Is it animal cruelty to keep a dog outside in freezing weather with only a chain, dirt yard, and a non-insulated dog house? (not mine, but my neighbors' dog)

Yes, in my opinion. However, under most jurisdiction's laws, the existence of the dog house might be enough to prevent them from being charged.

Call your local police anyway, who will refer the call to animal control/animal cruelty officers.

Call, and keep calling. Even if they cannot make an arrest, the officers may be able to persuade your neighbors to behave better just to stop the inconvenience of having officers show up every couple of days.

Also, if you can guess the breed of the dog, find out the phone number for the local rescue league for that kind of dog by using www.google.com Let them know what's happening. Maybe they can offer to adopt the dog, and maybe your neighbors will agree.

I'm not sure, but I know someone who does the same thing, it should be considered animal cruelty, because when the first winter came you could hear the dog yelping and crying because of the cold from down the street.

The Cruelty to animals Hotline increase with reports of animals left outside with no shelter. when the weather becomes cold and severe, some calls arrive too late to save an animal which is left to fend for himself in brutal conditions.
most domestic animals live indoors all year long. However, if the animal must be outside, you should proper shelter and have it in place before it becomes a life or death situation for the animal.You can be charged with animal cruelty law violations. Misdemeanor animal cruelty charges and depending on jurisdiction it can carry a sentence of up to 93 days in jail, up to a $1,000 fine, community service and loss of pet ownership for a specified amount of time.
the temperatures are just beginning to drop, there have been several cold days already that could be unbearable or life-threatening for a dog left outside,inadequate shelter frequently encountered by law enforcement include an unheated garage or shed, a dog house that is too large or lacks any or enough straw or blankets, or dogs simply tied out to a porch, fence or deck with no shelter at all.

depends on the dog...

If you have a chihuahua in winter, it may be cruel, but if you a husky, you have to have him out in these conditions.

HELL YEAH! Poor dog. Turn your neighbors in.

I would report it. Do you have a local animal protection society? Try them if the ordinances in your area don't apply. Also, contact the media. They love this kinda stuff to report. If all else fails, can you afford to give that poor dog an old blanket? Maybe the local SPCA will help out. Good luck. I just don't know what the locals are gonna be willing to do.

i consider it animal cruelty. any animal (including dogs) is a living being and deserves to be treated properly and cared for. if they can't treat their animal(s) properly, they should have the animal(s) taken away and they should be fined.

Yes, if "freezing" weather! I know a man who kept a wolf in an outdoor kennel with an uninsulated dog house the only shelter, even when -20 to -40 below zero. It died. Please call the police and report your neighbor; let the law decide.

Depending on the breed. My large dog won't come in the house even in -30 weather. He's a malamute. His dog house is insulated though because it does get very cold here. He is not on a chain but in a run. Like I said, depends on the breed and is the dog being fed and watered and excersised.

Hell yeah.... I am in the same boat. my neighbors moved in and got a puppy that dog is outside in the snow with no dog house or food and water.. I have gone over there once to tell them he's freezing and they let him in, but the last two days he's been out all day. it makes me SICK! I want to call on them but they would know it's me.. I have dogs and wouldn't want them to hurt or poisen mine when I wasnt looking.I don't know what to do?

No, not in most jurisdictions. Animal cruelty requires that you do an affirmative act of cruelty (think Michael Vick). Animal neglect is when you fail to provide your dog a necessity for life, but what is considered a necessity for an animal is very little. You must provide food and water, but you generally don't have to allow them into your house. As long as there is a place to get out of rain, you don;t even have to provide shelter. Dogs are animals designed to withstand cold weather.

There is one caveat to this. If you do an affirmative act that would limit the dogs ability to naturally stay warm, then you may be guilty of animal cruelty. For example, shaving your dogs hair and then keeping the animal outside.

But laws do vary by state. In California, it is illegal to leave a dog unattended in a vehicle, even at night, and even for a short period.

WHATS IT TELL U 4 crying out loud dob them in the dog should at least have akennel and fresh water, or if you get on with your neibours tell them

In many states, it is illegal to chain a pet for an extended period of time.

in the wild a dog would have freedom to roam and exercise, being chained up without adequate shelter is torture for an animal that would have much more in the wild.

Yes. It is very cruel

im sure you already know the answer to this one, the next thing you need to do is call on them. either call the neighborhood community leader who controls disturbances in the neighborhood (and can fine your neighbor for insuboordinance) or you can call animal control. (try calling a non emergency police number, they can give you an effective animal control number.) this is serious, and very sad. I love dogs. These neighbors of yours are buttholes. :/

My dog is in a kennel with a warm dog house with hay we keep him out unless it goes below 30 degree's... If it's colder than that yes it's cruel.

yes the humane society should be called at least to investigate

yes it is because even though they have hair all over them they can still get cold.{how would you like it if you were given only a light pair of pants and a light sweater to stay outside in for a long period of time in freezing weather.}{ do not make your neighbor do this}

That would depend on the dog, some dogs actually prefer the cold. I would think that any dog that was kept chained outside all the time is a victim of abuse. Dogs crave and need interaction, to be chained outside with no attention other than a daily feeding/watering is just cruel, in my opinion.

