Need non doodle DOG advice please ASAP UPDATED WITH PICTURES!!!!

[Jennifer and Jack]

So I have a neighbor, right next door that has a small mixed breed dog of some type, He weighs about 15 pounds, He is an outside dog only.... He does not have shelter during the day and at night they put him in a crate in a screened in porch with a towel over it,

I have tried many times to get them to give me the dog so I could find a home for him, they don't really do much with him, when their child is at their house sometimes once in a while she plays with him.

Well I am now watching their dog and their bunny both outside which it is very cold for SC here.. As you guys know I am not flowing in the money to say the least but I returned a bunch of things to the store today that I didn't have to have and I bought their dog a doggie igloo home, it has a tunnel and then a round circle in it to protect him from the elements..

Here is the issue.... He is so skittish he won't come near me... I sat in the cold for an hour. he would smell my hands then run away. I took his gross bed that was in his crate and put it in the igloo alone with some towels, it has a bottom to it so it won't get wet and I tried to get him to go in there.

I put the igloo right where he always tries to hide which is behind their child's kitchen set.... anyway He wouldn't go in it while I was there, or come near me. so I made sure he had food, found some blankets for the bunny crate and covered it and left

I just went back to check on it, the little guy has pulled his bed and towels out of the igloo home.. There was a toy I see he put in there but he was not in there. His belly is wet from sitting in water today and it is cold out.

when I told the owners, who are my friends who are at the hospital having a baby that Jack bought their dog a home, the guy was like "why the he%% did you do that, now he is going to be a dumb a %% and chew the towels up and make a mess.

Anyway.....now I don't know what to do, did me trying to be nice to this dog cause more trouble at least in the crate he was locked in and it was covered with a towel, it is a very small crate but now I am afraid with his wet belly and not going in there, though I Know he was in there at least a bit because a toy is in there that he is now going to be stuck outside all night.

I don't know what to do, I tried to ask the owners but they don't care about him, they said just leave him.. I will go over early to make sure he didn't make any mess or anything for which he will be hit for... but do you think I should go try to catch him and stuff him in the crate or do you think he will get used to the idea that it is his home and he can have his own safe, warmer dry place? 

I am so upset.. I so didn't have the money to do this but I can't let my dog outside to potty without hearing him and knowing it is freezing., it has broken my heart for a while... 

What do you think, should I go put him back in his crate or what?

[Anne & Mr. Haley]

Jennifer, I DO see your point.  Your are doing the best you can with what you have to deal with.  You are doing the right thing.

[Jennett Pulley]

Oh my goodness!  I think you are completely misconstruing what I am saying!  I am in no way trying to make you feel bad and I commend you for caring so much.  My heated words are completely in reaction to your situation, your defense and of course, the defense of the dog.  Perhaps I misunderstood the severity of the situation.

I will gracefully back out of this conversation and offer you my sincerest apologies for offering my opinion based on what I read here. 

[Jennifer and Jack]

Oh I just saw this....I didn't mean to offend you ..I was just trying to explain that I agree the dog is more important then the relationship but the way to the dog is through the relationship... I didn't mean to come across rude.

[Jennifer and Jack]

Update!  I went back a few times last night to make sure the bunny was okay and he was. My other neighbor is going to build them a real bunny cage where the bunny can dig in with some chips and hay and get warm...

Anyway, the puppy has found his way into the igloo.. and he now has a shelter from the elements and a warm dry place to be. It is ideal no? Not every owner is going to let their dog sleep in bed with them. Not ever dog owner is going to do what we think is right, but calling the authorities will do nothing, especially now, he has food, a fenced in yard, and now a very appropriate shelter.

No, these people are not my "friends per se" but again, if I was to say anything more then I did and believe me I said a lot, I offered a lot, and told them a lot, many, many times, They will not keep him forever trust me. these kind of people don't but I want to be darn sure I am the first one they call when they are ready to get rid of him. They got him for free of Craigs list... they would probably sell him on there or something.

I feel a lot better that he has the shelter, my distress came from not knowing if I should have just crated him until he learned more about his igloo, I didn't want to make it worse.

I have thought of steeling him, of just taking him to a great shelter that I know of... first of all that is steeling.... that is a criminal offense, and I am a nurse who prays to God I can go back to work some day and I am not allowed to have criminal offenses on my license if I intend to work.... though don't get me wrong, if he was being physically abused He would not be there I would call the police faster then you could blink.

The laws in SC are very lax when it comes to animals... Most dogs here live outside. and live in bad conditions.

SO anyway. Buster Boy.. is in his safe home, I just went back to check on him and the guy is home from the hospital .. he brought the crate that I brought out from the screened in porch inside and uncovered the bunny. Buster has food, water and shelter.

My neighbor is a very tough guy,  appealing to him emotionally would get me no where, insulting him by telling him he is not taking care of his dog will cut off all means of communication. I have always had to walk on egg shells and make it seem like I know how much he loves the dog and this is what I do with Jack kind of thing.

I did the best I could, I at least know the puppy has a clean dry home, he is being fed and I will wait it out until they decide to give him away, then I will bring him to a shelter that I know is a great organization.

The treats in the igloo must have worked because they are gone......

Thank you for your help. It just overwhelms me because our fury kids have so much and right next to me has nothing, from now on, we will be sharing what we get for Jack with them.

 I actually got a picture of him in his igloo on my phone and if I can figure out how to post it, on here I will. to show you how stinking cute he is

Sometimes it isn't a matter of proving you are right, sometimes it is eating crap pie to do what you can to save a poor innocent animal

[Cheryl and Finnegan]

After reading through this discussion I'd say Jennifer, you've done all you can...and that is enormous!  Bless you for caring and sharing what you have with this little guy who has nothing.  I hope that they'll get tired of him very soon and give him to you so that you can find him people who will love him & he can experience a real home. In the meantime, I so respect you for being his angel :)

[Jennifer and Jack]

you know Cheryl for me, the thing is, especially in light of the tragic events of yesterday. I will try my hardest to combat every random act of terror with random acts of kindness, I wish I could so more, there is many a dogs in my neighborhood that need proper care..... 

I don't think it is being an angel I think it is selfish partly because I feel so good for helping him.. I also think it is our human being responsibility to do what we can even if we are not obligated to even if it is someone else's responsibility, when it comes to a helpless being, none of that matters... wrong or right on the other persons part, I will always bite my tongue and do for the good of the underdog!

[Cheryl and Finnegan]

:-)  Amen.

[Lisa, Daisy & Dexter]

Halleluiah an Amen! I knew you were doing all that you could do and guess what, it paid off!

This is how you send your photo to DK.

It's kind of a pain but it works. After you send it (and your cell says your message has been sent) your photo will appear on the front page middle where the latest remarks are posted.

I Love you for being who you are...today that is Buster Boys ANGEL!

1). got to your page

2). go to your photos

3) go to add

down under where you typically start loading there is direction on how to send from your phone, it reads:

Add Photos by Phone or Email

Send photos to:

and there is a special number just for you.

[Jennifer and Jack]

I did it!!! YAY

[Bonnie and Kona]

Congratulations, Jennifer. You are such a kind soul. Thank you for caring so much and for improving this little guy's life. 

[F, Calla & Luca]

Good news!

[Jennett Pulley]

That's wonderful news.