Ok, I just need to vent this so here goes:

I have lived in my neighborhood almost 20 yrs with no trouble.
My yard is totally fenced in so that my dogs may enjoy their yard and play without worry.

Recently, new people moved in one street over and their house backs up to mine through the woods.
They have aquired a JRT over the holidays. Kids are allowed to walk the dog unsupervised.
Friday, I hear my dogs barking, I look out, the kid has the JRT on one of those !?#! retractable leashes, and the dog is all the way down my driveway while my dogs are going crazy at the gate. I told him to get that dog off my property immediately. He left.
When I told my daughter she informed me she had seen one of the kids dangling the dog from the neck on the leash.
I was looking off my deck Saturday and see the little jerk let the dog out to the end of the leash and then jerk it as hard as he could, pulling the little dog right off his feet.
They now are walking slowwwwly by my house with him, taunting my dogs.
The next time they walk by, I am going to follow them home and have a "chat" with mom and dad.
The dog lover in me would like to educate the little turds, but the mother in me would like to drive my foot up his , well you all get the picture.
Hmmmm, anyone want a JRT? Just in case he escapes. I'm going to let my local ACO in on the situation but since we have no proof of what we saw it will be just heresay, so we know how far that will go.

Keep the cell phone camera handy and you'll have proof

 Quote: Mara Jessup

Keep the cell phone camera handy and you'll have proof

Mara wins!

If it is bad, and happens as often as it sounds, video should be no problem at all.:smile:

Good luck!

These incidents happen so quickly, it is difficult getting a picture of the moment. The parent's do not look approachable, rather scary, but I am willing to give it a try. They had another dog a few months ago, a lab mix, that disappeared.

He kinda looks like your guy, Mike, only rough coated.Sure you don't want another one?

When I was documenting something like this last year, I very quickly learned to pick up the camera on my way to the window or door to respond to any noise/disturbance. It became rote. You'll see. Do it two/three times and your brain will make it automatic.


eta
WIth dates and times and a log (for your comments)

Edited by Connie Sutherland (03/14/2011 02:17 PM)
Edit reason: eta

Thanks Connie, I will try and do that!
I do have a pretty clear view of their yard at this time. This is a pup, so it is rather disturbing to see. I keep wondering what happened to the other dog.

Jeez...how bizarre...how old are these kids Ellen? I shouldn't even be shocked by anything anymore...but this kind of intentional maltreatment from little kids?

I caught a neighborhood kid doing that exact thing. I went and told on him as soon as I caught him.

The way I phrased it to the mom was "Your kid is teasing my German shepherd. If he doesn't cut it out she might go through the window after him."

The kid never did it again.

Kids can be cruel. My cousin and I used to sprinkle salt on slugs to watch them curl up. We thought it was amazing fun. I don't know what the slugs thought about it, I'm sure it wasn't great.

I had a neighbour kids teasing Jethro on the porch. I talked to the kid and told him to stop, he was upsetting my dog. Then I talked to his parents, with the kid there, and asked them to make sure the kid understood how important it was not to upset the dog. The father was a little belligerent, but I held my dog, and continued to ask that they ensure their child was not upsetting my dog. And then I left. The kid hasn't been back upsetting the dog, and they walk past my house almost everyday.

Talk to the kid, and talk to the parents. Take videos of animal cruelty, and tell the kid it is very cruel to do that to the puppy. Tell the parents what you have seen, and tell them you are going to document what you can, if the behaviour continues. It is very upsetting to see a defenseless animal treated this way.

Hilaire,

These kids look to be about 8 and 10, and it was the older one I saw yank the dog.
I am waiting for the next time they come by and then I will follow them home to try and talk to parents, but I'm not expecting any miracles.

My husband is going to replace our regular gate with a stockade one which is a little higher, as Texas looks fully capable of jumping over this particular gate if he really wanted to. Thankfully he stays pretty much by Moe's side, and Moe isn't about to jump over anything unless it's a food dish.

I do know of someone who works at one of our local shelters and I am going to let her know of the situation.
It's been kind of crappy weatherwise here, so they haven't been out since the weekend but I have my camera right next to my slider, so we'll just have to see what happens.