# Dog Abuse. Advice Needed.



## amazingjs89 (Dec 9, 2010)

So I love my Golden puppy Baxter so much! I take him to a great local park where kids play and others walk thier dogs. You're required to keep your pet on leash while in the park, but a lot of people don't follow that rule. I have let Baxter off his leash a few times while there. As long as your pet stays pretty calm nobody says anything. 

My problem is yesterday while at the park I saw an owner get pretty violent with his dog. His dog was off the leash and the guy would call the dog to come to him but the dog was running around and staying just out of reach. I could see the guy getting pretty frustrated because his dog wasn't listening at all. This went on for about five minutes. He finally got a treat out of his backpack and managed to lure his puppy in with it. As soon as the dog got close to him he yanked him by the colar and hit him across the snout/nose several times screaming "no" and "bad boy". The hits were pretty hard. He then drug the dog by the colar over to a bench where he leashed him and tied him to the bench. He was dragging the dog so hard his front feet were actually off the ground. It looked pretty bad. The dog was making gagging noises. After he tied up the dog his hit him three more times across the snout/nose screaming "that was a bad dog". 

Everyone was kind of just watching the guy. I don't think anyone knew exactly how to act. My description might not do it justice but it was pretty intense to see. I felt terrible for that puppy. Oh, I forgot to mention that the guys dog looked to be about a 6 month old Lab. He was still pretty small. I honestly didn't know what to do. The guy is at the park a lot and that is the first time I have ever seen anything like that out of him. I also know how frustrating it can be as Baxter is only 5 months old himself. Sometimes after a long day Baxter can make me so mad! Still though, I have never hit him or anything like that. I see the guy almost everytime we go to the park. So should I say something to him? I feel like he was pretty out of control and it seemed to me like what he did was abuse. His little puppy is cute! Him and Baxter have played before. What should I do? Anything? Thanks guys, this has been driving me nuts all day.


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## jackie_hubert (Jun 2, 2010)

I am so sorry you had to watch that. You can make a report in most states on your local human society's webpage with any info that you have. If you're able to take the guy's lisence plate number you can at least report that. You can call them too. Most allow you to do it anonymously but note that it will be easier for authorities to act if they can contact you and speak with you and get a witness statement.


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## GoldensGirl (Aug 2, 2010)

I am so sorry this happened. And glad that you care enough to want to take action. I hope you will follow the suggestion to contact the authorities. That poor puppy needs help. No wonder he doesn't want to go to his owner! :doh:

The owner, who sounds like he is at the end of his rope, needs guidance. At a minimum, someone should suggest a good trainer who can help him learn to manage his dog without violence. Unfortunately, talking to him could be dangerous. People who abuse animals often abuse other people, too. 

Thanks again for your caring. Please keep us posted. :crossfing


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## LibertyME (Jan 6, 2007)

Of course the whole irony is that the puppy assessment was corrrect...
"Dont go near the man when he calls you cause your gonna get dragged & smacked around..."

Next time get some video...then show it to him and ask him if he was a puppy -would he go to a man that will betray him like that? He may have no clue what effect his behavior has on his dog when he is raging.


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## AmberSunrise (Apr 1, 2009)

Unfortunately, that reaction is fairly common. I remember when my BIL's german shepard took off in the woods, and I went out to help, how very surprised BIL was when I fed Bandit for coming when called - he said that was the last thing on his mind, and I replied that was why after the dog took off, he was afraid to come back!

Is there any way you could get together with some others, including this man, to play recall games like round robin? Just a bunch of you call your leashed dogs and rewarding richly when the dog comes?


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## mylissyk (Feb 25, 2007)

That is so sad, poor puppy. I would find someone to report it to. Obviously the guy is clueless and has no grasp of the concept that if you hit a dog when it comes to you it will never want to come to you.


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## RedDogs (Jan 30, 2010)

Contact the shelter/humane society and the police in your area. Briefly describe what happened and ask what you should have done or what you should do if it happens again. 

Unfortunately, in many areas people can legally do absolutely horrible things in the name of training.


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## musicgirl (Jul 26, 2009)

It angers me that people like that are allowed to have pets...so lets see what happens...dog doesnt listen...you bribe it with a treat...dog thinks yay food for not listening! when dog finally comes...you smack him and tell him he's a bad dog...gee i wonder why the dog isn't just RUSHING back to such a wonderful owner =/
sigh..yeah..i'd call the humane society..


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## Jackson'sMom (Oct 13, 2007)

Pictures of the moron hitting his dog would help. I'd call the cops and report him. He has no business having a dog. Sorry, but education is wasted on people like that.


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## CarolinaCasey (Jun 1, 2007)

No wonder the poor puppy didn't want to get close...he knew that he'd get hit and smacked around.

Be careful when confronting/approaching someone like this, if they can hurt an animal, they sure won't have any qualms hurting you.


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## Braccarius (Sep 8, 2008)

I would give it to this guy straight. "What you're doing is teaching the dog to not come to you. He doesn't understand why he's being hit, he just knows that when he went to you, you started hitting him." A lot of people still hit their dogs and think they are providing correction in that manner. I actually had a person hit Miri under the chin pretty hard because she was "playing too rough" and made her yelp. I lost it on the guy but in truth, he simply didn't know what he was doing.


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## amazingjs89 (Dec 9, 2010)

Thanks for all the replies guys. Sorry it took me so long to get back here. I actually talked with a few other "dog lovers" who walk the park with me and Baxter. A few days ago 4 of us confronted him about it. He was pretty angry, saying it was none of our business and that he knew how to train a dog etc. etc. We were all very calm and just gave him some tips and advice. We all agreed and informed the guy that if we see anything remotely like that again we're going to report him to the authorities. It boils my blood to see someone so ignorant in possession of such a great puppy. I really hope SOMETHING someone said to him will get through.


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## C's Mom (Dec 7, 2009)

I'm so glad that you had others to back you up and talk to this guy. Hopefully he will change his ways. If he is willing to beat the dog like that in public I shudder to think what he does behind closed doors.


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## GoldensGirl (Aug 2, 2010)

Thank you for confronting the guy and for getting back to us. I'm glad you have support from others, too. I wish all abused animals had people willing to stand up for them.

Blessings!


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## Lilliam (Apr 28, 2010)

Unfortunately, this is probably only the tip of the iceberg as to what actually happens behind closed doors in that man's home. Research has shown that animal abusers are predominantly also domestic abusers. Serial killers begin by abusing, then torturing, small animals, cats, dogs, humans. He will find another place to go to continue to do what he's doing to that poor puppy, and continuing to take out his anger and frustration on anything and anyone around him.
I would suggest that Red Dog's approach would be most helpful. If he's on the radar screen of the humane society there is a history that can be escalated as needed. While the most instinctive thing to do is to confront him, I believe that getting police or the humane society involved is the most effective.

Not saying that confronting him was wrong, it's just that I think he will simply take his abusive behaviour elsewhere.


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## boomers_dawn (Sep 20, 2009)

I'm glad you spoke up and at least made an effort. Thank you.

We can't control everything everyone else does but I was going to suggest trying to talk to him as non-threateningly as possible (because you never know who you're approaching with what mental illness in public these days) and plant the seed in his head that if he punishes the dog when it comes, he's teaching it not to come. 

Thank you for at least trying. Sometimes I don't know what this world is coming to. People are nuts.


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