Be sure that an elderly person wants a dog before giving them one.
My oldest daughter and I went for coffee together earlier this evening. She was telling me about her elderly neighbor that lives alone. The neighbor’s nephew brought a dog to his house thinking the dog would be a good companion. It turned out to be a disaster.
My daughter doesn’t know what to do. The dog keeps getting out of the yard. She thought the latch was broken on the fence, but she saw the old man letting him out. Clearly. he doesn’t want the animal. The poor dog looks malnourished and overheated. We have very warm days here in the south.
He is a pit bull and she doesn’t know his temperament. She is thinking about calling ASPCA to report it but the old man isn’t very kind and she doesn’t know how he will react. He drinks a lot.
I hate that some animals end up being mistreated or neglected. I wasn’t sure what to tell my daughter. I don’t want my daughter to be attacked by this dog if he is mean.
My daughter has a dog and she decided to place some of her dog food on the neighbor’s porch. The dog ran up on the porch and gobbled up the food. The owner put the dog back in the yard a little while later but she is concerned that he is going to let the dog run free again. She lives on a very busy street and he could be hit by a car.
It wasn’t very smart for the nephew to drop a dog off at his uncle’s house. They can bring a lot of joy to others but they can also be a burden on someone who isn’t interested in owning a dog.
Don’t see a category for this. Since the old man is living alone I put it under living independently.
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Poor poor little pibble. No such thing as a bad dog, only bad owners. I hope they'll find him a forever home.
I want to add that sometimes even when someone wants a pet they don't have the ability to look after one.
It’s awkward because the old man is quite contrary. His nephew is a bit of a jerk. My daughter says that they are always squabbling over the old man drinking. My daughter has kept her distance from them but felt awful after seeing the dog being mistreated. She hates that the old man is mean to the dog and feels that it’s natural for the dog to defend himself but certainly doesn’t want to see the old man getting hurt. Maybe he has some mental health issues. Who knows? Maybe the nephew had good intentions giving his uncle a dog, but not everyone is up for the responsibility of being a pet owner.
My daughter that lives here in New Orleans and next door to this elderly man has a small dog that thinks he is big! Hahaha. My other daughter in Colorado went from a little poodle to the Siberian husky that I have as my profile picture. I have had small and large dogs. Our family has always been huge animal lovers.
Animals bring us so much love and all they want is to be shown love in return.
It doesn't sound like they were great neighbors BEFORE the dog.
Quickly call Animal Control or ASPCA --a life is at stake.
Give your name. They know how to handle these kind of situations.
Having said that, I do realize that pit bulls are strong dogs that can hurt others if they aren’t trained properly. We do have leash laws in New Orleans. Dogs are not allowed to be off leash and freely run the streets. We have dog parks where people can let dogs play and run.
I took my greyhound to the dog park often. Most people were responsible and watched their dogs. Occasionally, there would be scuffles between dogs because people wouldn’t keep a close enough eye on their pooch. I have heard of lawsuits if a dog is hurt and the owner is ordered to pay vet bills for the injured dog. Socialization is important, but the owners of dogs are supposed to monitor their dogs while visiting the park. It’s risky for people to get in the middle of a dog fight.
Dog’s personalities are so interesting. My schnauzer thought she was the boss of all other dogs! When I picked her up from being groomed, the groomer said that she barked at all the other dogs! She was affectionate and sweet. I loved her dearly but she was stubborn. I did obedience training to learn how to control her behavior. She lived to be 13. Then I rescued a greyhound. Oh my gosh, it was love at first sight for us! He was so sweet. I adored that dog. He also lived to be 13. I had a Boston terrier as a kid. They are incredibly sweet!
I do feel like someone will love my daughter’s neighbor’s dog. They do have to understand this breed. I feel some people don’t do enough research to select the proper dog. People have distinct personalities. Dogs have distinct temperaments. The person and the dog have to gel to have a harmonious relationship. Selecting the right breed for the person who will own the dog is crucial. I don’t know if a pit bull is a good pick for an elderly man who drinks! My daughter feels sorry for the old man but says he isn’t the best neighbor. We have all had great neighbors and a few that weren’t so great.
I used to volunteer with a greyhound association. We did ‘meet and greets’ so people could become familiar with the breed. Several people asked me if a grey would make a great jogging companion. I had to tell them no. Greys sprint but aren’t long distance runners.
I think when it comes to breeds whose bloodlines have been kept true centuries of breeding for certain characteristics can be impossible to overcome and it takes much more dedication than most pet owners possess to mange them. It's one thing when sight hounds gotta chase or herding dogs gotta herd, but IMO dogs that have been bred to fight or guard can be dangerous if their essential nature is ignored.
You make a valid point. I do know that some apartment buildings will not allow certain breeds to reside there, or even dogs over a certain weight limit. You know what’s funny though, little dogs can be very feisty and mailmen complain about them more often than big dogs. My friend refers to them as ankle biters 🤣.
I agree that different breeds do have distinct temperaments. Training is crucial. Being with the correct owner is especially important.
I have never understood why people want snakes as pets. My brother had one as a kid. It escaped. My mom told the woman that lived next door to us and she freaked out! She said that she wasn’t going to be able to sleep knowing that his snake had escaped.
I just heard that a snake escaped in a mall in Baton Rouge, LA. Mall of Louisiana. I have gone to that mall. My daughter attended Louisiana State university in Baton Rouge. Anyway, they had to shut down the mall, so they could find the 12 foot long snake!
My mom hated my hamsters. I thought they were cute. She referred to them as ‘little rats!’ LOL, One time, one of them got out. He was lost for three days. I heard my mom screaming one morning while getting dressed for Mass. Hahaha, Charlie was hanging out inside of her shoe! I was so happy to see him.
Villalobos rescue is a large pitbull specific rescue in New Orleans, if that's where your daughter is located.
If it's not too late, she could call them and they will send out a team to assess the situation. If they feel like the dog is being mistreated they will work with animal control to get the dog turned over to them. I beleive they also cover some of the areas near NO.
Here's the link:
https://vrcpitbull.com
Thanks so much! I am going to forward this information to my daughter.
I know that there are many dogs (all breeds and mixed breeds) that are neglected and abused. I hate the fact that pit bulls have been used for fighting. It’s awful.