She should be in jail. That type of behavior causes more problems than it will ever solve for the poor dogs involved. Did she stop and call the police? No. Did she call animal control or a humane society? No. So what charges can the police file? None. They have no evidence! No grounds to charge the owners with abuse because they weren't allowed to investigate.

I agree strongly that dogs should not be left in yards on chains or unsupervised. But the fact that the dog is 19 years old says something about the care it's received. Why did she believe the neighbor and NOT try to contact the owners? The neighbor could have some other grudge against these people.

Don't misunderstand, I appreciate that she is passionate about this issue, but she's misguided if she thinks that stealing a dog will solve it's problems, or the more general problem of dogs tied in yards. The correct action is a call to animal control. And she has no proof that the neighbor did make those calls, so she should have called them herself before taking it in her own hands to muddle up.

I am gglad this was brought up. I think these people who think they are rescuing dogs just because they are tied up in a front yard are woefully misguided. If there is a valid issue, the owner should be confronted BY THE AUTHOR-ITIES not go off half cocked, assume the worst and abduct someones beloved pet...what if the pet was just bathed, and left out in the yard to dry, my dog loves to sit in the sun and soak up the rays (while I am having a fit because he is panting, and trying without success to get him inside). People and the organizations who are pulling off these stunts need to stop. They are generating bad publicity among even animal lovers. Shame on the woman who assumed an elderly dog with medical problems out in a yard was in need of rescuing without finding out all of the facts!!!

I think the lady that rescued this dog did the right thing. In Doogie's last days HE DID NOT NEED TO BE LEFT ON THE GROUND TO DIE. Just because the owners had done the right thing in the past, does not mean she was acting responsible when the lady rescuer found her. Maybe she could have called the animal shelter or humane society, but she did not know how long it would have taken.I have dealt with gov. red tape in the past. Bah, humbug to gov. red tape. Obviously the dog was in distress. I hate chains. The people that put dogs on chains should be chained just as they are and for as long as the dog is chained. HATS OFF TO THE LADY WHO RESCUED DOOGIE. YOU ARE A REAL HERO!!!!! Have a heart for this lady who rescued this dog.

Did you actually see the chain on the dog? And, we don't know that the dog had been taken care of in the past... we only have the owners word for it. The whole point of the controversy is that the local media and law enforcement refused to take into account the neighbors statement (and, there were actuall 2 people who called about the dog). The owners did say that they gave the dog an aspirin for pain once in a while! That dog needed a lot more than an occasional aspirin. Where are the owners vet records to back up their claim? Did you see the food and water bowls?
I do know that I would have a very hard time walking by that dog for even one day, never mind, three days!
And if the dog was so sick why even use that heavy chain (or any chain, for that matter) on him? He can't even get up.
I think she did the right thing...the only thing that mattered for Doogie.
It's disgusting how some dogs are treated in this country..and lots of times that disgusting treatment is perfectly legal AND sanctioned by the local so called humane society.
And, excuse me, but.. there is a world of difference from a elderly, just bathed, dog, soaking up the sun and THIS dog who was found to be seriously neglected by a vet! That dog hadn't been lovingly bathed nor paid attention to, in any way, for a very long time.
It may not have been illegal but it was most certainly immoral. And it would be nice if humane societies were at least required to put a priority status on almost dead dog calls!

I don't believe for a minute that the owners cared, at all, for poor old Doogie.

Silly

If one watches the video, and it's accurate, the dog was chained and unable to get to water or food. And with a healthy dog nearby, what chance did he have at food?

The owners said they intended to have the dog euthanized...........if so, why would they leave the animal in that state out in the yard for 3 days. I would bet money they were hoping he would die and they wouldn't have to spend the $$ at the vets.

YOU GOT IT RIGHT ON, Annz and sillynemesillyne, That was pure neglect, and animal abuse!!!!!!!!! Saying otherwise is a bunch of nonsense. The owner needed to be arrested not the lady who rescued. Sometimes the laws of this country are messed up. Who in their right mind would go by this dog and not do something?

There are other videos on there as well. One shows Doogie after his visit to the vet, another shows him being introduced to the other dogs at the rescuer's home, and now there's a video of the rescuer herself.

In the video after the vet, the rescuer mentions the spurs that were found during an xray. They're up and down his spine, and a mass by his hip.

If the owner's had been taking proper care of this dog, how would they not know they were there? Surely you wouldn't allow your dog to just lay around on the ground at the end of a chain, knowing he's in pain, and can't reach his food.

Dogs do get old, and as a result, they tend to have more health problems, but even if you were having a hard time letting go, and you wanted to wait just a liiiittttlllleee bit longer before putting him to sleep, wouldn't you be sure to keep him comfortable?

It's easy to see the rescuer's side of the story because that's what's presented on the website, so it's easy to judge her, but no one's heard the neigbor's side (she called animal control) or the owner's who left him out there.

No,Tammy should not have gone to jail, I think a citation to show up in court would have been enough !! Hats off to her,I don`t need to hear the owners side, nothing they say could justify what I saw when I read the article. And the humane sociaty there sounds as worthless as the one we have here in my little town, call in the morning , and they may show up in a few days, if they even show up, and returning a call!! Forget that one for sure!!

I just saw an update on the news about this.The "rescuer" has had the dog in hiding for 9 days.They showed a video of the dog the day she "rescued" him.He was laying on the ground unable to sit or stand and barely to move.Actually I thought he might be having some kind of siezure.The video taken within the last 2 days shows him up walking around and acting reasonably normal except for looking like an old dog that maybe has arthritis and isn't quite as spunky as he once was.The owners mentioned that they were about to have him put to sleep,but he looked happy to me in the videos shown today.
What she did was against the law.She did steal the dog and I think she went about it all wrong.She should have called animal control and let them take care of the matter.I think they would have removed the dog from the property seeing the condition it was in and then proper legal measures would have been taken and she wouldn't be in the trouble she is in.I can understand her concern upon seeing the dog and I think emotions just took control instead of common sense.She broke the law,no matter how you look at it and she should at least be fined.I am really surprised they haven't confiscated the dog by now.And from the news tonight she isn't in jail.Hopefully things will calm down and maybe the owners will drop the charges once they realize she was just concerned for the dog's safety.And none of us can judge whe was in the minds or hearts of the owners because we aren't in their shoes!............Lillie