#awful

Omw home from work, jump off the bus a block away from my house. Walk to the corner, suddenly, there’s a little bulldog ish/pit bull dog. It’s covered in mange and scabs, skinny. It has its balls still on. It has a collar. I didn’t get a pic (STUPID!) it’s sniffing around and trying to eat garbage. It’s not friendly and doesn’t respond to my sweet talk, it notices I’m talking but no reaction.

I’m like - someone’s neglecting this dog. I don’t touch it because I’m pretty sure it will snap, but I walk with him as he walks into traffic across the road several times. I’m trying to look up numbers to call (the police? Animal welfare? The fire dept?) someone notices I’m with this dog and they’re like “ya what’s going on? Need help?” This lady stops and tries to help. Anyway too much detail. The dog does snap at someone trying to pet it. The owner comes out and pulls the dog back, sketchy yard, lots of trees, chain link fence behind yard. The ‘owner’ leaves with a bike, and looks sallow pale, obvious drug use scab marks on their face. Tbh I am very sympathetic/empathetic to drug addicts usually, but I was like. Dude. “Is that your dog?” “Yeah” “That doesn’t look good. Somethings not right, that’s not okay.” Verbatim what I said without trying to get in a fight. They gave me a dirty look and walked away.

I called to report them and gave them my contact, I’m gonna call some other places. My gut says BADBADBADBAD….

I pass this fucking place almost every day, I don’t mind sketchy people but neglect is abuse is NOT OKAY!!!! EVIL!!!! We just had a dog boarder (puppy mill) who was found with like 15+ dead dogs from neglect (ABUSE). NO ONE ON THE FUCKING STREET DID ANYTHING. I’m upset about it. I can’t believe it - they need to save this dog . Thank God I was there. It’s just occurring to me now, what if there’s more dogs? What if they’re breeding this dog?

Everyone looks at me like I’m crazy or dumb for doing something, being upset, being kind! What the fuck! What the fuck is wrong with you! You think I’m weak for being kind but then Do NOTHINGGGGGGGG DO NOTHING but watch when somethings wrong! Bystanders! I’m fucking judging you! I’ve had it with this shit! Sorry

****Edit no one did anything before I was there. Then when I stood around the dog they were like “oh yeah, that’s weird! Someone should do something about it!” Except for that one lady

With babies or dogs (most animals) that have been abused and suffer intense trauma and/or neglect, a symptom is non-reactivity and hostility. A baby will not cry, not react, to either positive or negative or unfamiliar input the way a baby is supposed to. For ex an abused baby might not respond to loud noises or a stranger picking them up. They might not respond at all if you hand them a toy or treat. They will simply not respond. My point is, animals are similar and different.

A cared for animal might recognize if someone talks to them nicely, a lost pet dog will wag their tail and move to sniff you, whereas a feral/abandoned dog will not, might run away. An abused/neglected dog (animal for that fact) will respond with certain body languages. It wasn’t scared of me but its tail stayed slump and had a flat affect. Like saying “I’m not scared of you and I don’t care, I just want to walk around”. I don’t believe the dog snapped (not actually bite just a warning snap with no growl) because it was angry, I believe it was startled and in pain. I think this is a sign that it knows it will be punished for making noise, and it obviously doesn’t trust people. And I think it didn’t want them to touch it because it hurts and it doesn’t want to be touched, so it says “don’t do that!” In its doggy way.