Helping a Neighbor's Pet
January 21, 2012 3:59 PM Subscribe
How far can we go to help a neighbor's animal?
A dear friend and animal lover has been walking her neighbor’s female lab, “Sophie,” for several months. Two weeks ago my friend noticed that Sophie is urinating blood. She told the dog’s owner and he refused to take her to the vet. My friend offered to take her and the owner said no. Five days ago the owner said he’d taken Sophie to the vet, that she has a bladder infection, and is on meds. In the days since then my friend has noticed no improvement in Sophie's condition. She has noticed masses in Sophie’s side when she pets her and other symptoms, is concerned her condition could be more serious and that she might be in discomfort. Yesterday my friend called Sophie’s vet for advice and the staff told her they haven’t seen Sophie in over a year.
Can you think of other things we can do to make sure Sophie is treated and well cared for, short of offering to adopt her? Would it be appropriate for my friend to call her own former vet for advise? The Humane Society?
A dear friend and animal lover has been walking her neighbor’s female lab, “Sophie,” for several months. Two weeks ago my friend noticed that Sophie is urinating blood. She told the dog’s owner and he refused to take her to the vet. My friend offered to take her and the owner said no. Five days ago the owner said he’d taken Sophie to the vet, that she has a bladder infection, and is on meds. In the days since then my friend has noticed no improvement in Sophie's condition. She has noticed masses in Sophie’s side when she pets her and other symptoms, is concerned her condition could be more serious and that she might be in discomfort. Yesterday my friend called Sophie’s vet for advice and the staff told her they haven’t seen Sophie in over a year.
Can you think of other things we can do to make sure Sophie is treated and well cared for, short of offering to adopt her? Would it be appropriate for my friend to call her own former vet for advise? The Humane Society?
I don't know what jurisdiction you're in or what, if any, legal rights to treatment the dog might have -- but my guess is that the owner owns the dog and there's nothing your friend can do. Sure, she can call her vet and ask for advice, but that's a far cry from interfering.
posted by J. Wilson at 4:10 PM on January 21, 2012
posted by J. Wilson at 4:10 PM on January 21, 2012
Call up Animal Control in your area and see what they think. Depending on the laws in your friends juristiction they could get variably involved (or not). Most places legally consider pets as property, depending on the laws again it might be considered abuse or neglect, or not.
posted by bebrave! at 4:11 PM on January 21, 2012
posted by bebrave! at 4:11 PM on January 21, 2012
Personally, if I had access to an animal I believed was suffering, I would take her to the vet, regardless of what the owner wants. I have no idea whether or not doing so is legal, and I don't care. If the law doesn't let you help a suffering animal, then the law is wrong, and your friend should break it. Please take Sophie to the vet and get her checked out.
posted by decathecting at 4:19 PM on January 21, 2012 [26 favorites]
posted by decathecting at 4:19 PM on January 21, 2012 [26 favorites]
A strong second to decathecting; if I were walking Sophie, one of those walks would be right to my vet. I would be ready to pay vet/med bills to prevent a dog from being in pain.
Animal Control and the Humane Society are highly variable in their response depending on location and agent. Worth a try if someone doesn't already have an in.
posted by vers at 5:26 PM on January 21, 2012 [3 favorites]
Animal Control and the Humane Society are highly variable in their response depending on location and agent. Worth a try if someone doesn't already have an in.
posted by vers at 5:26 PM on January 21, 2012 [3 favorites]
Another thought; did Sophie come from a responsible breeder, shelter or lab rescue? Any of these would typically intervene of your friend is not successful in getting Sophie the vet care she is likely in need of.
posted by vers at 6:02 PM on January 21, 2012 [1 favorite]
posted by vers at 6:02 PM on January 21, 2012 [1 favorite]
While it sounds nobel to take Sophie to the vet, I wouldn't recommend it. Blood in the urine is likely a severe urinary tract infection which they will likely treat with 10-14 days of oral antibiotics. Assuming money isn't the only issue preventing her owner from taking her to the vet, how would you ensure she gets her medication every day, 2-3 times a day with an uncooperative owner? And if the lumps turn out to be cancer, I don't think the dog walker is legally entitled to make decisions about Sophie's treatment options. Legal issues aside, is your dog walker friend prepared to make the decision to put Sophie through chemo or surgery, or have her euthanized if the cancer is untreatable? That is not a decision I would want to make for someone else's pet.
I think calling a humane society or animal control should be the next step. They would have the power to seize the animal if they feel it's being mistreated, or at least have advice on how to proceed.
posted by geeky at 6:13 PM on January 21, 2012 [3 favorites]
I think calling a humane society or animal control should be the next step. They would have the power to seize the animal if they feel it's being mistreated, or at least have advice on how to proceed.
posted by geeky at 6:13 PM on January 21, 2012 [3 favorites]
Yeah, SPCA, Humane society, Animal control, whoever deals with animal abuse and neglect cases in this location, are the correct people to involve here. Many vets won't treat an animal without the owners permission anyway (mainly for the reasons geeky outlined), and that's something your friend is clearly not going to get.
