we are not asking you to do this at this time)

No, now I am scared of her. She bit someone who came to the house yesterday, and we heard the woman screaming. We're a little worried what will happen as she gets bigger and older with no training.

20. Have you asked the owner if you can walk the dog? (we are not asking you to do this at this time)

No. I wouldn't be the right person for this as I'm scared of the dog. My neighbour across the street went over to their house on Friday, November 29 to offer to help them train their dog. I think they weren't interested.

21. Are there other people in the neighbourhood who are also upset?

There are 15 people we have talked to who are upset by the neglect. It is a real issue as we all hear her during the day and night, barking and frustrated, left alone for hours. We have all talked about it a lot over the past two months specifically.

22. Have you reported this dog to the SPCA?

Yes

23. Which branch?

I believe Clark Dr.

24. How many times?

I have called twice and I believe another neighbour may have as well.

25. When approximately?

August and September, 2002

26. When was the most recent time you contacted the SPCA?

September.

27. What did the SPCA do or say to you?

They were not very helpful. They told me they couldn't do anything and to call the pound. I called the pound and they said that at 8 months, Lily was too young to be trained and was fine to be left in the yard alone all day and night. I didn't agree, but that was that unfortunately.

28. Have any of the neighbours reported this dog to the SPCA?

One other might have.

Write any details that are important to you here:

Our concern over the dog has been escalating since mid-summer. The family originally had another dog first, a cocker spaniel, in about February, but they couldn't meet the dog's need for walks. A few weeks later, they got the shepherd, and have completely mistreated her ever since. They want a dog to act as an alarm for them. I think that is the root of the problem, that they treat it like a mechanical object rather than an animal that needs love, care, affection, and daily attention.

The family has been broken into twice, so they thought a dog would be a good idea. Sadly, we just don't think they are able to look upon Lily as a animal with feelings. Unfortunately, she is left outside all day. She barks from 7:30 am to 11 at night out of sheer boredom. It is becoming a real issue for all of us in this neighborhood. We all agree that she is being neglected. We're also concerned that she will never be trained, she will be left outside all winter (as seems to be the case now), and that she is not walked enough for a fast growing puppy. We have gone to talk to them a couple of times, with no luck. They just tell us they are not going to train her and to like it or lump it. Another neighbour went over on Sunday December 8th to see if he could help them. Everyone is concerned.

Just to recap, here are our concerns (and these represent the views of about 14 people):

  • The space she is kept is a small garden and a small damp porch for sleeping. She is there rain or shine, winter or summer, day and night.
  • The whole neighbourhiood is concerned and also disturbed by her barking and cries for attention.
  • She is not walked enough at all. I myself have only seen them walk it twice in 8 months, although they say they walk her once a day at night.
  • Isolation and severe lack of attention
  • She got loose twice and is very scattery and not well habituated to other people
  • She bit one of their visitors on sunday, December 8.
  • They treat her like a guard dog and she is now a dangerous animal.
  • She has never been trained and they refuse to get her trained.
  • She is barking constantly for attention

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Story #42: German shepherd, East 1st Avenue:

January 2003

1. What is the address of the dog you are reporting?

----

2. What is the breed(s), age, sex, size, colouring of the dog(s)?

German Shepherd, adult, large, black/tan

3. How long has the dog (or dogs) been there?

at least 6 months that I have observed it

4. Is it tethered, loose, in a pen, in a garage, in a shed, in a basement, on a porch or balcony, etc?

It is chained with a HEAVY-DUTY chain to a car, outdoors. Most of the time, it is on the car roof. Recently, the chain is attached to a truck.

5. If in a pen or enclosure, how big is it?

I am unsure, if it is able to get into the car/truck for shelter, likely not.

6. Can the dog(s) see out of its place of keeping or is its vision blocked?

It can see from the car roof.

7. If tethered, how long is the tether and what is it made of?

A chain, long enough to climb onto the car and down, very heavy chain.

8. Is the dog in danger of choking on its tether (i.e. can the dog get up high and possibly fall or jump and strangle itself?)

Yes, very high danger.

9. Is there shelter?

Only a car/truck, but I don't think the dog has access.

10. Is the shelter big enough for the dog to stand up in comfortably, and turn around without having to come outside?

see #9

11. Is the shelter dry inside?

don't know

12. Is it positioned to provide protection from wind and heat?

If the dog can get into the car, yes.

13. Is the dog fed regularly? If not, is the dog thin?

It doesn't appear to be very thin.

14. Is there clean water at all times?

don't know

15. Is there excrement that the dog must live near or in?

Yes.

16. Is there a smell of urine?

don't know

17. Is the dog ever walked? How frequently?

don't know

18. Have you witnessed it being beaten or yelled at?

No, I have never seen it getting any attention.

19. Is the dog ever muzzled?

I haven't seen a muzzle.

20. Describe its personality.

It is barking very aggressively, if people are passing by the fence on foot or bike, although the dog is in several meters distance from the fence.

21. Do you visit it? Talk to it? Feed it treats? (we are not asking you to do this at this time)

No.

22. Have you asked the owner if you can walk the dog? (we are not asking you to do this at this time)

No.

23. Have you asked the owner if you can buy the dog? (we are not asking you to do this at this time)

No.

24. Would you be able to foster the dog, or help find a foster home if you were given the dog?

No, I am not allowed to keep pets in my current apartment.

25. Are there other people in the neighbourhood who are also upset?

I don't know, it is an industrial area, and I haven't met other people there.

26. Have you reported this dog to the SPCA?

Yes.

27. Which branch?

Vancouver 1205 East 7th Avenue 28.

How many times?

