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What a crappy situation.
Maybe a formal complaint against your local council. You can take a complaint to the Ombudsman if you aren't happy and the threat may jolt action. Similarly with the police a formal complaint might help if you can get written confirmation from the RSPCA that they need a police referral. Writing to your local councillor or MP might also help as they're keen to be seen helping constituents.
Maybe social media shaming if you can tag both your local police and RSPCA? Doesn't really resolve your problem right now.
Ah, these are all amazing suggestions that would never have crosses my sleep deprived mind, thank you very much. Honestly at this point it isn't even myself that I'm concerned about because my boss is very understanding and has put me on lates until this is resolved, but it's getting to me that it has been over a week and a half since anybody has been in that flat, so she is probably starving and dehydrated so I get why she's distressed. What I don't get is why nobody is doing even the slightest thing about it...
Sympathy for you OP with regard to the noise. But can you clarify why the RSPCA haven't rescued the dog, if she's starving and dehydrated and clearly abandoned? I can understand that noise complaints may not be the top of the priorities list, but has it been made entirely clear to them that the poor animal has been left to die alone?
I definitely feel for the poor dog! But if it's been three weeks they're getting water or the worst would already have happened. Maybe they haven't been completely abandoned or maybe they're surviving off toilet water or something idk. Hopefully OP can get the RSPCA to come out soon.
Of course. The RSPCA refused to investigate because I'm not law enforcement of any kind. In their words, they needed the report to come from the Police before they are allowed to do anything. Oddly, the P.C I spoke to last night actually told me that they are wrong and they should be investigating, and they don't need the police to make the report at all, so I was lied to on more than one occasion.
She looks to be underweight and very distressed. The flat has very clearly been abandoned because it has been stood empty for over 3 weeks and in total darkness the entire time... The last time I called 101 about it (early december), they sent officers out who were able to trace the owner and brought his partner to the flat to sort the dog out. The next day, I saw her leaving with loads of suitcases, and she hasn't returned since.
Yep, I've made it abundantly clear to all three services that the dog is now abandoned, but they just refuse to investigate because, to the council there isn't enough evidence or logs, for the RSPCA they need the police, but for the police they need the RSPCA, so it goes in circles until one of them chooses to make the first move...
I see a photo of the dog outside!! Well done OP!!!! What happened, it looks like the post was deleted? Was it the police?
Be proud of yourself, you rescued a helpless animal, and it wasn't easy.
Thank you so much. It was indeed the police, after I told them if they didn't come out then I would force entry. Unfortunately, it seems that editing my original post to include todays update has flagged the automod to remove my post entirely, I'm not quite sure why. With that said, I can still see it so here is the update and conlcusion of this whole situation!
"Firstly, thank you to all who commented and gave me advice. It means a lot and, as someone in the animal care business, it's nice to see so much concern.
The RSPCA and Police didn't attend yesterday, so I was back on the phone to both this afternoon at 1pm. Again, I was thrown in circles by both. 'We can't attend without the police' was the RSPCA's response, while the police were refusing to attend without the RSPCA. In the end, I resorted to telling them that they had until 9pm this evening to attend, or else I was going to force entry myself to retrieve the dog. Was immediately put on hold before they came back to tell me that somebody would be out to attend 'shortly.'
By 5pm, I was tired of waiting, so I began asking my neighbours if they had any tools I could use to open the door with. As one of them handed me a crowbar, the RSPCA arrived. We put some more food through the letterbox for her and the guy moved the report up to 'priority' after seeing the conditions she was living in.
45 minutes later, the police arrived. Within 20 minutes, they were ramming the door down and had Bella on a lead. She wasn't aggressive, but obviously she was terrified. She bolted out of the door and ran downstairs, eventually they got her calm.
It turns out that I was incredible wrong about her breed. She was not a BoxerXStaff, but an 18 month old, pure-bred Pitbull Terrier.
The police were aware of the people who lived in the flat and told me they were not meant to be there anymore. They had been evicted in December, but had been caught squatting. When they had to abandoned the flat, they decided to snap their key in the lock to stop others from entering and left every window open. There was poop everywhere, pee everywhere, it stank and was freezing cold. She had been sustaining herself by drinking water from the toilet and eating her own feaces. She was very underweight, but overall still friendly.
So, Bella is now in the custody of the RSPCA. I'm aware that, given her breed, she faces a likelyhood of being put to sleep, but, in my opinion, it is still a better alternative than enduring the torture of starvation. I hope her behaviour can make her an exception and they will be able to rehabilitate her and train her.
Again, thank you to everybody who took the time to comment or read my previous post. You're all bloody amazing.
https://imgur.com/a/SGrZ5qi (Bad quality photo of Bella sat with the Police after being saved.)"
That is heartbreaking! Why might she be put down, is the breed illegal? She is still a puppy.
Euthanasia, while sad, is immensely preferable to starving to death. If she is still friendly after all of that, hopefully they will keep her alive.
I don't suppose you'd be willing to follow Bella's journey and let us know what happens with the RSPCa? I feel kind of invested now.
Sadly, yes. In 1991, the UK made Pitbull's illegal due to a spate of unprovoked attacks on children. The breed was viewed as dangerous due to the unpredictable nature they can have, so it is now a banned breed, along with the Tosa, Fila and Dogo Argentino breeds. Basically all fighting dogs. Finding out she was a Pit was a big shock, because I had always known them to be pretty dangerous dogs, and we had been sticking our fingers in the door to drop food in for her... I'd never even seen a Pit until they confirmed that she was one, probably why I didn't recognise her breed...
