Just heard today,that a neighbour has 2 large dogs, living in a wooden shed,outside in this cold weather,they have no heating or blankets,and their water had frozen solid.It was minus 5 last night outside.

So should i ring the RSPCA,talk to the woman/rant at her, or just pretend that because they are animals they have no rights.

The RSPCA have no legal powers AFAIK.

You can try- give them a call.

The RSPCA are a bunch of scare mongering meddling ****, IMO.

However, some dogs are fine with being outside, regardless of the weather, so it my not exactly be cruelty. That said, if the dogs aren't a breed which is used to that sort of life (Such as Malamuts, Huskies, Pyrenean, Bernese et al) then I would go and have a word with the neighbour.

Well wolves survive fine in much colder temperatures, but that doesn't sound ideal for domesticated dogs to me.

Not always the most helpful but yes, a call to the RSPCA would be my advice if you're worried.

Does depend on the breed to some extent but frozen drinking water isn't good under any circumstances!

Lots of animals live outside all year round. However if it troubles you then give the RSPCA a call.

The RSPCA are a bunch of scare mongering meddling ****, IMO.

How very predictable. However, IMO, they don't do enough meddling. In general, when I've had dealings with them, they've proved powerless and ineffectual. You could try though – at least there were two dogs and they would have had one another for warmth if anything. Doesn't seem very nice to me leaving them out in the cold but hey, they're only animals eh – there for our amusement – it's not like they merit a bit of love and care.

EDIT: Try PETA instead – they'll send some stromtroopers round – it would be more entertaining in any case.

I've seen a fair few collies chained up outside farms over the past week in sub zero conditions- however they are working dogs.

The RSPCA can only act if the "minimum Requirement" has been breeched, which is dry shelter, access to regular food and fresh water.

I would say the last is not being met, so may be worth a call, as they'll at least pay a visit to your nieghbour.

the RSPCA will then call a vet, maybe the police and go round costing everyone a fair bit of money, maybe saying in passing to your neighbour it's bl**dy freezing how do the dogs get on or something like that to establish if they are tough hardy dogs or not first would be a good idea. The dogs on the farm we live on are out all night long all year long, our sheepdogs lived practically outdoors all the time.

Call your local dog warden.

What breed are they? short haired dogs like boxers will be in trouble lapdogs like spanials will be in trouble too. Long hairs (and snow/mountain dogs obviously) will be ok in these temps. For example my Uncle's retriver is fine in the snow when we ski and loves being outside as much as possible I've come accross collies and labradoodles living outside right up inside the arctic circle in Northern Norway and Sweden too.

NikNak7890 – Member
The RSPCA can only act if the "minimum Requirement" has been breeched, which is dry shelter, access to regular food and fresh water.

Or just killing ten German Shepherds with captive bolt guns…..Nasty vindictive little sh1ts that they are. The RSPCA, not the German Shepherds that is! http://www.the-shg.org/SHGPressReleases.htm

More here – http://www.rspcainjustice.blogspot.com/

For a good dog charity/rehoming group see here, http://www.dogstrust.org.uk/ – I can't praise their work highly enough.

Bet the dogs are sound

I saw some sheep outside today should I call someone about them too?

Liberate them!

Just heard today

So you're not sure?

CaptainFlashheart – Member

NikNak7890 – Member
The RSPCA can only act if the "minimum Requirement" has been breeched, which is dry shelter, access to regular food and fresh water.

Or just killing ten German Shepherds with captive bolt guns…..Nasty vindictive little sh1ts that they are. The RSPCA, not the German Shepherds that is! http://www.the-shg.org/SHGPressReleases.htm

More here – http://www.rspcainjustice.blogspot.com/

For a good dog charity/rehoming group see here, http://www.dogstrust.org.uk/ – I can't praise their work highly enough.

That is TRULY shocking behaviour! 😯

but as an aside, Project did ask specifically about the RSPCA.

They are probably fine, especially if they are large dogs and there are two of them. When my Dad was a gamekeeper we always had dogs outside in kennels. Terriers, Labradors and Spaniels. Brought some of them in the house once when it was 15 below and our heating had packed in, better than a hot water bottle. If they are outside all year round then can't see it being a problem. As long as they are giving them water every day, could be they give them wet food rather than dry which will help too. How are they looked after the rest of the year? We used to give our dogs straw or wood shavings to sleep on but some of them just turfed it out, preferred the wooden boards of the sleeping platform.

I saw some sheep outside today should I call someone about them too?

Definately 😆

What about the rabbits and Pheasants in the field at the back of my house ?
Should I shoot them and put them out of their misery.

If they have bedding and its not drafty they will most likely be fine, that said Kea has been inside the last few nights.

<Thread hijack>

We're thinking about getting a dog – probably a medium sized mutt.