1. Inquiry in person. I asked, whether SPCA could do anything for the dog. (see below)
2. Filed complaint (by phone)

29. When approximately?

1. Jan. 26, 2003, 11:30 am
2. Feb. 02, 2002, 3:15 pm

30. When was the most recent time you contacted the SPCA?

Feb. 02, 2002, 3:15 pm

31. What did the SPCA do or say to you?

  • SPCA (asked repeatedly): "Are shelter, water, food are available to the dog?"
  • Me: "The only 'shelter' would be the car, but I am not sure, if the dog had access to the car or not."
  • SPCA: "If there is no access, you could file a complaint."
  • Me: "Would a car actually count as shelter?"
  • SPCA's response (something like): (unclear mumble) "Hmm, well, yes."
  • We left it at me checking the dog's access to the car and coming back in case there was no access.

32. Have any of the neighbours reported this dog to the SPCA?

don't know

33. Will you take photos of the dog showing the tether, shelter, feces, overturned water dishes, etc and send them to us? AAS can no longer go to each dog and attempt to take photos. We often cannot see the dog or are observed. The person in the neighbourhood has many more opportunities to take photos than we have. Photos are VERY important. Any photo, even of the porch, or the pen, etc, is better than no photo.

Yes, I have sent them to AAS.

33. If the dog is in Vancouver, have you reported it to the Vancouver City Pound (251- 1325)?

Feb. 02, 2002, 3:00 pm

What did the VCP do or say to you?

"Someone will go by and check it out."

34. What is your name and address?

Write any details that are important to you here:

I have seen this chained dog on several occasions a couple of months ago and repeatedly during the previous 2 weeks, still in the same miserable situation. It is a larger adult German shepherd (appears to be older), who is chained to a car apparently as a guard dog for a car mechanical shop. The car is located on the lot of the car shop amongst many other cars and wrecks. He stays on the car roof most of the time, barking aggressively at people passing by. He usually gets very excited and jumps up onto and down from the car. The chain is a very heavy-duty chain.

Initially (a few months ago), the dog was chained to a car near the gate. Recently, the chain has been attached to a truck further in the back.

Dog observed on February 6th. Dog is a "guard dog" for a used car and supply lot. His sleeping area is wherever he can find a spot. On rainy days, it's under whatever vehicle is close enough. He's in a well populated area and "talks" to people as they pass. His barks are loud and powerful, but those, and his body language suggest a dog that is simply lonely.

He has the potential to become a danger to the community if he escapes or is let loose.

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Story #43: Two dogs at East 22nd Avenue:

January 2003

Prior to last summer two dogs, a pit bull and a German shepherd, were kept in a small pen in the backyard until the pit bull killed the German shepherd.

The neighbours, who had reported these two dogs to the SPCA and VCP in the past, reported this incident to VCP and VCP seized the pit bull, kept it a few days, and then returned it to the owner.

The owner then got a Rottweiler pup and chained it to the outside of the cage. These circumstances have been reported to both the SPCA and VCP numerous times by neighbours.

Because there is no lane we were unable to see into the back yard, but on the occasion that we investigated this complaint, the pit bull was tethered where it could be seen at the side of the yard from the front sidewalk. It is believed that the owner is keeping the Rottweiler in a shed of some kind at night and sometimes during the day.

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Story #44: Chained German shepherd, East 41st Avenue:

June, 2003

1. What is the address of the dog(s) you are reporting?

East 41 Ave. Vancouver

2. What is the breed(s), age, sex, size, colouring of the dog(s)?

Husky mix. About 4 years old, medium size, black and white husky colouring

3. How long has the dog (or dogs) been there?

3 years+

4. Is it tethered, loose, in a pen, in a garage, in a shed, in a basement, on a porch or balcony, etc?

Tethered to the side of a garage/shed

5. If in a pen or enclosure, how big is it?

6. Can the dog(s) see out of its place of keeping or is its vision blocked?

Yes

7. If tethered, how long is the tether and what is it made of?

Chain about 8-10 feet

8. Is the dog in danger of choking on its tether (i.e. can the dog get up high and possibly fall or jump and strangle itself?)

No

9. Is there shelter?

None at all of any description

10. Is the shelter big enough for the dog to stand up in comfortably, and turn around without having to come outside?

11. Is the shelter dry inside?

12. Is it positioned to provide protection from wind and heat?

13. Is the dog fed regularly? If not, is the dog thin?

Looks thin, but it's hard to tell how thin because of the thick hair

14. Is there clean water at all times?

No

15. Is there excrement that the dog must live near or in?

Yes

16. Is there a smell of urine?

Yes, more so in the warmer months.

17. Is the dog ever walked? How frequently?

None of the neighbors have ever seen it walked, groomed, played with or given any attention whatsoever

18. Have you witnessed it being beaten or yelled at?

They come out and yell at it to shut up when the dog barks at people.

19. Is the dog ever muzzled?

No

20. Describe its personality.

Barks at people, but displays very submissive behaviour. Tail tucked way under, etc

21. Do you visit it? Talk to it? Feed it treats? (we are not asking you to do this at this time)

I drive by once a week

22. Have you asked the owner if you can walk the dog? (we are not asking you to do this at this time)

No

23. Have you asked the owner if you can buy the dog? (we are not asking you to do this at this time)

No

24. Would you be able to foster the dog, or help find a foster home if you were given the dog?

Yes

25. Have you reported this dog to the SPCA?

Yes

26. Which branch?

Vancouver

27. How many times?

Twice

28. When approximately?

Approx. 1 year ago and the last time was 2 months ago.

29. When was the most recent time you contacted the SPCA?

2 months ago

30. What did the SPCA do or say to you?

That they would send someone by

31. Have any of the neighbours reported this dog to the SPCA?

Don't know, but they are upset as well.