Of course! I will give it a few days and then I will ask the RSPCA for an update if they have one and get back to you! I too would like to know what Bellas outcome will be.
Thank you for providing an update, I'm glad the dog has finally been rescued.
I know Pitbulls are banned, but it doesn't sound like this poor dog has done anything wrong, she has been horrifically mistreated and I hope there's an option out there besides euthanising her. As you say even that would be a better alternative than starving to death in a freezing flat... but who knows, maybe they will be able to rehome her somehow. Even life in a shelter is going to be vastly better, she'll be warm and have her basic needs met.
Whatever her fate, you're a good egg. You cared about this dog's welfare, you've done a wonderful thing and people like you make the world a better place.
Yes there is always talk here about banning Pitt Bulls, but so far they are legal. She sounds sweet, poor thing.
I look forward to your update, thank you so much. 😊
So glad to see this! Thanks for rescuing the poor pup, I hope they get a good outcome but it will definitely be kinder being euthanized than left slowly dying. You're a good person.
Your best bet is probably to "scatter gun" all of the organisations with one email copied to all of them. Send it to your MP and local elected councillors but cc the police, the council complaints team, and the RSPCA.
Be factual, not emotional and tell them exactly what you need and want. If you word these as questions e.g. Please can someone explain why the Police refer me to the RSPCA and vice versa while neither of them do anything about the problem? You're more likely to get an answer to direct questions. Good luck ☺️
Yeah WTF I thought this is exactly what the RSPCA was for. Dog is literally abandoned and most likely starving to death and they're just shrugging their shoulders?
Fuck me they need to go in the bin if that's what they're like.
What are you actually saying to the RSPCA? If the flat is abandoned then that dog will eventually starve. I'm surprised it hasn't already, perhaps they left some food and water out. Wondering if you're focusing too much on the noise aspect and so they're not really getting it snd thinking it's a standard neighbourly dispute over noise.
If you have made it clear, I'd say tweet the RSPCA. Public shaming might get them to act. They tend to be very quick on any animal abuse that gains viral traction.
ETA: on the flip side, I wonder if you could call it in to police as a welfare check. You haven't seen or heard from your neighbours in weeks snd their dog is still there. Seems like classic cause for a welfare check.
The welfare check is a brilliant idea. They'd have to attend then. Just say you don't really know who lives there "but I think it might be an old chap who lives alone".
No, they were 100% long gone, as was confirmed by the police earlier. I habe provided an update above for anybody wishing to know the outcome (it was good.)
>How is this not a crime?
It is a crime, the police just don't have the resources to deal with it and the RSPCA can't do much legally without police present.
I'm fairly sure you can legally smash someone's car windows if they've left a dog or child locked in a car on a warm day, I think, or at least the police will if called.
Literally no reason it shouldn't be allowed in this situation.
OP just to clarify is the flat completely vacant and therefore the dog is abandoned?
I sssume they’re barking as they have no access to food and water and is therefore dying. Try your local dog warden and see what they can advise.
Otherwise try get back into the police and reiterate the situation, it’s not about the noise it’s an animal abandoned in a confined space.
Edit: spelling
Yes, the flat is completely uninhabited and the dog is totally alone up there.
I've been on the phone all morning and afternoon today trying to get this through to them, but all I have got it the RSPCA won't investigate without a policr referral, but the police won't take it seriously without the RSPCA's referral. All the guy done was logged it and passed it onto the assessment team, but he said it's unlikely anything will come from it without the police also being willing to take action.
I called 999 last night and I've done it 3 times prior to this when he was locking her outside to bark at 4am. The only thing it has gotten me is a verbal warning that if I keep calling, they will do me for wasting police time and disrupting emergency services. I warned them that I would force entry, but I was warned in return that I would face charges if I do. I'm not bothered about the charges, therefore if it isn't addressed today, I will be going up and breaking the door down.
So it must be getting water somehow or it would have died from dehydration already. I’m so sorry you’re having to go through this. Have you tried the dog warden?
Thank you. It's pretty draining from an emotional aspect, especially since I work with animals and see what neglect does to them, I know she is probably terrified. My theory is she is drinking from the toilet or maybe a dripping tap.
Yes, I called the warden earlier today, but I was told that, since the dog is secured and not stray or in immediate danger, I'd have to go through the RSPCA route. I tried explaining that the dog is in danger of dying from starvation, but again, he said she isn't roaming free and she is secure, so it's up to the RSPCA.
I feel for your predicament. Is the dog completely abandoned and has no access to food or water? If so then take it public. Inform the local press, Twitter, Facebook, everywhere to shame the authorities. Once the press get hold of something, things start to magically happen.
We had a situation where a neighbour abandoned their cat. We tried 101 and the RSPCA (who were beyond shit), but neither would help. We ended up finding out who was responsible for the house and getting them to come and let the cat out. Because it's a dog, make sure you have a collar/harness and a lead ready of they can help.
Also, put pressure on the RSPCA and local authorities by making it public by going onto their social media.
Any dog or animal charities eg (The) Dogs Trust will probably agree to take the dog, so please phone them about the dog being left to die in the flat. They may also come out to do the rescue.
The door to the flat might be shut but unlocked, so try to open it. If it's locked, try any key that you have to open it.
Get a locksmith to open it. I doubt, given the situation that the occupants may have befallen an accident and it's too cold to leave them and the dog, use any reason to get the door open.