The current plan is for the dog to get a good half hour run before work (around 08:00), then a walk by a neighbour for an hour at around 13:00, and then a long walk in the evening when we're back from work at 18:30. Two days a week there will also be a cleaner for the dog to follow round and a day or two a month one of us will work at home in the week.

Obviously in the evenings / weekends the dog will get loads of attention and fuss, but apart from the early afternoon walk it will be on its own – either in the house or outside in warm kennel so it can use the garden.

As a sanity test, what do people think about the above arrangement? Is it fair on the dog assuming we don't get one that needs 20 hours of exercise a day i.e. a collie?

Any views very welcome.

</Thread hijack>

our dogs always lived out in farm sheds and seemed fine without cashmere sweaters or hot water bottles

the rabbits have deep burrows !!they can keep warm !! hope the woman in question hasnt got whippets as pets….in which case i wud be concernd…. they dont have thick fur !…… dogs are wild really..it all started back with the wolves….its just us humans that have got soft and brought them up to live in the house… i have a shed but i wouldnt dream of sending my little whippet out there in those sub zero temperatures… my whippet jumps under the duvet before i can even get me toes in there… (at least he keeps me feet warm at nite ! lol

Farmer John I reckon that will be fine, so long as you pick the right breed, and get him/her used to being alone from the outset. I think the real pack animals like hounds go a bit crazy when left alone, and the proper working dogs need too much exercise. We've got a labradoodle and she's far better behaved when left alone, i.e. she's asleep, than when we get back home. Get a dog hatch as well.

On the RSPCA front apparently someone phoned them last year because a seagul was sitting in the rain outside their house and looking sad.

I'd go down the route of having a quick word with neighbour first as the RSPCA route can be incendiary between folk you live close to. I think for the sake of a bowl of water keep it low key.

Mabe they are just dtfu mate of mine keeps his 2 labs and 1 springer outside ,also my dogs went for a swim little sh-ts was love'n it Then went for a roll about In the snow

Dogs do fine in sheds, this is not cruelty.

Dogs do fine in draft free sheds with a raised wooden bed to the side of the door complete with fresh straw.

Whereas a plastic tray on the floor with an old jumper in is cruel this time of year. So depends what it's like inside.

Surely an anonymous note before RSPCA?

Farmer John, we have had a dog since last feb/march. She spends all day on her own in the back yard with her kennel quite regularly. We started getting her used to being left on her own from a young age (1/2 hour spells). She seems fine. Last few months mrs anagallis was away on tour a lot so I was walking Kea at 6.00am and then again at 4.30-5.00ish sometimes a bit later. Nothing bad happend and she seemed fine. Generally the mrs is around much more but I'm not sure it matters. The dog will literally sleep for 21 hours a day.

Shes a lurcher by the way.

Thanks Lactic and anagallis_arvensis – really helpful!

AA – What type of Lurcher is yours? She looks like a lovely doggie.

Lovely dog anagallis_arvensis, I recall seeing other pictures of her previously.

Godd to see she's chipped.

She must get the sleeping part of her character from the grehound in her!

Yeah greyhounds and whippets are very lazy dogs as long as they get a couple of runs a day, thats why we chose a lurcher. She's a bitza lurcher is the short answer to waht she is the longer answer is she's 3/8's greyhound, 1/4 whippet, 1/8 bearded collie, 1/8 border collie and 1/8 bedlington terrier.

Any excuse and I'll post a picture!!!

doing what she does best

Lurchers make great pets in MTB homes. They are singlespeed friendly, i.e. the pace suits them perfectly but most importantly their temperament is set on 'chilled'.

If walking is not an option for him then sleeping is. No chewing, no fretting, no mess. He just wants to be good.

He just doesn't like sqiurrels much;

No sensible person or dog likes squirrels much, especially the grey ones.

Don't encourage the RSPCA by calling them round. Just go and have a quiet word with the neighbour about the dogs. Less hassle for all involved.

Bloke goes to bed leaving his two large dogs in their kennel overnight as normal. It gets unexpectedly cold (moreso than was forecast) and the water in their bowls freezes.

And before he gets a chance to get out and sort them out he gets a knock on the door from the RSPCA.
😕

EDIT: And perhaps there was also water IN the shed…

What's to have a word about? They're dogs. Unless they have been bred as indoor animals, they can withstand a heck of a lot colder than -5! Half of Scandinavia, Russia, and Canada would have to be reported to the RSPCA if you were going to start that. And no, not every dog in these countries is a Malamute or a Husky.

Tried to resist further off-topic pics, but I'm a lurcher nut.

This is Ted the londog.

As to original post, many dogs will live outside fine most of the time, but prolonged cold of this depth is asking a lot for them to cope with in my opinion. It depends very much on their breed and the quality of their bedding and kennel I suppose.