32. If the dog is in Vancouver, have you reported it to the Vancouver City Pound (251-1325)?

No

33. Do you know if other dogs have been neglected at this address? If Yes, insert details here.

34. Will you take photos of the dog showing the tether, shelter, feces, overturned water dishes, etc and send them to us?

Photos attached

35. What is your name and address?

Colleen Donnelly Vancouver

Write any details that are important to you here:

I took the first few photos this afternoon and then I went back a few minutes ago and took more of her in the night time, still out there. She had a food and water bowl outside but no shelter, no dog house. The back yard where she is, is barren of trees. HORDES of people have seen her. This poor dog has been confined to the backyard for 2 years at least, says one neighbour. She lives at the end of a 8 foot chain that is very heavy as the pictures show.

She has no shelter from the sun or a sense of privacy from the busy world that passes her by. When she isn't out in the elements she wastes away in a windowless cold damp garage.

I personally waited 3 hours on one occasion for someone to let her in out of the rain. Her owner finally remembered her and came out of his warm and dry home and promptly escorted her into the garage.

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Story #45: German shepherd at ----:

Dec 13/02

I am sending pictures of a beautiful German Shepherd dog in my neighbourhood that deserves a better life. He is young (probably 10 - 12 months old) and still friendly. But it won't be long until he is ruined. He is tied up 24/7 on a short cable with no adequate shelter. The poor guy is starving for attention. There is easy access to him from the lane.

I hope you can help this dog in some way.

(No signature)

December 18, 2002

Craig Daniell,
General Manager, Investigations
BC SPCA

Dear Mr Daniell,

Animal Advocates Society has been pleased to see the amount of investigation and seizure you have accomplished since taking the job of General Manager, Investigations, at the BC SPCA. Your work has made us (cautiously) optimistic that the BC SPCA will start apply the PCA act and its own guidelines to help chained and isolated yard dogs in BC. To the best of our ability to know, to date it has done little.

I hope you have had the opportunity to read AAS's "The Yard Dog Report" in which we describe the conditions of severe social (and sometimes physical) neglect of many dog in Vancouver. We presented it to the City of Vancouver June 2001.

The City chose to expect the BC SPCA to do something for these dogs rather than adopt a bylaw that would permit it to help these dogs.

AAS intends to go back to the new City Council early in 2003. We will point out that this dog's conditions are not only inhumane and contravene the BC SPCA's Dog Care Guidelines, but that this dog may very well become desocialized to the point of being a risk to public safety. This dog is only one of many that will be in our updated report to the City. One has already bitten.

We ask that you seize this dog if the owner will not surrender it and that you permit AAS to help with its rehabilitation and rehoming. The SPCA says that it is working with other animal rescue and welfare groups and we ask that we be included. We do not want to be responsible for setting wheels in motion that could result in this dog being euthanized for failing the assessment test (see following correspondence re "Dicky") or to be sold to another neglector. We will provide the address of this dog if you can first assure us that you will investigate to confirm the allegations made by the complainant are true, and that we will be allowed to assist with this dog's recovery and rehoming.

We hope that you will accept our offer and we look forward to a future where we work with an SPCA that is doing its best to honestly realize its mandate to prevent cruelty. Sincerely,

Judy Stone
President, Animal Advocates Society of BC

cc: The President and Board of Directors, BC SPCA

Dec 24, 2002, No answer to date

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Story #46: Rottweiler, Killarney St:

February 2003

1. What is the address of the dog(s) you are reporting?

---- Killarney St Vancouver

2. What is the breed(s), age, sex, size, colouring of the dog(s)?

Rottweiler X about 3 years old, female.

3. How long has the dog (or dogs) been there?

2+ years

4. Is it tethered, loose, in a pen, in a garage, in a shed, in a basement, on a porch or balcony, etc?

Chained to a tree in the backyard

5. If in a pen or enclosure, how big is it?

6. Can the dog(s) see out of its place of keeping or is its vision blocked?

View of alley

7. If tethered, how long is the tether and what is it made of?

Chain, about 10 feet

8. Is the dog in danger of choking on its tether (i.e. can the dog get up high and possibly fall or jump and strangle itself?)

No

9. Is there shelter?

A kitchen cupboard!!!

10. Is the shelter big enough for the dog to stand up in comfortably, and turn around without having to come outside?

No

11. Is the shelter dry inside?

No

12. Is it positioned to provide protection from wind and heat?

No

13. Is the dog fed regularly? If not, is the dog thin?

Don't know, not thin

14. Is there clean water at all times?

No

15. Is there excrement that the dog must live near or in?

Yes

16. Is there a smell of urine?

Yes

17. Is the dog ever walked? How frequently?

Extremely rare for the dog to be off its chain

18. Have you witnessed it being beaten or yelled at?

Yes

19. Is the dog ever muzzled?

No

20. Describe its personality.

Fear Aggressive

21. Do you visit it? Talk to it? Feed it treats? (we are not asking you to do this at this time)

No

22. Have you asked the owner if you can walk the dog? (we are not asking you to do this at this time)

No

23. Have you asked the owner if you can buy the dog? (we are not asking you to do this at this time)

No

24. Would you be able to foster the dog, or help fin d a foster home if you were given the dog?

Yes

25. Have you reported this dog to the SPCA?

Yes

26. Which branch?

Vancouver

27. How many times?

Once

28. When approximately?

Last month

29. When was the most recent time you contacted the SPCA?

30. What did the SPCA do or say to you?

Said they'd go look

31. Have any of the neighbours reported this dog to the SPCA?

32. If the dog is in Vancouver, have you reported it to the Vancouver City Pound (251-1325)?

33. Do you know if other dogs have been neglected at this address? If Yes, insert details here. Will you take photos of the dog showing the tether, shelter, feces, overturned water dishes, etc and send them to us.