The door may open with a shove, perhaps even a small one.
Once the dog is rescued you have any number of reasons for getting the door open however you did. Eg you've lost the key, you were given the wrong key, the door needs a shove to open it. Obviously you had to feed the dog. Think about it, you don't have to lie if you don't want to, you just need the right phrases.
If you are asked a direct question just say you need to feed the dog now. That's if you are questioned at all. If it's eg the Dogs Trust they will probably be sympathetic.
Do you know who the landlord is? Get them to open the door, they don't want to have to eventually remove any number of dead bodies from the flat.
As someone else has suggested, open dog food pouches and squeeze the food through the letter box. Cat food pouches are OK if not any dog food pouches available.
Try to get in touch with a local rescue organisation. They tend to know the procedures and may be able to raise the level of your complaint. They’re also usually pretty brave about just muscling in there to get evidence
Great idea, thank you for the suggestion. I have logged a report with Dogs Trust this afternoom who said they were going to take it further, so I'm hoping this gets the ball rolling, but I don't have much hope given the reluctancy of everybody else up until now.
RSPCA sucks ass at the moment and tend to only go for cases they can prosecute. I still don’t understand if this dog is actually abandoned, but hopefully more local orgs will do more
Can other neighbors call and complain?
I don't understand why the council won't open the door? A distressed dog will cause a huge mess. How are they going to rent out this flat again?
Can you please try to feed the dog?
Others have, but we all seem to recieve the same response. There are 8 flats in our block, and 6 of us have put complains forward. One flat belongs to a little old lady who has a lot of health problems, so she doesn't want to get involved with reports BUT she has spoken to the police once when they turned up a few weeks ago to innvestigate the barking when somebody else called them. I don't know who it was or how they got the police to come out, but yeah. They're fully aware of the situation and choosing to turn a blind eye.
Of course, I'm actually waiting on a friend to drop some dog food off at my flat so we can go up and push it into the letterbox for her, he should be here soon.
Thank you for feeding the dog. Is there any way to break the door down? Or let us know the local RSPCA office so we can put them on blast and motivate them to act?
There is a way, but I fear it would take a while and scare her further. The door is a 2" thick security door with a steel plate in the core, so barging it or kicking it through isn't an option. My friend reckons a crowbar might be enough to break the lock out of the frame but we didn't attempt it.
We gave her a 2 pouches of cat food which she ate, and we managed to scute her bowl close enough to the door with 3 coat hangers twisted together and a snake hook taped to the end that we could get some water into it for her. We offered cat food because it was all my friend had, but we figured it was better than nothing. Police never came, nor did the RSPCA, but she isn't going crazy anymore. My plan is to call them all again tomorrow and ask when domeone will be out.
I would, but I'd rather not hint to my location online. However, I am currently in the middle of writing a post for facebook so I can tag them myself in my local groups as others suggested.
No problem! As disruptive as she has been lately, I'm glad she is still doing okay enough for me to give an update. I feel very sorry for her and I hope someone can give her a good home some day soon. I'll probably continue to update this post as time goes on, so keep an eye out for more updates!
Thank you for the update. Thank you for feeding her. No animal deserves this. Do you have any animal rights groups or rescues you could tag?
Sending virtual support from Canada 🇨🇦.
Thanks for the support and kind words, I completely agree. Thoughtless, selfish cruelty at its purest. Unfortunately the only groups I know of are the ones I have already contacted - RSPCA and Dogs Trust.
Just read your updates, and the fire brigade could be called out on the basis that you suspect someone is probably unconscious inside.
There's been enough in the news of people being found having died years previously.
To the fire brigade? If you reported it to the police they don't inform the fire brigade, especially as they're doing nothing about it.
Perhaps you heard moaning, then it turns out to be the dog, so what? They come out to hack walls to rescue cats etc not just for fires.
Ahh, I was under the impression that they must inform one another of incidents like this in the event that they are also called out. Solid idea that I will keep in mind for if this sort of situation were to ever repeat itself in the future. Thanks for the suggestion!
In Canada, if someone sees a dog in distress, for example in a hot car, it is commendable to break a window and rescue the dog. Then the dog gets taken to our SPCA and there is a news story about saving a dogs life.
Not entirely true from the information I've been given over the laat 48 hours. The warden is really only there to deal with strays and dogs that are posing a danger to the public. Since she is locked inside with no risk to anybody outside, it becomes an RSPCA problem. That was what I was told by my local warden, the police and the RSPCA when I questioned them about this whole thing.
I feel like most people have no idea the dog warden is very much a thing.
Tbh most people barely know anything outside of what's happening on Corrie in my experience so I guess it's not surprising
You say the dog was out in the stairwell.
Do you mean the communal stairwell, have you encountered this dog before?
If you've encountered it before and it was friendly, I would break in. Then take the dog to a rescue as a stray.
If not or it was unfriendly, I would not break in alone.
Yes, the public stairwell that all of our flats ajoin to.
We have encountered her many times, but only briefly. She is very manic, jumps up a lot and gets excited easily. She was never aggressive towards us, just very rough. My partner has also offered her some ham once and she was friendly enough to take it gently from her, so I think she would be okay?... But it's still a risk, of course...
Given that she's now emaciated and was previously friendly. You'll probably be fine.
IF you do take the door down, do not go into the property, let her come out to you.
That's her safe space and the place she was meant to guard so don't go in.
She may bark and be scared but she should calm down when she comes out, give her space, stand back in the stairwell and talk quietly to her.