But, where I come from at least, not providing appropriate medical care to a pet is neglect and is legally actionable. Blood in the urine is a clear symptom, it's not like your friend could be misinterpreting that. The first step the authorities will want to see is the owner either proving Sophie is under medical care already or the owner taking her to the vet to get that medical care (i.e. they're not going to take the dog away unless the neglect continues), which is the desired outcome here anyway.
posted by shelleycat at 1:13 AM on January 22, 2012 [1 favorite]
But, where I come from at least, not providing appropriate medical care to a pet is neglect and is legally actionable. Blood in the urine is a clear symptom, it's not like your friend could be misinterpreting that. The first step the authorities will want to see is the owner either proving Sophie is under medical care already or the owner taking her to the vet to get that medical care (i.e. they're not going to take the dog away unless the neglect continues), which is the desired outcome here anyway.
posted by shelleycat at 1:13 AM on January 22, 2012 [1 favorite]
Is the dog owner oblivious or embarrassed or do they just not care?
I could be wrong, but I can't imagine that calling animal control would result in a better outcome than your friend personally taking an interest in this dog's well-being. I can't speak for legalities, but this is a helpless animal we're talking about.
I would take that dog to the vet. Depending on the circumstances, I'd probably even be willing to be like... "Oh my God, your dog jerked her leash out of my hand while I was walking her, I'm SO SORRY. Maybe she's somewhere happier now where she's getting proper medical treatment."
posted by thebrokenmuse at 2:40 AM on January 22, 2012 [2 favorites]
I could be wrong, but I can't imagine that calling animal control would result in a better outcome than your friend personally taking an interest in this dog's well-being. I can't speak for legalities, but this is a helpless animal we're talking about.
I would take that dog to the vet. Depending on the circumstances, I'd probably even be willing to be like... "Oh my God, your dog jerked her leash out of my hand while I was walking her, I'm SO SORRY. Maybe she's somewhere happier now where she's getting proper medical treatment."
posted by thebrokenmuse at 2:40 AM on January 22, 2012 [2 favorites]
Please do not listen to advice to steal someone's dog because you don't approve of the way it's being treated. You wouldn't advise a friend to kidnap a neglected child; you'd alert authorities tasked with evaluation and enforcement. And that is what your friend should do here. Call local humane society/animal control to report the situation.
I'd be more than pissed if someone was meditating my dog without my knowledge. Without more information from the owner (which an investigating agency may be able to get) your friend has no way of knowing if the dog is already being fed or medicated with something that wouldn't mix well with an antibiotic the dog would receive from a secret vet visit.
posted by ImproviseOrDie at 3:59 AM on January 22, 2012 [3 favorites]
I'd be more than pissed if someone was meditating my dog without my knowledge. Without more information from the owner (which an investigating agency may be able to get) your friend has no way of knowing if the dog is already being fed or medicated with something that wouldn't mix well with an antibiotic the dog would receive from a secret vet visit.
posted by ImproviseOrDie at 3:59 AM on January 22, 2012 [3 favorites]
/medicating, obviously.
posted by ImproviseOrDie at 3:59 AM on January 22, 2012 [1 favorite]
posted by ImproviseOrDie at 3:59 AM on January 22, 2012 [1 favorite]
I'm going to throw out another random possibility -- maybe Sophie *has* been to the vet and the owner doesn't want to discuss the outcome of that visit. If perhaps the masses are cancer, the progression could certainly lead to blood in urination and an animal in discomfort. Is it possible that the owner does not want to discuss a more serious illness?
Making the decision *not* to treat cancer is a decision for Sophie's owner and vet.
Perhaps attempt the discussion with Sophie's owner again -- or in a written letter. Your friend could offer to take Sophie to the vet (and suggest specific dates/times for this), could offer to go to the vet with Sophie's owner, suggest lower-cost options for vet care, or even offer to adopt Sophie in order to provide her a higher level of care.
An owner who has a dog walker and who has been to the vet in recent years (if not in the last 12 calendar months) *seems* fairly involved in animal care. If there is more to the story, please share.
posted by countrymod at 6:58 AM on January 22, 2012 [4 favorites]
Making the decision *not* to treat cancer is a decision for Sophie's owner and vet.
Perhaps attempt the discussion with Sophie's owner again -- or in a written letter. Your friend could offer to take Sophie to the vet (and suggest specific dates/times for this), could offer to go to the vet with Sophie's owner, suggest lower-cost options for vet care, or even offer to adopt Sophie in order to provide her a higher level of care.
An owner who has a dog walker and who has been to the vet in recent years (if not in the last 12 calendar months) *seems* fairly involved in animal care. If there is more to the story, please share.
posted by countrymod at 6:58 AM on January 22, 2012 [4 favorites]
How do you know it doesn't take more than 5 days for the medication to kick in, or that the neighbor isn't going to take the dog back to the vet since it hasn't worked? I think your friend is being awfully presumptuous and I would be incensed if someone kidnapped my dog when I was taking care of it. I would keep telling the neighbor that her condition hasn't improved, you're worried about the dog, etc, but don't kidnap her. For all you know, she has late-stage cancer and instead of putting the dog through chemo, they're letting her go naturally.
posted by desjardins at 8:48 AM on January 22, 2012 [4 favorites]
posted by desjardins at 8:48 AM on January 22, 2012 [4 favorites]
I want to strongly agree with ImproviseOrDie, who wrote “please do not listen to advice to steal someone's dog because you don't approve of the way it's being treated.”
