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?

[Amy, Cubbie & Ollie]

Just a question, but why are you friends with these people?  I don't know that I could be nice to people who are so crappy to an innocent animal.

[Jennifer and Jack]

I very seldom burn bridges and what good would it do the dog if I was not friends with them? Then I would have no way to help, to educate or to give a different perspective. They are very nice to me. They are my neighbors ,me are not BFF but I believe in being kind and drawing out the good in people,


If I wasn't their friend , poor baby dog would be out in the cold alone with no one.

[Laurie, Fudge, and Vern]

Jennifer, I would have a heart to heart again with these people and tell them you cannot sleep worrying about this poor dog and what can you do to make it better. Go for the sympathy button and really lay it on thick and ask them to give up this dog for your mental health. If that doesn't work, I have no other suggestions other than calling and reporting them.

[Lisa, Daisy & Dexter]

This is a great plan Laurie, is that how you got the idiots next door to comply?

[Laurie, Fudge, and Vern]

Lisa, I did go down there and tried to be nice. It was hard because I didn't feel nice, but I knew if I yelled or something it would not help. I took blankets down and a dog bed to give them and the lady said that outside dogs should not have bedding in their houses, just straw, and she would have her husband put more in his house. I then mentioned the house sits in the mud and it is very wet and could they possibly move him up to higher ground. The next day they did. I hope to keep a running dialogue going with them, not because I like them, but to try and continue to help those dogs. The law says it is ok to treat a dog this way. I think differently, but if I alienate them, there is no hope.

[Jennifer and Jack]

That is how I feel Laurie...I also talked to my vet about what was best bedding and they said no blankets either because if they get wet it makes it worse for them. She said straw because it doesn't freeze, it dries quick and they can bury themselves in it. I was told cedar chips were okay for big dogs but Buster is too little and it could cause respitory problems.......I was told wood chips ...I can't imagine wood chips....

My dog has a bed in every room, sleeps in my arms at night...it kills me...In my opinion Laurie you are doing the best by those dogs by keeping the lines of communication open.


Xo

[Lisa, Daisy & Dexter]

Amy, maybe friends is the wrong word, she clearly doesn't like them. I think she is right, keep your enemy's close. How horrible is she could do NOTHING but watch that little guy suffer. And as she said, really they provide the basics according to the law and turning them in will probably do nothing but make matters worse.

I am praying he makes his way into the dog house.

Jennifer your heart is big!

[Amy, Cubbie & Ollie]

I wasn't trying to say she wrong for speaking to these fools people, I was just saying that I don't think I could treat them nicely...the dog yes...the people, no.  I give her credit for trying with them.

[Jennett Pulley]

First, these people sound like selfish jack@sses and it scares me that they are still breeding human beings. 

At this point, it sounds as if you are so distraught about the situation that you really should be past the point of worry about burning bridges.  That pup's health and safety is much more important than a surface relationship with a couple of goons.  With a new baby at home, they are going to have even less time and patience to deal with a dog that sounds as if it has been severely abused.

It seems to me that you have three options remaining as you have already tried the talking/begging/pleading route.

1) You can beg them one more time to allow YOU to keep the dog and care for it so that their 5 year old can visit it when she is with them.

2) You can call the authorities with all that you have said here documented.  I would take pictures of the yard so they can see the conditions the dog is living in.  Personally, I would only do this if I lived in a no kill shelter area.

3) Take the dog and give it to a rescue.  Seriously.  Take the dog out of the yard while they are away.  It sounds to me that they would be very relieved if the dog went missing as they do not care for it anyways.  If you must, leave a gate open or pull out a fence post to make it look like the dog escaped.  I wouldn't, though.  I would simply cart the pup (and the rabbit!) away (most Petsmarts and Petcos will take the bunny for adoption) and go about my business.  If they approached me, I would tell them that it's a terrible shame that their animals are missing and if you hear anything, you will let them know.  I highly doubt they will out any effort into finding the animals.

Good luck to you!

[Lisa, Daisy & Dexter]

Hi Jennette..Jen cannot take the dog and keep him, she is allergic. The other thing, these are her direct next door neighbors. It would be more awful to alienate then she would have not one chance in he_ _ to save this poor guy. The authorities will do NOTHING, she can only try and do what she is doing. The dog has shelter, food and water that is all the authorities care about. Stealing the dog was my first thought as well but then that is something I would do only if it was not my direct neighbor.

In a perfect world she could just walk over, speak to the guy and he would change. Unfortunately this is not a perfect world.

[Jennett Pulley]

It sounds like she doesn't have a chance to save him anyways, so at this point, it's either be extreme or stop looking.  There is no easy solution and it's my *opinion* that the dog is more important than the relationship. 

Again, with a new baby, that dog is going to suffer more as they don't give two shakes about it now.  I remember the sleep deprivation, the constant stream of visitors, the stress of the crying and the new routine.  The first one to be neglected is the dog and as he already it, I see a catastrophe.

[Jennifer and Jack]

you are missing the point... of course the dog is more important ... I am not a heartless jerk... sometimes you have to do what you have to do to help the dog, what good would it do me to break all ties with them and have no way to get to the dog, now I can bring Jack there to play, I am allowed in their back yard without them being home when I want... and i can and do bring the dog food, treats and other things.. 

 You have to think things through..... maintaining a relationship is the ONLY way I am going to be able to do anything for this dog.... Flying off the handle, reporting them when now they are not breaking any laws is going to do NOTHING.... being kind to them give me my foot in the door to help the dog,

Yes she is going to be tired after having a baby but I can walk five feet to their gate and bring that dog anything I want at anytime....  They do feed him and give him water.

I will not be made to feel like I am doing something wrong... We all have our ways of dealing with people in the world, me being a jack ass right back to them may feel good but it will get that poor dog no where