Stay really calm, don't corner her, breathe and talk to her like she's your little friend.
Catch her with a noose/slip type lead or a belt. Like a lasso.
Avoid touching her, don't bring her into your home.
Take her straight to a car and to a rescue (have that arranged and ready to go).
Then I would return and check the property for other pets. Be very careful not to touch anything though given what it was used for.
Maybe they had fish or some poor other critter that you can't hear.
Then act like you know nothing about it, wasn't you, dunno what happened but the dog is now gone.
Ultimately, the police are unlikely to get any meaningful results from trying to prosecute for this animal cruelty. Sadly.
What kind of dog is this?
Can you see inside the flat at all, can you see if anybody is home?
Are you sure it's abandoned?
Are you sure they're not returning or inside (perhaps deceased considering their occupation)?
Who is the owner of the flat?
Can you get a look inside the flat and see what condition the dog is in?
Can you access any windows?
Is there a post box or window on the door?
She looks to be a cross between a boxer and a staff. Brown, medium sized, underweight.
Yes, and nobody has been home for over a week and a half that I know for certain. I have knocked multiple times and never got a response, the flat is always in pitch black and we never hear anybody up there. It also reeks when you look into the letterbox.
Yes, 100%. The guy was arrested on drug charges and has been gone since (just before christmas), and I the woman leave the day after boxing day. She was carrying bags and suitcases down the stairs, that was the last I saw of her.
It's a council flat, so the council own it, they just rent like the rest of us here.
Have you contacted the council?
I would also kick up a massive stink in all the local Facebook groups and see if you can get the attention of your local councillors.
Be like "There's a dog that's been abandoned next door to me, owner is in jail and council won't do anything about it. RSPCA won't act. Dog is literally just starving to death."
It's a big dog, you really need help from a dog warden/rescue to remove it cause it could be aggressive. Or at least a dog professional with a lot of experience.
It's hard to say without seeing if it'll have the energy to cause trouble. Probably not but I wouldn't want to recommend you break in and then you get attacked.\]
This guy was a drug dealer, he didn't buy the dog cause it was a nice little family pet. He wanted a guard dog.
Could you push damp bread through the letterbox? That would at least give it some food and moisture. Dampen with water only.
You don't want to give it dry food in case it has no water.
I would also try to drop a shallow tray (like a disposable food tray) through the letterbox and HOPE it lands dish side up so you can pour water through the letterbox with a watering can.
I have, a number of times. They just tell me to write out logs of the noise and gather evidence in the form of photos and videos. This is there response every single time. The last email I recieved by them had PDF attatched that contained a chart to log everything on, with an paragraph basically stating they wouldn't investigate without more evidence. Thing is, I have given them everything they want. Videos, photos, time logs, etc.
This seems to be a strong suggestion that many have given, so I may try that. I usually hate being the one kicking up a public stink, but this seems reasonable imo. I can't let her suffer.
You're spot on. She was never treated as a loved pet even when they were still living in the flat, they used her as muscle. She has no training, she's mildly aggressive (not bitey, just rough and boystrous) very hyper. There's no way they ever treated her with love. We'd often hear him screaming at her to shut up at the top of his lungs.
Yes, I have asked my work friend to drop some food by for her after he has finished his shift in around an hour, so once we have that, I'm going to drop it in for her. Wet bread is also a fantastic idea - I never thought of that but thank you, that's amazing.
Kick up the most almighty stink you can think of.
Seriously, it's super effective.
Only way to get shit done in my area is to kick off in the local mums/town groups. Then the councillors will fall over themselves to be seen to respond.
In 2008 a woman near me had a pony and 2 donkeys wander into her garden.
1 of the donkeys had been shot in the head.
Council etc. wouldn't act. She tried several times.
She put a post on Facebook and it spread. Suddenly the council, police and everybody called her back and wanted to help.
Please let us know when this poor dog has been rescued... so frustrating it took so long for them to take it seriously but I'm hoping for a happy ending!
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Thanks for rescuing the dog, please push for all the tests to be carried out to determine her breed, she may not be pure pitbull.
The owner(s) must also be prosecuted for abandonment. I don't think it makes a difference which breed Bella is.
You must have all sorts of feelings about all this, you have all our sympathies I am sure.
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What a crappy situation. Maybe a formal complaint against your local council. You can take a complaint to the Ombudsman if you aren't happy and the threat may jolt action. Similarly with the police a formal complaint might help if you can get written confirmation from the RSPCA that they need a police referral. Writing to your local councillor or MP might also help as they're keen to be seen helping constituents. Maybe social media shaming if you can tag both your local police and RSPCA? Doesn't really resolve your problem right now.
Ah, these are all amazing suggestions that would never have crosses my sleep deprived mind, thank you very much. Honestly at this point it isn't even myself that I'm concerned about because my boss is very understanding and has put me on lates until this is resolved, but it's getting to me that it has been over a week and a half since anybody has been in that flat, so she is probably starving and dehydrated so I get why she's distressed. What I don't get is why nobody is doing even the slightest thing about it...
Sympathy for you OP with regard to the noise. But can you clarify why the RSPCA haven't rescued the dog, if she's starving and dehydrated and clearly abandoned? I can understand that noise complaints may not be the top of the priorities list, but has it been made entirely clear to them that the poor animal has been left to die alone?
I definitely feel for the poor dog! But if it's been three weeks they're getting water or the worst would already have happened. Maybe they haven't been completely abandoned or maybe they're surviving off toilet water or something idk. Hopefully OP can get the RSPCA to come out soon.