Yes, they are enclosed

Write any details that are important to you here:

This dog lies in the heat of the sun and in the cold of winter at the end of a 10' chain tied to a tree in the middle of a backyard. (where else?) She has been seen huddling in what is supposed to be her doghouse/feeding station. What it actually is, is a 2 tiered kitchen cupboard. Go to your kitchens and check your cupboards. Between 11-14" in depth right? Okay, now imagine a dog the size of a small Rottweiler trying to squeeze in there for comfort and warmth. Her neighbors report no integration into the family whatsoever. She is never walked, groomed or loved up. The gate to her yard is constantly left open, so this poor creature has a perfect view of life and everything in it passing her by. Some of the dangers of the open gate are other animals and children. This dog has already attacked a grown man, when it slipped its chain one day. Tethered dogs often become overly fearful of intruders and are protective of "their" space. Unwanted pregnancies can occur if the dog is not spayed or neutered. Gates and fences will NOT stop a male OR female intent on impregnating or being impregnated. This dog will be exposed to fly bites which can result in open wounds which will eventually lead to an infestation of maggots. If this dog was purchased for the sole purpose of being a "guard dog", it's doing an excellent job!! No one has stolen the tree she is chained to yet!!

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Story #47: Pomeranian at ----:

2002

1. What is the breed(s), age, sex, size, colouring of the dog(s)?

Pomeranian Male, Light Tan colour

2. How long has the dog (or dogs) been there?

At least 4 years

3. Is it tethered, loose, in a pen, in a garage, in a shed, in a basement, on a porch or balcony, etc?

Tied to a 4 ft. long chain along the side of a house on the concrete ground

4. If in a pen or enclosure, how big is it?

n/a

5. Can the dog(s) see out of its place of keeping or is its vision blocked?

Blocked by a high, solid fence in front and the house behind him

6. If tethered, how long is the tether and what is it made of?

4ft long rusted metal chain

7. Is the dog in danger of choking on its tether (i.e. can the dog get up high and possibly fall or jump and strangle itself?)

No

8. Is there shelter?

A VERY small plastic igloo that is VERY dirty inside.

9. Is the shelter big enough for the dog to stand up in comfortably, and turn around without having to come outside?

No way

10. Is the shelter dry inside?

No, there's soggy old blankets that hang out of it.

11. Is it positioned to provide protection from wind and heat?

Yes, it's under a set of stairs

12. Is the dog fed regularly? If not, is the dog thin?

No, I've seen food there just a handful of times

13. Is there clean water at all times?

Rain water in rusted old cooking pots

14. Is there excrement that the dog must live near or in?

Yes, a lot of it

15. Is there a smell of urine?

Yes

16. Is the dog ever walked? How frequently?

Never walked

17. Have you witnessed it being beaten or yelled at?

No, he's just completely ignored. He's horribly matted and cries so pitifully.

18. Is the dog ever muzzled?

No

19. Describe its personality.

He is very sad, he literally sounds like he is crying at least a couple of times a day. He used to bark at me a lot and get upset when he saw me, but I always bring him food and treats, so he's happier when he sees me now.

20. Do you visit it? Talk to it? Feed it treats? (we are not asking you to do this at this time)

Yes

21. Have you asked the owner if you can walk the dog? (we are not asking you to do this at this time)

No, but I have asked them why they have him outside.

22. Have you asked the owner if you can buy the dog? (we are not asking you to do this at this time)

No, I'm unable to do that.

23. Would you be able to foster the dog, or help find a foster home if you were given the dog?

No, I work full time. But, I have tried to ask people I know if they would want to adopt him

24. Are there other people in the neighbourhood who are also upset?

I know of 2 neighbours that I have talked to about him that are also disgusted.

Well, it happened and I'm mad as hell.

The SPCA took the Pomeranian away and I called there every week for the past 3 and a half weeks asking how he was doing. Every time I called the lady on the phone would just say, "He's still in the hospital."

After the 2nd week I questioned her on it. (Knowing all too well how they are and having suspicions that they would just kill him instead of spending the time and money to fix him up)

She said, "I don't have any other information here other than he's still in the hospital, O.K."

So, today I called again and the same lady answered again and said, "Hold the line for a second"

I knew it right then and there. She put a guy on the phone who told me that he was put to sleep.

I'm so upset. I don't like the SPCA and haven't for a very long time. That's why I didn't contact them sooner about this dog, I was afraid that this would happen. Then when I saw your story on the news about an older dog that was chained up that you guys found a home for. I was so glad thinking there was another alternative. But there wasn't. Now it's my fault that he's dead.

How can they play God like that and just kill these animals without even giving them a chance? It makes me sick. More people need to be informed of what really goes on at the SPCA. I've both seen and been told so many other horror stories by my Mom who used to rescue dogs as well as friends and complete strangers.

AAS: This little Pom's only hope was to be "removed" by the complainant, as thousands of other women have done.

Why would the SPCA seize this little Pom and ignore the hundreds of larger dogs, mostly mixed breeds, that are suffering the same way, or much more greatly, in Vancouver? Of course we can't answer for the SPCA, but we can tell you that purebred small dogs, like Poms, are easily rehomed (or sold to tell the truth). But if they have health problems - well then they are not so easy to sell without spending money on them.

Did the SPCA call Pom rescue? Pom rescue would have taken this poor mite and paid the bills to make it healthy and rehomable. The BC SPCA says that it is now working with purebred rescue groups - but AAS has much evidence to the contrary.

