I admit to being a busybody.

For example:
When I lived in New Zealand I was driving and saw two guys with what looked like bundles of clothing come out of a gate, jump into a car and drive off quickly (in the opposite direction from me).
It just 'didn't look right' so I turned my little Citroen around followed their large GM and got the number.
I stopped at a ships chandlers and called it in as a possible burglary.
As luck would have it the police had a car nearby, caught the guys, with what turned-out to be bundles of dyed sheepskins, taken from the garage of the New Zealand Institute for The Blind <img src="http://www.leerburg.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/ooo.gif" alt="" />

So, I'm a busybody <img src="http://www.leerburg.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/blush.gif" alt="" />

My point is that it takes suspicious and 'concerned citizens' to help the LEOs do their jobs... they cannot be everywhere.
But sometimes we/they get it wrong....

Let's not be too quick to condemn, if we are 'wrongly accused'....

Um reporting a burglary and telling me my dog can fall out of my locked car and hang herself are not exactly the same and should not be compared. A busy body is just that, and a citizen reporting a crime is commendable.

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Um reporting a burglary and telling me my dog can fall out of my locked car and hang herself are not exactly the same and should not be compared. A busy body is just that, and a citizen reporting a crime is commendable.

It's a muuuuch finer line than that to me. But I keep thinking about how much I want the busy-bodies to intervene when a dog really IS being abused. If they are over-zealous or make a mistake --- well, that'll happen. I still want them to exist, along with the whistle-blowers who witness a burglary or see a child being mistreated and report it.

I think I'm just not explaining well, and sound like a Pollyanna. I'm not; I just prefer that people DO care about animals and children and weaker people and that they DO keep their eye out. They can't possibly always be absolutely correct.

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Um reporting a burglary and telling me my dog can fall out of my locked car and hang herself are not exactly the same and should not be compared. A busy body is just that, and a citizen reporting a crime is commendable.

It's a muuuuch finer line than that to me. But I keep thinking about how much I want the busy-bodies to intervene when a dog really IS being abused. If they are over-zealous or make a mistake --- well, that'll happen. I still want them to exist, along with the whistle-blowers who witness a burglary or see a child being mistreated and report it.

I think I'm just not explaining well, and sound like a Pollyanna. I'm not; I just prefer that people DO care about animals and children and weaker people and that they DO keep their eye out. They can't possibly always be absolutely correct.

Have to say I agree with Connie....if you aren't doing anything wrong you don't have anything to worry about. We all know that you can't please everybody all the time. Most folks that have negative things to say about using anything other than a flat collar on a dog has never owned one that required anything more. In other words they are ignorant of all the facts. Just ignore them and go on about your business.

Debbie

Thanks, Connie.

The point I was making was that I didn't know a crime had been committed, and those two guys might have been quite innocent, and probably quite peed-off at being stopped by the police <img src="http://www.leerburg.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

If you suspect that a dog or child is being abused, it is better, surely, as others have said, to risk being wrong (and possibly verbally abused yourself) than to adopt the all-too-common attitude of "I don't want to get involved".

I believe I have a degree of duty to help protect those who can't fend or speak for themselves, although I'm no saint and have had, on occasions, to think of my own safety and that of my family, too.
I certainly would not tackle an armed bank robber.... it's only money <img src="http://www.leerburg.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />
That's a decision each individual must make.

I have also been wrongly accused of a crime, and it wasn't much fun spending 2 hours in a police cell, but I did not blame the person who reported what she thought she saw.

I think it's OK to just thank someone for their concern and not take it all too personally.

Well,

I had a visit from Animal Conrol on Sunday. Man that &*(&*( has got me pissed off.

She reported me and offered to testify against me (for something that she didn't see -which also did not happen - and that her boyfirend claimed he thought he saw).

Anyhow, they were pretty t ough at first telling me that it is a felony and if they get another complaint they will arrest me for a Felony - my god this has gotten out of hand. I never should have given her my address, but I did nothing wrong and was confident in the fact that I did nothing wrong.

They calmed down a bit after I told them my side of the story, and then they asked to see my dog and they could see that he is a happy healthy dog. I demonstrated his obedience routine for his BH and they ended up living impressed and told me that next time I should call them directly or call the police if she harasses me.

Either way, it was really horrible having to defend myself and of course all the neighbors came out and were watching like I'm some evil person. All this for something I didn't do - really gets you angry.

SHe must have had a connection with animal control because I have called them 3 times about my neighbors agressive dogs that get loose and have attacked other dogs and killed 3 neighborhood cats. Not once did they show up.

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I never should have given her my address, but I did nothing wrong and was confident in the fact that I did nothing wrong.

Matt,

I would venture a guess that every last one of us reading this thread has had a lousy experience where we have learned that being right, sometimes, doesn't count for much. Lesson learned.

And maybe this will bring a smile to you...some of the othe posters mentioned your choice to swear/cus/curse whatever. Well Mark Twain says, "When angry, count four, when very angry, swear"! <img src="http://www.leerburg.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

Matt,
I think that in the end that you showed the AC folks that you were not being abusive or hurting your dog. That is the main thing that comes across here. YES I know what a pain in the rear to have to defend your actions for doing what you feel is right for your dog. So I would feel good about that part. Here is something I always tell my wife " It is not who is right it is what is right" You are doing the right things by your dog and that is what really matters at the end of the day. So hang in there!!!
I know my day is coming as well after all I do train with an E-Collar and a prong collar and many folks see me as mid-evil..
At least our dogs are not going to winde up at a shelter some where down the road because we do not know how to control and handle them, so when others are dropping thier off we will just still be hanging with ours with that all knowing smile on our face. Now that is priceless!!!!

Thanks for all the support. That Mark Twain quote did put a smile on my face.

Anyhow, he is going for his BH in 2 weeks - so I need to focus on that. Not sure he is gonna pass - the trainer and club director thinks he is ready - but I still think he needs more polishing. We'll see!!!!!