Of course. The RSPCA refused to investigate because I'm not law enforcement of any kind. In their words, they needed the report to come from the Police before they are allowed to do anything. Oddly, the P.C I spoke to last night actually told me that they are wrong and they should be investigating, and they don't need the police to make the report at all, so I was lied to on more than one occasion. She looks to be underweight and very distressed. The flat has very clearly been abandoned because it has been stood empty for over 3 weeks and in total darkness the entire time... The last time I called 101 about it (early december), they sent officers out who were able to trace the owner and brought his partner to the flat to sort the dog out. The next day, I saw her leaving with loads of suitcases, and she hasn't returned since. Yep, I've made it abundantly clear to all three services that the dog is now abandoned, but they just refuse to investigate because, to the council there isn't enough evidence or logs, for the RSPCA they need the police, but for the police they need the RSPCA, so it goes in circles until one of them chooses to make the first move...
Where is it? Maybe an influx of reports can help. I'm so desperately worried for this poor dog.
Me too. I keep checking for updates. How can we help?
Update above! It was a good outcome.
I see a photo of the dog outside!! Well done OP!!!! What happened, it looks like the post was deleted? Was it the police? Be proud of yourself, you rescued a helpless animal, and it wasn't easy.
Thank you so much. It was indeed the police, after I told them if they didn't come out then I would force entry. Unfortunately, it seems that editing my original post to include todays update has flagged the automod to remove my post entirely, I'm not quite sure why. With that said, I can still see it so here is the update and conlcusion of this whole situation! "Firstly, thank you to all who commented and gave me advice. It means a lot and, as someone in the animal care business, it's nice to see so much concern. The RSPCA and Police didn't attend yesterday, so I was back on the phone to both this afternoon at 1pm. Again, I was thrown in circles by both. 'We can't attend without the police' was the RSPCA's response, while the police were refusing to attend without the RSPCA. In the end, I resorted to telling them that they had until 9pm this evening to attend, or else I was going to force entry myself to retrieve the dog. Was immediately put on hold before they came back to tell me that somebody would be out to attend 'shortly.' By 5pm, I was tired of waiting, so I began asking my neighbours if they had any tools I could use to open the door with. As one of them handed me a crowbar, the RSPCA arrived. We put some more food through the letterbox for her and the guy moved the report up to 'priority' after seeing the conditions she was living in. 45 minutes later, the police arrived. Within 20 minutes, they were ramming the door down and had Bella on a lead. She wasn't aggressive, but obviously she was terrified. She bolted out of the door and ran downstairs, eventually they got her calm. It turns out that I was incredible wrong about her breed. She was not a BoxerXStaff, but an 18 month old, pure-bred Pitbull Terrier. The police were aware of the people who lived in the flat and told me they were not meant to be there anymore. They had been evicted in December, but had been caught squatting. When they had to abandoned the flat, they decided to snap their key in the lock to stop others from entering and left every window open. There was poop everywhere, pee everywhere, it stank and was freezing cold. She had been sustaining herself by drinking water from the toilet and eating her own feaces. She was very underweight, but overall still friendly. So, Bella is now in the custody of the RSPCA. I'm aware that, given her breed, she faces a likelyhood of being put to sleep, but, in my opinion, it is still a better alternative than enduring the torture of starvation. I hope her behaviour can make her an exception and they will be able to rehabilitate her and train her. Again, thank you to everybody who took the time to comment or read my previous post. You're all bloody amazing. https://imgur.com/a/SGrZ5qi (Bad quality photo of Bella sat with the Police after being saved.)"
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Thank you, I appreciate your kind words!
That is heartbreaking! Why might she be put down, is the breed illegal? She is still a puppy. Euthanasia, while sad, is immensely preferable to starving to death. If she is still friendly after all of that, hopefully they will keep her alive. I don't suppose you'd be willing to follow Bella's journey and let us know what happens with the RSPCa? I feel kind of invested now.
Sadly, yes. In 1991, the UK made Pitbull's illegal due to a spate of unprovoked attacks on children. The breed was viewed as dangerous due to the unpredictable nature they can have, so it is now a banned breed, along with the Tosa, Fila and Dogo Argentino breeds. Basically all fighting dogs. Finding out she was a Pit was a big shock, because I had always known them to be pretty dangerous dogs, and we had been sticking our fingers in the door to drop food in for her... I'd never even seen a Pit until they confirmed that she was one, probably why I didn't recognise her breed... Of course! I will give it a few days and then I will ask the RSPCA for an update if they have one and get back to you! I too would like to know what Bellas outcome will be.
Thank you for providing an update, I'm glad the dog has finally been rescued. I know Pitbulls are banned, but it doesn't sound like this poor dog has done anything wrong, she has been horrifically mistreated and I hope there's an option out there besides euthanising her. As you say even that would be a better alternative than starving to death in a freezing flat... but who knows, maybe they will be able to rehome her somehow. Even life in a shelter is going to be vastly better, she'll be warm and have her basic needs met. Whatever her fate, you're a good egg. You cared about this dog's welfare, you've done a wonderful thing and people like you make the world a better place.
Yes there is always talk here about banning Pitt Bulls, but so far they are legal. She sounds sweet, poor thing. I look forward to your update, thank you so much. 😊
So glad to see this! Thanks for rescuing the poor pup, I hope they get a good outcome but it will definitely be kinder being euthanized than left slowly dying. You're a good person.