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Story #48: Rottweiler or Dobermann cross, Prince Albert Street:

January 2003

This "guard dog" has spent his entire 2 years of life locked in this "box". When he was a puppy I would see the owner take him for a walk around the block. At about 4 months of age, as he started to get stronger and was not properly trained he was no longer taken for walks. They gave up on a puppy. He lives in a 15' x 15' enclosure with a cement pad. No food or water bowls are ever present.

He was put in this enclosure and stays in this enclosure. He has shows all the classic signs of barrier-related Aggression. Dogs get most of the important information about other canines and people through close up interaction. Therefore most dogs feel compelled to interact. And in a kenneled or tethered situation these dogs are constantly "rebuffed", which results in this behaviour. Some signs of Barrier aggression are barking, lunging, and displaying signs of aggression.

This dog is also a "spinner". Out of complete and utter boredom he "spins" in tight circles. The first time he was seen, there were blood spots on the cement floor. On closer examination, the blood was coming from his feet. He was spinning until his feet were raw and bleeding. Is there anyone that would disagree that this is psychologically damaging to this dog? Because of 2 years of this type of living, he has the potential to be harmful to himself and his community if he ever managed to break out.

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August 2002

March 2003

March 2003

Story #49: Pit bull, Prince Edward Street:

December 2002

In August of 2002, AAS began receiving reports of a pit bull kept in a small cage at 4308 Prince Edward St. In various reports we have been told that the dog was exposed to the summer's heat without water; is yelled at; has never been seen to be walked; is in its cage 24 hours a day.

Here is the history she has given us:

August 2001, She saw a 4-5 month old pit bull chained to the side of the garage, in the blazing heat, on the asphalt driveway, swaying, it's eyes glazed, no water, no shade from the hot sun. No one seemed to be home, so she quickly got a container from the garbage and some water from a hose and gave the pup a drink and wet a towel she had in her car and put it on the pup's back.

Then she went to the SPCA and filled in the complaint form. She told us that two SPCA constables, (names removed) checked on their computer and said, "Oh yeah, there have been neglect reports about two different dogs at that address. (Our complainant says that in fact this address has had three dogs in five years, all of them neglected.) The SPCA may have sent someone, because shortly after, the complainant saw that the dog was now in a tiny plastic dog carrier, again without water.

She complained to the SPCA again, and went and got a doghouse from a friend and took it and gave it to the owner (a young male) who then chained the pup to the doghouse until he built the cage that is shown in our photos.

In the last few days, the complainant tells us that the pit bull is being kept in the garage during the night.

She reports that she continues to report this dog to the Vancouver SPCA and to the Mayor's office.

She reports that the dog is beginning to act angry. It rips up anything put in its cage out of boredom and angry frustration. As you can see in the photos, this dog's ears have been cropped for fighting.

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Story #50: Two dogs, Victoria Drive:

January 2003

1. What is the address of the dog(s) you are reporting?

Victoria Dr.

2. What is the breed(s), age, sex, size, colouring of the dog(s)?

Two dogs. One a young pitbull cross? about 2 -3 years old and the other is an old lab cross about ten years old.

3. How long has the dog (or dogs) been there?

The old lab for many years, the younger pitbull about two years.

4. Is it tethered, loose, in a pen, in a garage, in a shed, in a basement, on a porch or balcony, etc?

Since December 5th they are mostly confined to the back porch. They used to be kept in the concrete yard but they got out too often.

5. If in a pen or enclosure, how big is it?

see photos

6. Can the dog(s) see out of its place of keeping or is its vision blocked?

Yes, they can see.

7. If tethered, how long is the tether and what is it made of?

n/a

8. Is the dog in danger of choking on its tether (i.e. can the dog get up high and possibly fall or jump and strangle itself?)

n/a

9. Is there shelter?

yes

10. Is the shelter big enough for the dog to stand up in comfortably, and turn around without having to come outside?

yes

11. Is the shelter dry inside?

yes

12. Is it positioned to provide protection from wind and heat?

not much

13. Is the dog fed regularly? If not, is the dog thin?

dogs are fed

14. Is there clean water at all times?

Don't know

15. Is there excrement that the dog must live near or in?

Yes. It is only cleaned every few days, sometimes not for eight days. See photos

16. Is there a smell of urine?

Don't know

17. Is the dog ever walked? How frequently?

Not that I know of.

18. Have you witnessed it being beaten or yelled at?

n/a

19. Is the dog ever muzzled?

no

20. Describe its personality.

The old lab is nice but the young pitbull cross is very aggressive.

21. Do you visit it? Talk to it? Feed it treats? (we are not asking you to do this at this time)

no

22. Have you asked the owner if you can walk the dog? (we are not asking you to do this at this time)

no

23. Have you asked the owner if you can buy the dog? (we are not asking you to do this at this time)

no

24. Would you be able to foster the dog, or help find a foster home if you were given the dog?

no

25. Have you reported this dog to the SPCA?

yes

26. Which branch?

Vancouver

27. How many times?

see below

28. When approximately?

29. When was the most recent time you contacted the SPCA?

30. What did the SPCA do o r say to you?

31. Have any of the neighbours reported this dog to the SPCA?

32. If the dog is in Vancouver, have you reported it to the Vancouver City Pound (251-1325)?

see below

33. Do you know if other dogs have been neglected at this address? If Yes, insert details here.

34. Will you take photos of the dog showing the tether, shelter, feces, overturned water dishes, etc and send them to us? AAS can no longer go to each dog and attempt to take photos. We often cannot see the dog or are observed. The person in the neighbourhood has many more opportunities to take photos than we have. Photos are VERY important. Any photo, even of the porch, or the pen, etc, is better than no photo.

