Work colleague needs advice

A work colleague was asking today what could be done about someone in her neighbourhood.
This neighbour is a middle-aged woman who always carries a stick when walking about, she doesn't seem particularly disabled but of course this may not be the case.

Anyway, this lady has a small terrier type dog which she is often seen hitting over the back (with said stick) whilst she is out walking. The dog's crime? It puts tension on the lead. It appears constantly stressed while out walking (tail tucked under, flinching and cowering).

Yesterday evening, as my friend passed her house, the dog was having a wee in the lady's front garden. Again the lady appeared with her wlking stick and hit the dog across the back.

My colleague is tormented (to the point of sleepless nights) that the little dog is being abused and was asking what she could do about the situation. I suggested that she rang the DW, expressed her concerns and ask if they would come out to give this neighbour some advice regarding the legalities of punishing a dog with physical violence. I'm not totally sure that this is in the remit of a DW's job, but it's all I could think of at the time.

What would be your advice?

That is horrible, poor little dog. There is a woman I see around here with a Weimaraner who does the same, except she uses a rolled up newspaper or walking pole and whacks the dog on the chest if it pulls.

The problem with these kind of things is that it is one persons word against the other unless there is proof.

Can your friend videotape the woman on her phone if she is walking past her house? if she lives nearby and sees the woman hitting the dog with the stick regularly, it shouldn't be too difficult to capture some footage of it without being seen? then send it to the dog warden.

Ask if she wants rid for 30 notes?

Sorry don't know.

Good suggestion!

I suppose she could ask other witnesses to put complaints in as well, to back up her own worries and concerns.

She is considering doing this but I think the problem often lies that some people (despite proclaiming love for their dog) really don't understand that what they're doing is so wrong.
It is an option though.

I know this does not go down well on this forum, majority are for positive reward training, but this is an old fashioned method of teaching lead walking.
Used to be known as a heeling stick and if the dog is not to heel it gets a top.
It comes from above so the dog does not supposedly blame the handler walking beside it.
Abuse then becomes what is a definition of how hard anyone is allowed to hit their dog.
This is why older people still recommend a 'tap' on the nose with a newspaper as a correction.
The thing is it does/can work but now there are better/kinder methods available

I agree that there are some people stuck in 'Dick's Days' in their approach to training. I specifically asked my friend what she constitutes as hitting ie could it have been a prod or a tap. She categorically denied this, saying it gets a 'whack'. Whether the lady is aware of the legalities surrounding the notion of applying physical pain as punishment is not known. Maybe the DW could educate her on this.

Could best be approached as education rather than threat of prosecution.
It gets food and shelter and probably her idea of love and care.
If its not, it should be in the role of the DW
I bet she does not like being told though.

Video it and send it to the RSPCA, not letting them fob your friend off.....

Poor dog. That's downright cruelty.

I totally agree with the suggestion of getting evidence on video. Should't be too hard to do without raising suspicion with the amount of cameras and phones that shoot video nowadays.

At least that way if no action is taken or she cries innocence to the dog warden then carries on, there will be evidence. She may just be ignorant, but some people are genuinely sadistic.