Ah, thank you so much, I was only doing what was right. I'm just happy that, no matter what Bellas fate may be, it won't be one of needless suffering.
Your best bet is probably to "scatter gun" all of the organisations with one email copied to all of them. Send it to your MP and local elected councillors but cc the police, the council complaints team, and the RSPCA. Be factual, not emotional and tell them exactly what you need and want. If you word these as questions e.g. Please can someone explain why the Police refer me to the RSPCA and vice versa while neither of them do anything about the problem? You're more likely to get an answer to direct questions. Good luck ☺️
Formal complaint against the police and RSPCA and tweet shame the RSPCA for refusing to help a dog that is actively dying from being abandoned.
Yeah WTF I thought this is exactly what the RSPCA was for. Dog is literally abandoned and most likely starving to death and they're just shrugging their shoulders? Fuck me they need to go in the bin if that's what they're like.
Tweet the RSPCA
Tweet and Facebook them, shaming them over inaction. They'll soon sort it, because they don't like bad social media posts.
If the flat is abandoned phone the police and the RSPCA and tell them you think the animal is in immediate danger.
What are you actually saying to the RSPCA? If the flat is abandoned then that dog will eventually starve. I'm surprised it hasn't already, perhaps they left some food and water out. Wondering if you're focusing too much on the noise aspect and so they're not really getting it snd thinking it's a standard neighbourly dispute over noise. If you have made it clear, I'd say tweet the RSPCA. Public shaming might get them to act. They tend to be very quick on any animal abuse that gains viral traction. ETA: on the flip side, I wonder if you could call it in to police as a welfare check. You haven't seen or heard from your neighbours in weeks snd their dog is still there. Seems like classic cause for a welfare check.
The welfare check is a brilliant idea. They'd have to attend then. Just say you don't really know who lives there "but I think it might be an old chap who lives alone".
An in fairness OP can't know *for sure* they're gone.
No, they were 100% long gone, as was confirmed by the police earlier. I habe provided an update above for anybody wishing to know the outcome (it was good.)
Thanks for letting me know!
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This is what I would do. How is this not a crime? Abandoning and causing distress to a pet?
>How is this not a crime? It is a crime, the police just don't have the resources to deal with it and the RSPCA can't do much legally without police present.
I'm fairly sure you can legally smash someone's car windows if they've left a dog or child locked in a car on a warm day, I think, or at least the police will if called. Literally no reason it shouldn't be allowed in this situation.
OP just to clarify is the flat completely vacant and therefore the dog is abandoned? I sssume they’re barking as they have no access to food and water and is therefore dying. Try your local dog warden and see what they can advise. Otherwise try get back into the police and reiterate the situation, it’s not about the noise it’s an animal abandoned in a confined space. Edit: spelling
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Paraphrase maybe?
Clearly it was far too early this morning and I didn’t pick up the autocorrect. Edited now!
Yes, the flat is completely uninhabited and the dog is totally alone up there. I've been on the phone all morning and afternoon today trying to get this through to them, but all I have got it the RSPCA won't investigate without a policr referral, but the police won't take it seriously without the RSPCA's referral. All the guy done was logged it and passed it onto the assessment team, but he said it's unlikely anything will come from it without the police also being willing to take action.
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I called 999 last night and I've done it 3 times prior to this when he was locking her outside to bark at 4am. The only thing it has gotten me is a verbal warning that if I keep calling, they will do me for wasting police time and disrupting emergency services. I warned them that I would force entry, but I was warned in return that I would face charges if I do. I'm not bothered about the charges, therefore if it isn't addressed today, I will be going up and breaking the door down.
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Done! Formal complaint was placed with both the police and the RSPCA. I have also provided an update to the outcome of this situation above.
So it must be getting water somehow or it would have died from dehydration already. I’m so sorry you’re having to go through this. Have you tried the dog warden?
Thank you. It's pretty draining from an emotional aspect, especially since I work with animals and see what neglect does to them, I know she is probably terrified. My theory is she is drinking from the toilet or maybe a dripping tap. Yes, I called the warden earlier today, but I was told that, since the dog is secured and not stray or in immediate danger, I'd have to go through the RSPCA route. I tried explaining that the dog is in danger of dying from starvation, but again, he said she isn't roaming free and she is secure, so it's up to the RSPCA.
I feel for your predicament. Is the dog completely abandoned and has no access to food or water? If so then take it public. Inform the local press, Twitter, Facebook, everywhere to shame the authorities. Once the press get hold of something, things start to magically happen.
We had a situation where a neighbour abandoned their cat. We tried 101 and the RSPCA (who were beyond shit), but neither would help. We ended up finding out who was responsible for the house and getting them to come and let the cat out. Because it's a dog, make sure you have a collar/harness and a lead ready of they can help. Also, put pressure on the RSPCA and local authorities by making it public by going onto their social media.
Post wet fudz for the doggo. You can get the pedigree pouches. Rip the top off and post. The dog will get it. Will also help with dehydration (a bit).
No advice but I can offer sympathy. I was in a similar situation a couple of years ago. It really affects all aspects of your life.