Your friend may not ask a vet to provide medical care to Sophie without the explicit permission of Sophie’s owner. I believe this would be unethical and possibly illegal.
A central tenet of veterinary medical ethics is the establishment of the Veterinarian-Client-Patient Relationship. The key players in this relationship are the veterinarian, the pet, and the pet’s owner. In many states this relationship must be established for a veterinarian to legally provide care to a pet. Sophie is not your friend’s pet and she has no right to ask a veterinarian to provide medical care to an animal that she does not own.
posted by OsoMeaty at 9:48 AM on January 22, 2012 [1 favorite]
Your friend may not ask a vet to provide medical care to Sophie without the explicit permission of Sophie’s owner. I believe this would be unethical and possibly illegal.
A central tenet of veterinary medical ethics is the establishment of the Veterinarian-Client-Patient Relationship. The key players in this relationship are the veterinarian, the pet, and the pet’s owner. In many states this relationship must be established for a veterinarian to legally provide care to a pet. Sophie is not your friend’s pet and she has no right to ask a veterinarian to provide medical care to an animal that she does not own.
posted by OsoMeaty at 9:48 AM on January 22, 2012 [1 favorite]
Response by poster: In response to the question of why my friend is walking Sophie. It's because my friend is a good neighbor and animal lover. She knew that Sophie might enjoy more exercise and she herself missed walking her own dog who passed away from old age last year.
posted by R2WeTwo at 12:56 PM on January 22, 2012
posted by R2WeTwo at 12:56 PM on January 22, 2012
I could be wrong, but I can't imagine that calling animal control would result in a better outcome than your friend personally taking an interest in this dog's well-being.
I can. I've called animal control many times to report neglected animals. At least twice that I know of, the dog was removed.
Think about it this way: If an owner is told outright a dog is being removed due to neglect, the owner can't assume or pretend to him/herself that the animal ran away and just go get another one. I mean, often they can do just that, but not without repercussions and/or a record of neglectful ownership.
If we just go around disappearing dogs whenever we don't approve of how they're being treated--and without having the whole story--one day our own dogs might be disappeared.
I do hope your friend calls the Humane Society or whatever animal control authorities have enforcement responsibility. She wouldn't have to give any identifying information to inquire about the reporting process.
Good luck. I know this is hard.
posted by ImproviseOrDie at 3:19 PM on January 22, 2012 [2 favorites]
I can. I've called animal control many times to report neglected animals. At least twice that I know of, the dog was removed.
Think about it this way: If an owner is told outright a dog is being removed due to neglect, the owner can't assume or pretend to him/herself that the animal ran away and just go get another one. I mean, often they can do just that, but not without repercussions and/or a record of neglectful ownership.
If we just go around disappearing dogs whenever we don't approve of how they're being treated--and without having the whole story--one day our own dogs might be disappeared.
I do hope your friend calls the Humane Society or whatever animal control authorities have enforcement responsibility. She wouldn't have to give any identifying information to inquire about the reporting process.
Good luck. I know this is hard.
posted by ImproviseOrDie at 3:19 PM on January 22, 2012 [2 favorites]
You guys are right, I was probably being a little rash, I've just been witness to too many people treating pets like a fun hobby instead of an actual living being that they are responsible for.
I know that I called animal control to report a dog who had been tethered to a pole in a backyard in view of a friend of mine's patio in 100+ heat, 24 hours a day, for at least 3 weeks. It didn't seem like any of my calls did anything to help.
posted by thebrokenmuse at 1:52 AM on January 23, 2012 [1 favorite]
I know that I called animal control to report a dog who had been tethered to a pole in a backyard in view of a friend of mine's patio in 100+ heat, 24 hours a day, for at least 3 weeks. It didn't seem like any of my calls did anything to help.
posted by thebrokenmuse at 1:52 AM on January 23, 2012 [1 favorite]
Response by poster: If anyone is checking back the owner did take care of Sophie's treatment, with another vet. She is improving quickly and developing a taste for plain yogurt.
posted by R2WeTwo at 11:20 AM on January 25, 2012 [4 favorites]
posted by R2WeTwo at 11:20 AM on January 25, 2012 [4 favorites]
Awesome. Thanks for update.
posted by countrymod at 3:23 PM on January 25, 2012 [1 favorite]
posted by countrymod at 3:23 PM on January 25, 2012 [1 favorite]
This thread is closed to new comments.
The only way I know to have it investigated is if your jurisdiction has animal control/welfare officers with law enforcement authority. Your friend could give them the lead and tell them what she's seen. I don't see how getting advice from a vet is going to help. No vet can offer diagnosis or treatment without seeing the animal, and your friend is not in a legal position to force the person to take care of the animal.
posted by randomkeystrike at 4:07 PM on January 21, 2012 [1 favorite]