Latest news with #dogneglect
News.com.au
09-07-2025
- News.com.au
Distressing footage of dog on apartment balcony goes viral
Disturbing footage has emerged of a small dog living on an exposed balcony in Melbourne's CBD. In a clip posted to social media, the corgi can be seen anxiously pacing along the narrow balcony, covered by nothing more than a glass window smeared in dirt and marks. At one end of the balcony is a very simple wooden kennel with no bedding or protection from the elements. During the compilation of clips – filmed by a neighbour over three months – the dog's owner can be seen making his way outside briefly to clean what appears to be piles of dog faeces – each one filling an entire dustpan. The dog excitedly wags and circles his owner before having the door closed in his face. Neighbour Helia Abdollahi revealed she has 'witnessed this little corgi trapped for the past three months. 'Rain or shine, day or night – he is always out there.' she said. 'Alone. Cold. Barking. Spinning in circles. No toys, no bed, no food in sight. Just concrete and silence.' Ms Abdollahi reported the situation to RSPCA on June 1, following it up with emails, detailed descriptions and video evidence – but nothing has changed. 'This isn't a one-off. This is chronic neglect,' she said. 'I've seen him spin on that tiny balcony floor endlessly — a heartbreaking sign of anxiety and psychological distress,' she said. 'I've seen his tail wag when the owner comes out, desperately trying to connect. But the owner doesn't even acknowledge him. Doesn't pet him. Doesn't let him inside. The corgi literally hesitates to step over the threshold, like he's been conditioned to know he's not allowed inside his own home.' 'This is emotional abuse, and it's completely preventable. Melbourne is freezing right now — I can barely handle the cold inside my apartment. I can't even imagine how this small dog is surviving out there night after night,' she added. According to the Bureau of Metereology (BoM), Melbourne nights in July typically average between 6 and 8 degrees celsius. In an update to her followers, Ms Abdollahi said the building manager had confirmed the RSPCA visited the property twice but, due to animal legislation, could not seize the dog. Victoria's Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act 1986 (POCTA) allows RSPCA inspectors to enter premises and seize animals only on reasonable grounds. These include: baiting or using the animals as lures, depriving the animal of food and water, or if the animal is in an entanglement causing pain or suffering. Ms Abdollahi has also reached out to Melbourne council, the management of the apartment towers, the closest cafe and pet store, multiple animal rescues, and Facebook groups. She has since left a note, offering to either 'purchase the dog or rehome him with care with no pressure or judgement.' Corgis, originally bred as herding dogs, are high-energy dogs that thrive on mental stimulation and physical activity. They typically need between 1 to 1.5 hours of exercise per day. With the right care, they can live up to 14 years old. PETA Asia Senior Vice President Jason Baker, branded the situation as 'incomprehensible'. 'Dogs are not disposable fashion items. You can't just toss your dog out on the balcony when they're no longer convenient, like you toss a pair of shoes to the back of your wardrobe when they're no longer fashionable,' he said. 'Dogs are highly social, pack animals who suffer terrible loneliness and deserve love, attention, and a safe environment to thrive in. 'It's incomprehensible that anyone would fail to see this as animal abuse and cruelty. Where is people's sense of shame and decency? No animal should have to suffer in isolation, longing for affection, basic care, and even shelter from the elements. 'PETA has been in touch with authorities to ask for immediate action to remove this dog from their current living conditions. PETA stands ready to assist in finding a permanent, loving home where this dog can feel safe and cared for.' Animal Justice Party member Georgie Purcell took to social media to slam the 'archaic' animal welfare laws that prevent authorities from intervening. 'I like many others have reported this to the RSPCA and despite them investigating … they have told me they cannot intervene,' she said. 'This is because under Victoria's animal welfare laws things like this are perfectly legal. 'Almost ten years ago the Victorian Labor Government committed to rewriting our state's archaic animal welfare laws, but Jacinta Allan just hasn't prioritised it.' A spokesperson for the City of Melbourne told 'We take animal welfare seriously and understand the community's concern regarding the condition of a dog at this residential property. 'Our Animal Management officers were notified last week and have been actively following up. An officer has attended the property and spoken with the owner about the housing conditions that do not meet the standards outlined in the Activities Local Law 2024. 'Clear directions have been given to improve the cleanliness and hygiene of the dog's living space, and further checks and enforcement action are scheduled for this week.' 'We know how much people care about animals in our city – and we'll continue to monitor the situation closely and take further steps if needed,' they added. The clips, which have close to 200,000 views have been met with outrage from viewers. 'What is the point of having a dog? I don't get it,' said one. 'As a corgi owner in Melbourne this makes me so unbelievably angry and upset,' wrote another. 'I also have a corgi and live in the same building as you. I see this view every day too, and it genuinely upsets me,' wrote a third.
