Advice please! Distressed, barking dog shut in motor garage..

[theron]

Although not technically ED, there is a dog that is shut in the motor garage on Blenheim Grove in Peckham (just to the right of the Peckham Rye station entrance on Blenheim Grove), that is clearly in distress and is barking continuously after the garage closing hours.

I noticed the dog the other day, and noticed a few other people taking interest as they walked past too, but it was only today when my house mate came home and told me about witnessing the same thing this evening, that we decided to ring the RSPCA.. the RSPCA can't do anything about the dog unless we can prove the dog doesn't have some sort of shelter... my housemate tried to investigate and started to ring the RSPCA while she was there but was greeted by an unfriendly man sitting further down the road in his blacked out car. The dog didn't have a shelter but a table for it to 'shelter under'..

Was just wondering if any one else has noticed/become aware of this poor dog, and if anyone knows what else / if anything else we can do!? Surely leaving an animal locked up outside barking all night is cruel to say the least?

[Angelina]

I would try the RSPCA and say you are not happy with response so far - they need to investigate and come out. It's not ok to leave a dog outside so technically the dog does have shelter but it doesn't sound good.

Speaking to the owner is not a bad idea. find out what's going on.

It could be nothing. Dogs bark when they're on their own. it could be something much more horrible.

there are other animal rescue charities.

I found the following

Mayhew - Trenmar Gardens, Kensal Green, London, NW10 6BJ - Tel: 0208 962 8000

A bit far but they may have a suggestion

Croydon Animal Samaritans 020 8681 0934

Or maybe the local vet would know.

[tiddles]

any updates? even though it is in a garage - it must be very cold?

fingers crossed the little fellow is ok

[siousxiesue]

The worry tonight is that, with no proper shelter, the dog could die in the cold. I'm hoping he is still barking, increases the chances of someone doing something about it. Silence would be ominous

[Sue]

There is a dog presently barking in a garden which seems to be in Crystal Palace Road somewhere between the Great Exhibition and The Actress.

Not the same thing I know, but it seems very cold to let a dog out. I presume its owners aren't sitting with it in the garden watching it bark :(

[civilservant]

hi, theron, is there anything that anyone else can do to help you help this dog?

I tried to see which garage this might be this morning on my way to P Rye station, but not immediately obvious where it could be

[ianr]

Google has at least four garages on the north side of Blenheim Grove. They number upward from the east (Rye Lane) end.

All Motors, 24 Blenheim Grove

NEM Motors 38-40 Blenheim Grove

OMD Autos, 44-46 Blenheim Grove

Blenheim Notors, 50 Blenheim Grove

[theron]

Hi all,

Thanks for your replies and your concerns..

Agree that more should be done, will definitely look into those other animal rescue charities this evening and see if they can provide any help/advice re this poor dog!

Didn't get a chance to go past today, but asked my other housemate to keep an ear out on her way home from the station, but she said she didn't hear anything. I am going to investigate further tomorrow, hopefully before the garage closes and also after it has already closed...

Have just googled the locations of those 4 garages, thank you Ianr, and my housemate have now recognised the location as JCM Autos!

Fingers crossed!

[theron]

Update: dog still barking!

[2wans]

Have you not tried the numbers Angelina suggested? Call an animal rescue charity or get back on the phone to the RSPCA.

[Angelina]

Definately - if the dog has been locked in a garage for days now, that's a serious issue - is he being fed? Does he stay there overnight?

[tiddles]

Even if inside he must be freezing. If it is def the business identified then a phone call must be in order tomorrow.

[Angelina]

or a visit. which would be the obvious thing to do

[civilservant]

i've called the RSPCA - they are refusing to deal with anything but emergencies and want me to call back in 24 hours time. i'm sure we could have helped deal with this earlier if we'd called it in earlier

can you please keep us updated, theron?

[tiddles]

Is there a telephone number for the garage - sometimes they have a mobile number. I?m going to see if there is anything

Listed anywhere - hope it is the right business !!

I have called the landline number listed and it is not active. Hopefully that means they must have a mobile

For business. Anyone nearby and see if they have anything advertised?

[theron]

Sorry, yes.. called the RSPCA earlier and said it wasn't good enough that nothing was being done, they said that "it sounds as if the law is not being broken and therefore won't be able to send someone out, who could be sent out to other emergencies"... have tried calling the other numbers too, not as helpful as previously hoped- suggested I monitor the timings of the barking, any visitors etc. Finding it really difficult to know how to take this further!

[siousxiesue]

Ridiculous! How about purely as a noise issue with the anti social behaviour aspect included? If it's a noise issue it means it has to be resolved somehow.

Also there may be dog wardens still, a department in the council?

[civilservant]

i am not sure what right we have to take action as private citizens, which is why i called the RSPCA

also not being the originator of this alert, i have no info beyond what you've supplied, theron

i recognise the RSPCA have a lot of calls on their attention, but what the perfectly pleasant woman on the hotline said to me was that there was no law against keeping dogs outside, so this didn't count as an emergency - not having any further details i wasn't able to argue back effectively

i'll check with the council tomorrow, and hope i get somewhere. does anyone have any advice?

[tiddles]

Crikey surely animals cannot be left out in sub zero temperatures?

Is it possible for there to be an accurate record of the animals barking?

Someone could turn approach the owners with valid concerns. If armed with correct info

I would be happy to approach them myself.

[first mate]

The Animal Welfare Act 2006 was designed to allow intervention before an animal suffers. It states that human owners have a duty of care to provide an appropriate environment for the animal they own. Specifically on dogs; if the animal lives outside it must be provided with "adequate shelter" and a place to hide if it is frightened. Taking out of the equation the fact that dogs are a social species, so being left alone night after night may be causing huge distress, there are many breeds that would not cope with the sub zero temperatures we have outside- a table top would certainly not suffice as adequate shelter. A Husky might be okay outside in current conditions but not to be left alone, night after night. Dogs were not designed as solitary animals, so within the terms of the Act it is arguable this animal is not only being deprived of adequate shelter and security but that basic social needs are not being met. If the dog is barking excessively for hours this may well signal major distress and the RSPCA should know that.

[civilservant]

thanks first mate. i'll call them again today.

ETA I phoned RSPCA and they tell me that they can't do anything. they advised me to report this as a noise nuisance to the council who will be able to follow up on any animal welfare issues. is there anyone local to the station who can do that? theron, i'll pm you.

by the way, JCM Autos phone number is 020 7639 0732 according ot their website.

[ianr]

According to Companies House

JCM Autos Ltd (07538117)

JCM Autosm Ltd (11010845)

All Motors Ltd (08646953)

are all registered at number 24. The first two have the same director.

[theron]

Thanks again, all!

Having a word with the owner of the garage might be a good idea, but not sure I would feel comfortable doing this considering the greeting my housemate received the other day... the motor garage itself always seems a little bit dodgy anyway? Can't speculate though!

[Robert Poste's Child]

As these are business premises perhaps it's a guard dog? If so the barking may seem like a good thing from the owner's PoV and they may not realise it's becoming a nuisance to others. This seems to be the main basis to involve the authorities or speak to the owner as from the OP it sounds like the dog is inside so may well have a shelter you can't see from the street.

[first mate]

There is separate law around guard dogs. Any premises with a guard dog on site must clearly indicate that this is the case by way of signage. The dog must also have proper housing by way of a kennel and shelter from damp and cold. A dog that is barking persistently for long periods is unlikely to be alarm barking.