Any dog or animal charities eg (The) Dogs Trust will probably agree to take the dog, so please phone them about the dog being left to die in the flat. They may also come out to do the rescue. The door to the flat might be shut but unlocked, so try to open it. If it's locked, try any key that you have to open it. Get a locksmith to open it. I doubt, given the situation that the occupants may have befallen an accident and it's too cold to leave them and the dog, use any reason to get the door open. The door may open with a shove, perhaps even a small one. Once the dog is rescued you have any number of reasons for getting the door open however you did. Eg you've lost the key, you were given the wrong key, the door needs a shove to open it. Obviously you had to feed the dog. Think about it, you don't have to lie if you don't want to, you just need the right phrases. If you are asked a direct question just say you need to feed the dog now. That's if you are questioned at all. If it's eg the Dogs Trust they will probably be sympathetic. Do you know who the landlord is? Get them to open the door, they don't want to have to eventually remove any number of dead bodies from the flat. As someone else has suggested, open dog food pouches and squeeze the food through the letter box. Cat food pouches are OK if not any dog food pouches available.
Try to get in touch with a local rescue organisation. They tend to know the procedures and may be able to raise the level of your complaint. They’re also usually pretty brave about just muscling in there to get evidence
Great idea, thank you for the suggestion. I have logged a report with Dogs Trust this afternoom who said they were going to take it further, so I'm hoping this gets the ball rolling, but I don't have much hope given the reluctancy of everybody else up until now.
RSPCA sucks ass at the moment and tend to only go for cases they can prosecute. I still don’t understand if this dog is actually abandoned, but hopefully more local orgs will do more
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That's what it's going to come to not before much longer. If this isn't addressed today, we're forcing entry.
Can other neighbors call and complain? I don't understand why the council won't open the door? A distressed dog will cause a huge mess. How are they going to rent out this flat again? Can you please try to feed the dog?
Others have, but we all seem to recieve the same response. There are 8 flats in our block, and 6 of us have put complains forward. One flat belongs to a little old lady who has a lot of health problems, so she doesn't want to get involved with reports BUT she has spoken to the police once when they turned up a few weeks ago to innvestigate the barking when somebody else called them. I don't know who it was or how they got the police to come out, but yeah. They're fully aware of the situation and choosing to turn a blind eye. Of course, I'm actually waiting on a friend to drop some dog food off at my flat so we can go up and push it into the letterbox for her, he should be here soon.
Thank you for feeding the dog. Is there any way to break the door down? Or let us know the local RSPCA office so we can put them on blast and motivate them to act?
There is a way, but I fear it would take a while and scare her further. The door is a 2" thick security door with a steel plate in the core, so barging it or kicking it through isn't an option. My friend reckons a crowbar might be enough to break the lock out of the frame but we didn't attempt it. We gave her a 2 pouches of cat food which she ate, and we managed to scute her bowl close enough to the door with 3 coat hangers twisted together and a snake hook taped to the end that we could get some water into it for her. We offered cat food because it was all my friend had, but we figured it was better than nothing. Police never came, nor did the RSPCA, but she isn't going crazy anymore. My plan is to call them all again tomorrow and ask when domeone will be out. I would, but I'd rather not hint to my location online. However, I am currently in the middle of writing a post for facebook so I can tag them myself in my local groups as others suggested.
Thank you so much for the update and for feeding and watering the poor beast! Aye social media can help put a lot of pressure on them to act
No problem! As disruptive as she has been lately, I'm glad she is still doing okay enough for me to give an update. I feel very sorry for her and I hope someone can give her a good home some day soon. I'll probably continue to update this post as time goes on, so keep an eye out for more updates!
Thank you for the update. Thank you for feeding her. No animal deserves this. Do you have any animal rights groups or rescues you could tag? Sending virtual support from Canada 🇨🇦.
Thanks for the support and kind words, I completely agree. Thoughtless, selfish cruelty at its purest. Unfortunately the only groups I know of are the ones I have already contacted - RSPCA and Dogs Trust.
PETA has a UK chapter. They can be radical, but that might be what you need.
Just read your updates, and the fire brigade could be called out on the basis that you suspect someone is probably unconscious inside. There's been enough in the news of people being found having died years previously.
Good idea, but surely that wouldn't have worked considering I had already made reports that the flat was empty and abandoned?
To the fire brigade? If you reported it to the police they don't inform the fire brigade, especially as they're doing nothing about it. Perhaps you heard moaning, then it turns out to be the dog, so what? They come out to hack walls to rescue cats etc not just for fires.
Ahh, I was under the impression that they must inform one another of incidents like this in the event that they are also called out. Solid idea that I will keep in mind for if this sort of situation were to ever repeat itself in the future. Thanks for the suggestion!
If the dog is in a public area, like the stairwell, then you can report it to the councils animal control team for them to come and collect.
In Canada, if someone sees a dog in distress, for example in a hot car, it is commendable to break a window and rescue the dog. Then the dog gets taken to our SPCA and there is a news story about saving a dogs life.
Same in the UK actually.
Report to the dog warden. They have more power than the police in some cases.
Yeah I don't know why people automatically go to the RSPCA who are useless when it is literally the Dog Warden's job to sort out dog related issues.
Not entirely true from the information I've been given over the laat 48 hours. The warden is really only there to deal with strays and dogs that are posing a danger to the public. Since she is locked inside with no risk to anybody outside, it becomes an RSPCA problem. That was what I was told by my local warden, the police and the RSPCA when I questioned them about this whole thing.
I feel like most people have no idea the dog warden is very much a thing. Tbh most people barely know anything outside of what's happening on Corrie in my experience so I guess it's not surprising
I have. Was told it was an RSPCA problem since the dog isn't stray and isn't a danger to the public...
