[Dailydrool] So now what do I do? Suggestions welcome--no flames please

[Val Brewer]

We moved into a new (well, old, foreclosed, run-down) home in the hills above 
the Kona airport in Hawaii about 4 months ago. When we looked at the house, I 
noticed a thin pitbull in a kennel in the weed-overrun house next door. The dog 
was on a long tether and seemed friendly and greeted the bassets in a friendly 
manner. After we moved in, I did not see the dog again and assumed it had moved 
out. After we moved in, we took donuts to all our immediate neighbors and 
introduced ourselves. The pitbull neighbors were neither friendly nor 
unfriendly--took the donuts, said hello, and shut the door. 


Today I heard whimpering outside and went to discover the source. The pitbull is 
still next door but has been tethered in the front yard amidst broken down 
machinery and a general junkyard. (a guard dog, I presume). He was all wound up 
on his tether. I unwound him. He had no food or water, and just a thin torn 
blanket in a shed to sleep on. He is dreadfully thin and his skin looks like he 
has leprosy. Still, he is friendly. I gave him a big bowl of water and another 
of kibble, and folded a soft quilt in his quarters for him to sleep on. I 
cleaned up the poop and left him be.

I presume that my next step should be talking to his owners about the condition 
of this dog. Terrible. For some reason, I'm a little afraid to do so. The owners 
are "locals"; I am not. Dogs do not occupy a very high status in Hawaii--they 
guard or hunt and are generally regarded as livestock. I know I must do this, so 
I guess I'm asking for courage to do so. I don't know if the dog is of Humane 
Society report status or not--he looks terrible to me. What I want to do is 
convince the owners to let me adopt him. My husband says, "What are you, crazy? 
an unneutered, unsocialized, native guard dog pitbull--stay out of it" (And, in 
fact, the dog could eat my bassets alive if he were so inclined, never mind give 
them whatever is wrong with his skin--mange?) Still. There he is. So I'm asking 
for gentle advice and courage. I assume I'm involved already when the owners 
find the new bowls and bedding, etc. 


Val
Bo (Don't even think of it; I'm terrified of pitbulls and my health is delicate)
Harley (Pitbulls? I love 'em. The more the merrier.) 
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