Yes, it is animal cruelty and I'm glad you are doing something about it. Good answers, everyone.

Never stop giving up the fight for this dog.

It is ridiculous that there are no stricter animal laws.

Even here in Australia we have animal laws that haven't been updated for over 100 years- go figure.

The most animal friendly country must be The Netherlands which even has an political animal party as the only country in the world, with seats in the parliament.

I hope other countries will follow- animals should be treated with dignity.
It is up to every one of us to keep an eye out for your local animals and speak out when we see animals being mistreated.

So good on you for asking this question, it shows that you are a caring person :))

Ever watch Animal Precinct? I do. And what those jerks are doing is definitely against the law. Call Animal control immediately. It's horrible hearing about things like this.

well technically they would have even less if they were living in the wild - more screwed - but under human ownership it should really be taken more care of

You know, I was wondering the same thing. I was just up in South Dakota where it seems that most people keep thier dogs in kennels or out doors all the time (even when the weather is in the negatives). They even had their dogs in their dog-carriers on the backs of their trucks in the sub-zero weather while driving! I was apalled that this seemed to be the norm, but apparantly it doesn't hurt them really. Then again, it would depend on the dog, its breed, how long its fur is, and whether or not it was conditioned for this sort of thing.

You should probably call your local police department, or Humane Society, and ask.

I would not call it cruelty but depending on how cold irresponsible. my inlaws dogs are indoor outdoor and have no restrictions on their behavior other than their bathroom is the yard... it is in the 20s lately and they will spend a long time just sitting in the snow. even without insulation a dog house is way warmer than sitting in snow.

Yes, it is animal cruelty to keep the dogs outside in freezing weather.

I think it's awful to chain up a dog

sounds like it to me..i would report them..how long is the dog kept outside?

YES!!!! OMG, I am such a animal lover and this almost made me cry. PLEASE REPORT THEM..

Yes, it is

Absolutely - I'd be reporting them.

yes. call the humane society in your area and report it annonymously if you must, but get the animal some help.

Seeing as it looks like you live in Indiana. I know what the winters are like, we just moved from there. And I am going to have to go with a major YES. It is extremely cruel. Not only is the temperature cold but it is probably rain, snowing, or freezing rain.

Hell yeah it is! Site that bitch up for keeping his/her pets like that!*

that would depend on if the dog is being fed and watered as needed. I doubt he'd get in much trouble. I spotted my neighbor doing the same thing and asked if I cold give the dog a blanket to lay on.

What a question, what do you think?. I think you know it is wrong or you would not be asking this question. Do what the other people are telling you to do. I don't know where you live but you can call ANIMAL RESCURE!! They will come out. Thanks to ASPCA and other programs like that, it is slowing stopping animal abuse, but they need our help. If you see abuse REPORT IT!!!!! I do!!

Depends on your definition of freezing, and what type of dog. It stays below zero where I live and Huskies can stay outside in this weather constantly. There's no problem with them being able to handle the cold. 60 is cold in Florida and even a sweater less dachshund can handle that.

some dogs don't belong indoors and do fine outdoors. it just depends on the breed of the dog. my bloodhound stays outside, but he is not on a chain but in a fenced in area of the yard with a dog box with a door and plenty of straw. the part that kills me is i am being harrassed by some tree huggin hippy weirdo.

Yes it is cruel a dog should have somewhere to shelter!

Absolutly yes it is, would your neighbour like to live outside all weathers with just a coat on???, no I don't think so.

People like that make me sick as they are not animals lovers and do not deserve to own a pet, every single animal deserves love, understanding, affection, time, food, water, shelter and a happy life as animals always give so much more than they receive which really upsets me so much.

Report him to the animals services or RSPCA as that is not right.

as a human, yes. but check into your local laws.
i would assume that the law will specifically tell at what temperature and length of exposure the dog is being treated cruelly. but, if their water is frozen solid, then you have a cruelty charge, since all dogs must have access to food and water and shelter.

damn right it is!! report them immediately! poor dog :(

Well, our neighbor has a Husky that is usually outside in almost any weather, but it doe have some sort of shelter. It isn't really seeming to be phased by it much at all. They also have a part-wolf part husky out there.

Yes it is VERY CRUEL to keep a dog in that condition no matter what the weather. Call the police and have done with it. Why get a dog and treat it like a lawn ornament. Your neighbor deserves every negative thing coming to them.

Yes it is animal cruelty and the owner shud be put into that poor animal's place so he knows how it feels!

Yes. If that happened where I live (Minnesota) I would talk to my neighbor about it once, and the second time I would call the Animal Protection people. Depending on how cold it gets, it is inhumane to expect a dog to stay warm while chained up in the elements. People like that should not have a dog. I pity the dog and his neighbors, because the dog probably barks a lot out of frustration.

Yes

No, that is why dogs have fur, to protect them from the cold.

I'm not sure. You should get that checked out. The dog might be starving

depends on the breed of dog.