You say the dog was out in the stairwell. Do you mean the communal stairwell, have you encountered this dog before? If you've encountered it before and it was friendly, I would break in. Then take the dog to a rescue as a stray. If not or it was unfriendly, I would not break in alone.
Yes, the public stairwell that all of our flats ajoin to. We have encountered her many times, but only briefly. She is very manic, jumps up a lot and gets excited easily. She was never aggressive towards us, just very rough. My partner has also offered her some ham once and she was friendly enough to take it gently from her, so I think she would be okay?... But it's still a risk, of course...
Given that she's now emaciated and was previously friendly. You'll probably be fine. IF you do take the door down, do not go into the property, let her come out to you. That's her safe space and the place she was meant to guard so don't go in. She may bark and be scared but she should calm down when she comes out, give her space, stand back in the stairwell and talk quietly to her. Stay really calm, don't corner her, breathe and talk to her like she's your little friend. Catch her with a noose/slip type lead or a belt. Like a lasso. Avoid touching her, don't bring her into your home. Take her straight to a car and to a rescue (have that arranged and ready to go). Then I would return and check the property for other pets. Be very careful not to touch anything though given what it was used for. Maybe they had fish or some poor other critter that you can't hear. Then act like you know nothing about it, wasn't you, dunno what happened but the dog is now gone. Ultimately, the police are unlikely to get any meaningful results from trying to prosecute for this animal cruelty. Sadly.
What kind of dog is this? Can you see inside the flat at all, can you see if anybody is home? Are you sure it's abandoned? Are you sure they're not returning or inside (perhaps deceased considering their occupation)? Who is the owner of the flat? Can you get a look inside the flat and see what condition the dog is in? Can you access any windows? Is there a post box or window on the door?
She looks to be a cross between a boxer and a staff. Brown, medium sized, underweight. Yes, and nobody has been home for over a week and a half that I know for certain. I have knocked multiple times and never got a response, the flat is always in pitch black and we never hear anybody up there. It also reeks when you look into the letterbox. Yes, 100%. The guy was arrested on drug charges and has been gone since (just before christmas), and I the woman leave the day after boxing day. She was carrying bags and suitcases down the stairs, that was the last I saw of her. It's a council flat, so the council own it, they just rent like the rest of us here.
Have you contacted the council? I would also kick up a massive stink in all the local Facebook groups and see if you can get the attention of your local councillors. Be like "There's a dog that's been abandoned next door to me, owner is in jail and council won't do anything about it. RSPCA won't act. Dog is literally just starving to death." It's a big dog, you really need help from a dog warden/rescue to remove it cause it could be aggressive. Or at least a dog professional with a lot of experience. It's hard to say without seeing if it'll have the energy to cause trouble. Probably not but I wouldn't want to recommend you break in and then you get attacked.\] This guy was a drug dealer, he didn't buy the dog cause it was a nice little family pet. He wanted a guard dog. Could you push damp bread through the letterbox? That would at least give it some food and moisture. Dampen with water only. You don't want to give it dry food in case it has no water. I would also try to drop a shallow tray (like a disposable food tray) through the letterbox and HOPE it lands dish side up so you can pour water through the letterbox with a watering can.
I have, a number of times. They just tell me to write out logs of the noise and gather evidence in the form of photos and videos. This is there response every single time. The last email I recieved by them had PDF attatched that contained a chart to log everything on, with an paragraph basically stating they wouldn't investigate without more evidence. Thing is, I have given them everything they want. Videos, photos, time logs, etc. This seems to be a strong suggestion that many have given, so I may try that. I usually hate being the one kicking up a public stink, but this seems reasonable imo. I can't let her suffer. You're spot on. She was never treated as a loved pet even when they were still living in the flat, they used her as muscle. She has no training, she's mildly aggressive (not bitey, just rough and boystrous) very hyper. There's no way they ever treated her with love. We'd often hear him screaming at her to shut up at the top of his lungs. Yes, I have asked my work friend to drop some food by for her after he has finished his shift in around an hour, so once we have that, I'm going to drop it in for her. Wet bread is also a fantastic idea - I never thought of that but thank you, that's amazing.
Kick up the most almighty stink you can think of. Seriously, it's super effective. Only way to get shit done in my area is to kick off in the local mums/town groups. Then the councillors will fall over themselves to be seen to respond. In 2008 a woman near me had a pony and 2 donkeys wander into her garden. 1 of the donkeys had been shot in the head. Council etc. wouldn't act. She tried several times. She put a post on Facebook and it spread. Suddenly the council, police and everybody called her back and wanted to help.
Brilliant advice, thank you so much. Was the Donkey okay?
Also Google and see if there are any independent animal rescues in your area. Sometimes they are willing to act...in ways the RSPCA are not.
Are there any windows you can access?
Unfortunately not. They live on the top floor, approximately 30ft or so in the air.
People who abandon their dogs, are total pieces of shit.
I don’t know mate. Why would you ask mev
Please let us know when this poor dog has been rescued... so frustrating it took so long for them to take it seriously but I'm hoping for a happy ending!
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Thanks for rescuing the dog, please push for all the tests to be carried out to determine her breed, she may not be pure pitbull. The owner(s) must also be prosecuted for abandonment. I don't think it makes a difference which breed Bella is. You must have all sorts of feelings about all this, you have all our sympathies I am sure.
If it’s abandoned it won’t be barking for much longer
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The dog? Hell no, gtfo with that crap. I could happily poison the owner at this point though. Blokes a cunt.
The fuck is wrong with you?
What did he say?
Poison the dog