I came home from work yesterday morning (I work nights) just to have an ASPCA investigator show up at my door. Apparantly someone (and they won't tell me who) filed an online complaint that my animals had no food, water, shelter, etc. The investigator toured my home and yard, took pictures and wrote notes, shook my hand and left. I called the ASPCA shortly afterward and found that he had no problem with my animals or set up and had closed the file. Should I be concerned or do I just mentally thank the complainer that I now have the ASPCA stamp of approval?
That seriously had to be one of my more embarassing and frustrating moments of my recent life as my neighbors saw his truck in my driveway and an investigator going through everything taking pictures. I am one of those people that generally keep to myself. I am only on a nodding acquatance (sp?) with any of my close neighbors after 2 years of living here. I feel violated somehow.
Any opinions on what I should/should not do at this point? I certainly don't want a repeat of this ever again.
TIA
-Lisa

same crap happened to me, for what ever reason they don't like your dogs, ie too big too scary for them

Thank you, I feel a bit better knowing I'm not the only one. Your dog is beautiful, btw, nice smile lol

Any chance the dogs are barking a lot when you aren't there? I'm assuming that they are outside during the day?

Neighbors are cowards.

I had this happen to me as well. It was quite the shock as my complaints were the same as yours. The officer came into my house and after seeing my dogs just laughed and said do I have any idea of who would make a faulty complaint. It turns out the complaint was made by a neighbor which whom I wouldn't let thempet my dogs on one occassion. I was having a social gathering and keeping the dogs out would have been too stressful. How I found that out you might be thinking. A few weeks later at another social gathering, they had a little too much to drink and then began to apologize profusely for putting me through that.

It is absolutely silly the reason these calls are made, but true to their word, Animal Control must investigate all filed complaints no matter if they do or don't believe it. However, the time it takes for them to follow up is always different. Where I am located now, animal control is non-existent and it can take months for them to follow up on a complaint. When my complaints were filed, I lived in a different county that followed up the next day. They were even nice enough to set up an appointment time as to not inconvenience me.

-Lamarr

 Quote: Betty Waldron

Neighbors are cowards.

Well, this is just a broad, sweeping statement!

I, for one, am a neighbor and am FAR from a coward. I know a lot of neighbors who are not cowards.:laugh:

Our neighbor used to call regularly when we let my childhood dog out for the day. She was a quiet very tough long coated terrier who was outside all day in most weather (let in at night). She always had water, food, access to the inside of the house (doggy door). The SPCA came out once, I handed them a can of peanut butter and a bag of treats and told them to get my dog inside. She darted around and played with them for a full hour before the gave up.

When my parents got their portuguese water dog the same neighbor would call about the "starving" dog in our yard. ISIS is perfectly healthy but VERY lightly built for her breed, she's shaped like a gazelle. This neighbor's dog is a 55lb beagle....no, that was not a typo.


From what I understand provided that there was no reason the call was made it really shouldn't matter. if anything be glad your SPCA actually responds to calls. The one where I live now seldom do (and they really do have reasons to come out to them....there was a farm down the road with walking skeletons that vaguely resembled horses...few weeks ago they were dumped at an auction and were picked up by a rescue. The farm hasn't gotten any more horses thank god since the spca wouldn't do a damn thing.

 Quote: Jamie Craig

if anything be glad your SPCA actually responds to calls.

It's hard when it's you embarrassed and unjustly accused, but I have to say that this is (IMO) a great way to look at it.

Also, even though this may be hardest of all, if you could view the complainer as someone who actually cared about the dogs and made a mistake, that might be a weight off.

Think of how many times the complaint is more than justified (like the skeletal horses) and how we hope and expect that AC will help the helpless animal(s).

 Quote: Connie Sutherland

Also, even though this may be hardest of all, if you could view the complainer as someone who actually cared about the dogs and made a mistake, that might be a weight off.

That's a very charitable way of viewing it.

(and of course, you are right; I guess you have to assume that the call was made by someone who was genuinely concerned about the welfare of the dog)