35. What is your name and address? (Please tell us if we have your permission to give your name to the Mayor and Council and to the BC SPCA with the agreement that your name is private.)

Write any details that are important to you here:

The next door neighbor's dogs were confined to a small yard of paved concrete with no opportunity for exercise except on the rare occasion when they could overcome the fence and run around the neighborhood park for 2 or 3 hours. Since last Dec. 5, they have been further confined to a small sundeck (10'X20') where they can wallow in their own feces. As you can imagine, they appear to be going totally mad with frustration.

An officer of Vancouver Animal Control has been in touch with them re noise complaints (excessive barking), and a Health Dept. Inspector has contacted them re the cleanup of the excrement. Now I would hope that an agency such as yours would do whatever you can to correct the obvious root cause of this mess.

In a phone conversation on January 27th complainant further told AAS:

  • That the dogs have got loose several times and run free for hours.
  • That the pit bull cross has attacked dogs while out and frightened people.
  • That the pit bull cross demonstrates fence rage.
  • A man walking his dog had to beat the pit bull off with his stick.

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Story #51: Garage Dalmatian at ----:

January 2003

Beside my mother-in law's house is a Dalmatian that is kept outside in a yard 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. When it rains or it is night-time, the dog is left in the garage with the family car. The dog sits at the outside porch crying at its owners. This has been the only social contact this dog has received; watching its owners from sliding glass windows and the two seconds it takes for the owners to put the dog from the yard to the garage. My mother-in law has put up with incessant crying from this very lonely and frustrated dog for seven years. She has called the Vancouver City Pound and the Vancouver SPCA to no avail. The only thing the pound did was licence this dog. Great. So, if the dog is lucky enough to get out of its prison it can be returned to its owners.

This is a lonely and frustrated dog who has no idea as to how to act around human beings because it never had a chance to be around human beings. What could happen if this dog does get out? It very well could bite because of the total lack of socialization this dog has received. And if it does bite, we kill it.

Because I mentioned this poor dog's barking to the Vancouver City Pound, it 'investigated" and made this response:

"In response to your concerns regarding the dog residing at ----. Our office has done a complete and thorough investigation with respect to the dog in question.... The dog owners' parents arrive a couple of years ago from Asia and the mother has some minor allergies which are attributed to the dog. When our officer attended the dog owners address, he was greeted by the parents and daughter. The Mother gave him a pair of slippers to put on as he entered the premises. According to our officer, this was not a ploy on their part, as he noticed an elaborate Temple/ Praying area with ornate items around (something a dog in a house would disturb or break)... The dog does sleep in the garage, however, our officer noted that the garage was in fact a "Dog Cottage". The dog sleeps on a converted sofa which is above the ground. The garage is lighted and heated. The dog can come and go from the garage to the sliding door" (that it peers through to see its "family" inside the house), "totally under cover. Our officer did a physical check on the dog. He squeezed the feet, checked the teeth and gums for swelling/ bleeding and ran his hand all over the dog looking for lumps and or sores. No concerns were found. In fact the dog was receptive and in a playful manner the entire time. In our opinion, this dog very well looked after and loved. It is clear to us that the dog owners love their dog very much, and the dog loves them too. Our officer can find no basis for a BC SPCA concern or investigation. We certainly hope our investigation's findings puts you and your family at ease."

I am still not happy as dogs, who are extremely social animals, should be inside with their owners. If people are worried about a dog knocking things over, they should not have a dog.

I fail to see how someone could love a dog that they keep outside all the time. A garage with a couch in it is not a substitute for companionship. I know that I love my dogs and would never dream of treating my dogs the way that these people do theirs. I am very relieved this dog did not show signs of aggression. So, now I just have to put up with the discomfort of listening to the dog crying at the sliding glass doors all day long.

I know in fact, the neighbours are still very concerned but have not called because nothing has been done in the past.

I have volunteered at the pound and various other shelters where I worked with dogs. Dogs are social animals and the importance of socializing them to people and various situations should not be underestimated. Anyone reading about dog behaviour in books by Dr. Ian Dunbar or Jean Donaldson know that keeping a social being isolated from society as many dogs are kept is a recipe for disaster. Why is this not against the law? Why are there no bylaws in place to make it illegal to chain, pen or tie dogs up? Instead we wait for disaster and then blame and kill the dogs. It is disgusting.

AAS comment: Being isolated and kept in a lonely garage is okay as long as the garage is a "Dog Cottage"? A dog doesn't care if it is kept in Anne Hathaway's cottage, as long as it is not alone. "Cute" has no meaning to a dog. Warmth has very little more meaning. Food, water, and shelter are a long way down the list of a dog's wants and needs. Dogs are bred specifically to be companion animals and that is the whole purpose of their being and if you cannot be a dog's companion in return for its unswerving love and trust, then you should not have a dog.

As for "love"? Shutting your ears and heart to a dog's years of barking and crying and making it live alone in a garage is not love - it's possession, same as the car that's kept in the garage.

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Story #52: Two large pit bulls, Venables Street:

May 2003

1. What is the address of the dog(s) you are reporting?

---- Venables street

2. What is the breed(s), age, sex, size, colouring of the dog(s)?

Two very large maybe over 100 lbs each look like huge pit bulls.

3. How long has the dog (or dogs) been there?

I don't know, I just saw them last month and I went back last week to photograph them late in May/03

4. Is it tethered, loose, in a pen, in a garage, in a shed, in a basement, on a porch or balcony, etc?

One of them is on a long rope or chain and I don't know about the other one, it may be loose in the back yard.