CBS News
02-07-2025
- CBS News
Dog found dead in Fayette County after living outside for a month, police say
Two people are facing charges after a dog that had been living outside for a month in Fayette County died, police said. Court paperwork shows Lindsay Lee Ward and Joseph H Sherwood Jr. are facing a slew of animal cruelty and animal neglect charges after police said they left the dog outside without food, water or shelter for several days, including during the heat wave the Pittsburgh area just experienced. Pennsylvania State Police said they were called to East Broadway Street in Dunbar Township on June 29 for calls about a dead dog in the backyard of a home. Police said they found the dog leashed by its collar to a metal pole. There was no food or water, and in the criminal complaint, troopers wrote that the dog had been living without shade or shelter "for a significant time frame." Police said they found Sherwood on the couch, "highly unresponsive and un-alert." He admitted the dog was his but couldn't answer any other questions because of his physical condition, police said. He was taken to a hospital. Neighbors told police that Ward lived with Sherwood and cared for the dog. Police said the neighbors they talked to agreed that the dog had been living outside in the current conditions for about a month. "It is to say that the dog being exposed to the sunlight/heat for several days at a time, wherein the average temperature within the last week was approximately 90 degrees Fahrenheit, in addition to not having any access to food or water," police wrote in the criminal complaint. It's the most recent case of animal abuse in the Pittsburgh area, especially as the region experienced several days of 90-degree temperatures toward the end of June. A Pittsburgh woman was charged after police said she left her two dogs outside in 90-degree temperatures for two days, giving both of them heat stroke. In Westmoreland County, a shelter is trying to figure out who dumped a box of three emaciated puppies along a trail in Greensburg last week. Also in Westmoreland County, police recently seized three dogs and found the bodies of two others, leading to charges against two people. In that case, police said neighbors had dozens of videos that showed a man abusing his dogs for months.
Daily Mail
14-05-2025
- Daily Mail
Heartbreak as 40 dogs are found living in their own filth stuffed inside closets and cupboards in cramped apartment
Animal rescue workers were shocked to discover more than 40 dogs in a filthy, crammed New York apartment, in what they said was one of the most 'heartbreaking' animal neglect cases they had ever seen. 'They've likely never touched grass, walked on a leash, or met a stranger,' said Animal Care Centers of NYC Director of Shelter Medicine Biana Tamimi. Rescuers from the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals and the Animal Care Centers of NYC went to the home in Forest Hills, Queens last Thursday after receiving reports that the owner had been evicted from the property and had to surrender his pets. When they arrived at the seventh floor apartment, they found 48 dogs and puppies, all Belgian Malinois, living in deplorable conditions. Some were reportedly stuffed into closets and cupboards or crammed into small spaces with no fresh air or sunlight, the ACC said. Images shared by the animal shelter show about a dozen dogs squeezed into a tiny hallway. Three of the dogs had to be euthanised, according to officials, and rescue workers spent two days removing the dogs from the home. 'These dogs have reportedly lived in total confinement for their entire lives,' said Tara Mercado, ACC's director of behavior and shelter operations. 'We found full-grown Malinois hidden in cabinets and crammed behind furniture.' Rescuers went to the home in Forest Hills, Queens last Thursday after receiving reports that the owner had been evicted from the property Neighbours - who were unaware that there were so many dogs living in the property - said that the entire floor always had a bad smell and that the owner, who has not been named, would regularly toss animal faeces off his balcony. 'We always wondered, 'Why does it smell so bad,' one neighbour told the New York Post. 'We all assumed there were two or three dogs in there, we would never have imagined that they were that many, we never saw them ever, anywhere,' he added. Another neighbour claimed that she could always hear barking in the building and noted that her mother had seen the owner kick one of his pets. The owner is said to have worked at airport security and he was known to have a sniffing dog. Since their rescue, the ACC has issued an update on the dogs' condition. Images show the nervous pups looking confused as they wait in kennels to be treated by vets. The ACC says many of the dogs will require long-term care before they are ready to be adopted because they are believed to have had little socialization with humans. The heartbreaking animal neglect case comes after a British dog walker was discovered to have kept 11 pets in 'deplorable' conditions. Dog walker Hannah Critchlow kept the animals in a house described as being one of the worst ever seen by RSPCA officers. Pictures show the floors inside the property, on Bourne Street, Peterlee, County Durham, completely covered in excrement and rubbish. An RSPCA officer described having to hold her breath because she could not stand staying in the 'thick smell' in the rooms. Two of the dogs were staying there while their owners were on holiday while others were being fostered by her on behalf of an animal charity. Some were left so ill after staying with her that they required treatment from a vet. Critchlow, 30, who a ran a business called UpDog Walking, Training & Behaviour, has now been banned from keeping animals for 12 months.
