a friend of a friend's dane in trouble

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so about a month ago my co-worker invited me over to his house for his birthday party and of course i asked if my Bailey could come with me since i spoil him rotten and take him every where with me so i get to his house and his brother is there with his 18 month old dane Nina, i noticed immediately that she was supper skinny and what i think of as short for a Dane, so being nosy i asked what they were feeding her and how much. they couldn't tell me a measurement and didn't say what brand of food they were feeding,which i found odd i could not get a straight answer, all they would so is that she is like a vacuum and eats everything she can, which i dont believe because of how skinny she was, bailey was has at least 30 pounds on her and 4 or 5 inches, she was scared out of her mind of bailey and wouldnt play with him. so a week ago being nosy again i asked how she was doing to which my co-worker said she has some kind of growth coming out of her ear but his brother wont take her to the vet. and my co worker said its not his dog he isnt doing it either, which is really upsetting to me, poor nina, any way so i got a little more info out him about her past and apparently they got her when she was about 3 months and didnt she didnt have her shots and got parvo and recovered, which might explain her being under weight and short for an 18 month old but doesnt explain the growth in her ear.

And then to make matters worse his brother called me and asked if i would be interested in breeding, i asked if this was a joke, told him to take his dog to the vet and hung up.

so i guess the whole point of this post is, does anyone think i should make some phone calls and see if i can get the dane rescue or the ASPCA to go check her out and possibly place her in a better home because i really want to and have no clue as to how i would go about doing it if i were to do it.

[Paradis]

I would be calling someone to report this. Poor thing, if she is that skinny and has a growth in her ear and they are refusing to take her to the vet, there is something wrong. She needs more attention that they are able to provide for her. There may be a medical reason for her being that underweight but, the ASPCA would be able to assess that at their time of visit.

[ownedby3danes]

How sad . . . owning a dog is a privledge, NOT a right . . . why someone would get a dog and not take care of it is something that I just can not understand.

[Bre]

If she eats like a vaccuum and is so skinny she might have some sort of parasite I hope there is something that can be done. Sorry I'm not much help, this is so sad

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How sad . . . owning a dog is a privledge, NOT a right . . . why someone would get a dog and not take care of it is something that I just can not understand.

that is exactly how i feel, i schedule my day around bailey and what and where he can and cant go with me. we have monthly visits to the vet and endless socialization and tons of exercise. i have no idea why this loser wants to breed, when he cant even take care of his current dog, i would hate to see him with puppies and i am almost positive if he does breed the puppies wont be healthy.

Does anyone know where i can get the right numbers to call because i really want to.

if i could convince him to give her up i would take her, if she can learn to get along with my bailey

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If she eats like a vaccuum and is so skinny she might have some sort of parasite I hope there is something that can be done. Sorry I'm not much help, this is so sad

i am sure there is something wrong with her that needs attention just finding the right people to go find out is harder then i thought it would be

[ownedby3danes]

I would just start with your local animal control. I have only had to do this once, but you can put in a trouble call and say what you saw and they can make a "courtesy" visit to the home.

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ok i am trying to find there dispatch number online but i guess i can always call the non emergency police number and see if they can transfer me. it really upsets me about idiots buying a dog and not taking care of it and then having the balls to ask me if i want to breed

[Harlequin Dane]

Dealing with family/friends that don't do right by their pets can be frustrating But it also can give you a better position in which to try and help the pet in question. I would be blunt and mention your concerns for the dane's health and that if they don't seek immediate vet care that you will inform either the local animal control or police (some places it is the police who handle the animal calls). Tell them why this bothers you and why it is not fair to the dog. Offer an 'out' and see if they will release the dog to you, and at that point either turn the dane over to a responsible rescue (unless you can take it to the vet and help it).

Good luck and hoping for the best for this girl !

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its hard for me to talk to them about it cuz it makes me mad cuz i don't really know the actual owner, and my coworkers stance is its not his dog he doesn't care. i would love to take her if could convince them to give her up and if i cant provide the care she needs then i can take her to a rescue. i don't really want a black dane (i prefer merle and harl) but i want to help her but i dont think she would be well suited with my Bailey he is a typical dane puppy tons of energy when he is on and sleeps like a log when he is off, and i dont want to screw her up mentaly just to fix her phiscal condition so i think a rescue is her best bet gonna try to talk to them about it again this week if not i am calling animal control

[lene1949]

I personally would be careful about calling in the Authorities based on second/third hand information..

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well i know that a 18 month old dane should be bigger then bailey was when he was 8 months this dane i am talking about i have seen and she looks like she hasnt eaten in months plus there is no penalty for being concerned if she checks out she checks out if not then i saved a dane and that is something we can all be happy for

[RustyNail]

I think I would be a bit sneaky and avoid the "authorities" if possible. I would feign an interest in breeding "as long as the dog is healthy--you know, good heart, certifiable bone structure" and insist on a quick check by my vet at my expense. This would at least get the dog to a vet whom would no doubt pick up on the neglect and might pressure the owner in to rehabilitating, worming etc. Just a thought which might be built upon.

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that is not a bad idea rob, thanks for the thought

thanks to everyone for there input, and opinions but something has to be done

[Shamu]

well i know that a 18 month old dane should be bigger then bailey was when he was 8 months this dane i am talking about i have seen and she looks like she hasnt eaten in months

I'm not saying that everything is fine with that dog - but 18 month old female can be smaller than 8 month old male pup. Males are usually bigger. And there might be some reasons why she is so skinny, but owners might be tired of explaining it to everyone. My girl is VERY skinny now - she is going throw false pregnancy and not eating; and I'm tired of answering "how many puppies does she have", and "why she is so skinny" questions.

Again, I'm not telling that everything is fine with that dog - but the situation can be different..