5. If in a pen or enclosure, how big is it? The back yard.

6. Can the dog(s) see out of its place of keeping or is its vision blocked?

There is a high solid fence, but the dog on the rope can jump right up to the top and he hangs over and barks. You can hear his feet scrabbling on the fence and there's nothing to stop him from going right over the top except maybe he's done that and that's why he has a rope. I think he would hang himself if he got over. He acts and looks like he would kill if he got loose.

7. If tethered, how long is the tether and what is it made of?

I can't tell

8. Is there a choke chain around the dog's neck to which the tether is attached?

Yes, I think so.

9. Is the tether wrapped around the dog's neck?

No

10. Is the dog in danger of choking on its tether (i.e. can the dog get up high and possibly fall or jump and strangle itself)?

Yes, definitely

11. Is there shelter?

I can't see.

12. Is the shelter big enough for the dog to stand up in comfortably, and turn around without having to come outside?

13. Is the shelter dry inside?

14. Is it positioned to provide protection from wind and heat?

15. Is the dog fed regularly? If not, is the dog thin?

I don't know any of this as I've only seen the dogs twice

16. Is there clean water at all times?

17. Is there excrement that the dog must live near or in?

Yes, lots of it.

18. Is there a smell of urine?

19. Is the dog ever walked? How frequently?

20. Have you witnessed it being beaten or yelled at?

21. Is the dog ever muzzled?

22. Describe its personality.

Very scary and aggressive, especially to dogs.

23. Do you visit it? Talk to it? Feed it treats? (We are not asking you to do this at this time.)

24. Have you asked the owner if you can walk the dog? (We are not asking you to do this at this time.)

25. Have you asked the owner if you can buy the dog? (We are not asking you to do this at this time.)

26. Would you be able to foster the dog, or help find a foster home if you were given the dog?

27. Have you reported this dog to the SPCA?

My friend has at least twice. They told her to phone the pound.

28. Which branch?

Vancouver

29. How many times?

30. When approximately?

Last year

31. When was the most recent time you contacted the SPCA?

32. What did the SPCA do or say to you?

33. Have any of the neighbours reported this dog to the SPCA?

My friend says yes that quite a few people have reported this dog

34. If the dog is in Vancouver, have you reported it to the Vancouver City Pound (251-1325)?

Yes, last year, they said they'd go look but I my friend doesn't know if they did.

35. Do you know if other dogs have been neglected at this address? If yes, insert details here.

36. Will you take photos of the dog showing the tether, shelter, feces, overturned water dishes, etc and send them to us? Photos are VERY important. Any photo, even of the porch, or the pen, etc, is better than no photo.

37. What is your name and address? Please tell us if we have your permission to give your name to your Mayor and Council and to the BC SPCA (with the agreement that your name is private).

My friend and I are afraid of these dog's owner and we do not wish to give our names.

Write any details that are important to you here:

My friend has a dog which she won't walk past this place anymore because the dog that tries to climb the fence is so dog aggressive. I walked her dog one day and that's how I found out. This dog is terrifying and if it ever got out especially if they both got out, someone is going to get killed or at least a dog is going to get killed. I couldn't get any pictures of the other dog.

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Story #53: Many dogs on Eton Street:

June 22, 2003

Possibly as many as six different dogs have been reported to Animal Advocates Society as being owned by the person resident at this address in the last five years.

We included one, a Dobermann pinscher, in one of our previous reports to you (photos below).

The dogs are kept loose in the yard, or in a small pen, sometimes muzzled, and in the garage.

The dogs "disappear" and many neighbours (we have been told as many as eight) are concerned to know what is being done with these dogs.

The Dobermann pinscher disappeared last year. This spring a Dobermann pinscher cross pup was kept in the backyard pen and then it disappeared too.

Currently the person has a long haired German shepherd which we have been told bit a woman who was in the yard and the Vancouver City Pound ordered that the shepherd be muzzle d, thereby compounding its misery.

We have been told that the Vancouver City Pound and the SPCA both, have been well aware of this situation for many years.

Reports are that the shepherd is now being kept the majority of the time in the garage.

The neighbours are too afraid of the owner of these dogs to allow their name to appear on this document, but there is a great deal of anger and ill-will generated in this neighbourhood by this man's inhumane treatment of many dogs and the City's and the SPCA's refusal to do anything.

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Story #54: Caged German shepherd, East 6th Avenue:

June 2003

AAS was told the following about this dog:

  • That is has been kept in its cage since it was a puppy, approximately ten years;
  • That it is sometimes groomed by a neighbour who says under its shaggy coat it is quite thin;
  • That several neighbours feed it;
  • That the owner has been seen showing his son how to beat the dog with a stick;
  • That it is frequently yelled at when it barks;
  • The owners will not walk it as it would spoil it as a guard dog;
  • One neighbour says it is a docile dog when treated kindly, another describes it as aggressive, neurotic and unhealthy;
  • That some neighbours wish they had not bothered ever reporting this dog to the SPCA and VCP for years but had removed and rehomed it while it was still young.

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Story #55: Chained and penned Rottweilers, East 7th Avenue:

June 20, 2003

Animal Advocates Society has been told the following:

  • That two or possibly three Rottweilers are kept chained to small wooden boxes which they are shut into at times, at the top of the driveway;
  • That they are extremely aggressive and frightening;
  • Neighbours are worried what will happen if a tether ever breaks;
  • That none of the neighbours has ever seen them walked or socialized in any way;
  • That phoning the SPCA and VCP has been pointless

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Story #56: Tethered rottie cross, Wellington St:

June 24, 2003

1. What is the address of the dog(s) you are reporting?

---- Wellington Street, Vancouver

2. What is the breed(s), age, sex, size, colouring of the dog(s)?

large, black with some brown perhaps a mastiff cross

3. Is it tethered, loose, in a garage, in a shed, in a basement, etc?

Tethered to a garage

4. If tethered, how long is the tether and what is it made of?

Chain about 8 feet long

5. Is the dog in danger of choking on its tether (i.e. can the dog get up high and possibly fall or jump and strangle itself?)

No

6. If in a pen, what size is the pen?

7. Is there shelter?

insulated dog house

8. Is the shelter big enough for the dog to stand up in comfortably, and turn around without having to come outside?

Not sure if it could turn around in it.

9. Is the shelter dry inside?

Probably

10. Is it positioned to provide protection from wind and heat?

It does not get protection from the afternoon sun

11. Is the dog fed regularly? If not, is the dog thin?

the dog appears average weight

12. Is there clean water at all times?

can't tell as the area is fenced off and one can only look from the lane

13. Is there excrement that the dog must live near or in?

no

14. Is there a smell of urine?

can't get close enough to tell

15. Is the dog ever walked? How frequently?

I walk by twice a day and have never seen the dog off the chain

16. Have you witnessed it being beaten or yelled at?

no

17. Is the dog ever muzzled?

I haven't witnessed this

18. Describe its personality.

Seems very depressed but can be aggressive (protective)

19. Do you visit it? Talk to it? Feed it treats? (we are not asking you to do this at this time)

have talked to it through the fence

20. Have you asked the owner if you can walk the dog? (we are not asking you to do this at this time)

I have asked the young boys in the yard if they walk it and told them it needs exercise

21. Have you asked the owner if you can buy the dog? (we are not asking you to do this at this time)

no

22. Would you be able to foster the dog, or help find a foster home if you were given the dog?

I couldn't keep it as I have one but would help find a home

23. Are there other people in the neighbourhood who are also upset?

I don't know anyone in the neighbourhood as I don't live in that area

24. Have you reported this dog to the SPCA?

yes

25. Which branch?

Vancouver

26. How many times?

twice

27. When approximately?

June 13 and 14, 2002

28. When was the most recent time you contacted the SPCA?

June 14

29. What did the SPCA do or say to you?

The woman on the report line said there was nothing she could do (she was rude).

30. Have any of the neighbours reported this dog to the SPCA?

don't know

31. Will you take photos of the dog showing the tether, shelter, feces, overturned water dishes, etc and send them to us?

yes

June 24, 2003

About two weeks ago during the hot weather I made another report to the SPCA because Rocky was wedged between his dog house and the garage trying to escape the heat. The constable for the SPCA reported back to me. He told me he had talked to the owner and said he mustn't have his dog on the chain for more than four hours at a time and should walk his dog at least twice a day. I said it was always on the chain and I had never seen it off of it. He said he also told the owner to move the dog away from the direct sun but that hasn't happened yet.

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Story #57: Chained Retriever cross, Dieppe Drive:

June 2003

Animal advocates was told the following:

  • The dog has been kept on a short chain for five years;
  • The dog is frantic and acts aggressive more out of despair than savagery;
  • The SPCA may have been phoned as many as 30 times;
  • VCP has been called also;
  • The collar is tight and the dog's voice is hoarse;
  • The owner tells the VCP and the SPCA that the dog is aggressive so it ahs to be kept chained;
  • That one neighbour has frequently fed the dog and befriended it and does not believe it is aggressive, that this person thinks it is just to guard the junk in the yard;
  • That at least one person would remove this dog if there was anywhere for it to go.

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Story #58: Several dogs in a pen, East 3rd Avenue:

May 2003

Animal Advocates has been told the following:

  • The pen is covered almost entirely in plywood and is very dark;
  • It is about 10' x 10' at most;
  • There were two dogs in this pen for around three years;
  • That last year a pup was put in the pen;
  • That the SPCA and VCP have been phoned many times in these years;
  • That the pen is full of excrement and smells;
  • That it is right beside a school playground and that children these the dog, making them act aggressive;

AAS also received this email:

A report of dogs that have been penned all their lives. They are brother and sister and their names are "Captain and Miss Hope". Yesterday I saw them out and for about an hour, they enjoyed sitting in the sun and running in the schoolyard next door. Then the pound came and hauled them away. The male was hit by a car and was apparently checked by the SPCA. His heart was racing. I think it was more due to their hardly ever being out and also being out of shape. The heat is hard on them too. Their pen is south facing and while shaded, it very hot for them. I have watched them for about three years, tried to walk them and talk to the owners who say they love them, but just don't feel they can take them out with people and other dogs around. They seem fine with people but other dogs can be a problem. I think they are just not used to them and appear aggressive but are playing. These owners also have puppy (lab cross) that is now put into the pen with the other two...usually for long periods of time. The neighbours have been taking the puppy out for walks and took him yesterday while the owners were away. I did not know what to do with the dogs yesterday so the school phoned the pound. It was heartwrenching to see the dogs once again jailed but we felt there was no other choice. Captain had already run into traffic with no sense of what he was doing.

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Story #59: Rottweiler X Lab, tethered, East 48th Avenue:

June 2003

AAS has been told the following:

  • This female dog has been tethered for approximately seven years;
  • She is fed and watered but ignored;
  • She could shorten her tether by tangling it and hang herself if she jumped off the porch;
  • She barks and seems aggressive but is very friendly with the neighbour who has been secretly visiting her for years.

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Story #60: Backyard breeder, Chilliwack:

July 2006

This female dog was kept in a shed and bred twice a year for six years producing approximately 24 pups a year. The pups were sold for around $300 each. But she was wearing out and so AAS was able to buy her and two of the pups for $300. The breeder kept the third pup (chained under the truck) to breed with this dog.

See the video >>

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