Is Thisright?

[lozzer50]

My daughter cleans house for a woman who has gone away to Bali until end of september, my daughter has been left looking after their dogs, the agreement was that she would feed and water them once a day. These dogs live outside as owners dont want them in the house. Neighbours have complained on at least 10 seperate occasions about the dogs barking.My daughter got a message of her boss that she had to speak to RSPCA.She did this and she was told that they were passing this over to council as it was nopise pollution. She was also told that it would be her and not the owners that would be prosecuted! surely this cant be right. Her boss is not answering any of her texts or emails. What can she do ??

[Old_Geezer]

Having never owned a dog I know little about kennels, but I'm surprised if one would be willing to take in dogs where the deal was. "Er Guv, I've a couple of dogs for you to put up. I'm not paying for them, but the owner who has had no say in this might cough up when they get back." Not sure I'd be enthusiastic in that situation. You may well have just been handed a couple of unwanted pets from someone who has then scarpered.

[lozzer50]

old geezer they havent scarpered they are in Bali and back in september. but she is back for one day when she brings her daughter home to stay with her dad. so my dughter is going to confront the stupid woman and tell her she has to deal with the dogs as they are actually her responsibility. this woman is awful. she obviously only cares for herself and sod the pets! there are cats too but both have been taken to a vets because they had been run over before she went away and she couldnt be bothered going getting their bodies! the cats are being kept in the vets freezer until she returns! and also bailiffs have been to the house to seize goods !!! its pathetic really

[murraymints]

I'd let rspca take dogs and put key through door with a note of rspca number...and scarper..if she declares the dogs abandoned ..they'll be taken away ...

[jennyjoan]

I wouldn't confront either - when said woman comes back - your daughter should have a nicely typed letter for her (on the mantelpiece) saying "I QUIT" - get somebody else to look after your house and dogs. Byeeeeeeeeee.

[Farriercm]

Baldric, think about it, owner puts dogs in kennels , buys a house abroad and never comes back , that is why the kennels want money up front ,

[naomi24]

Farrier, //Try talking sense naomi, when the daughter puts the dogs in the kennels the first thing the kennel owners want is money , up front. //

I am talking sense. They don't want money up front. (I have three dogs).

[black_cat51]

i have used 5 different kennels in my lifetime of dog ownership.
None of them wanted money upfront. They rely on you wanting your dogs back

[Old_Geezer]

I wasn't suggesting she had. I was pointing out that a kennel owner couldn't tell they weren't having the dogs just dumped on them so, IMO would be foolish to just take the dogs.

[Hypognosis]

My mean streak tells me she should spend an hour or so visiting all the neighbours, within earshot, apologising for the barking, explaining the tricky circumstances and looking for the shifty reaction of someone who has reported it to the council and didn't expect any comebacks about it… heh heh

In the meantime, isn't it amazing the myriad ways horrid people take advantage of kindly people? Nurture your daughter's mean streak!

I learned a valuable lesson from this thread, too. Anything longer than two weeks and you are a kennels and should charge the going rate.

[lankeela]

Complaints re noise work in the following way: the council write to the home owner and inform them that a complaint has been received in case they are not aware of the problem. They will then suggest to the complainants that they keep a record of dates and times for say a month and if the nuisance continues the council may install monitoring equipment in a nearby premises which records the noise nuisance and if it proves to be enough of a nuisance (has to be regular and persistent) they can go to court to ask for a noise abatement order on the property. If the owner of the property does not comply then they will be taken to court and fined for causing a nuisance. So as you see it is a long drawn out process, and the owner will be back long before any action is taken. The daughter is not responsible for the noise nuisance, only for the physical care of the dogs which is sufficient in the eyes of the RSPCA i.e. food, water and shelter. I would suggest she carries on feeding the dogs once a day and if she gets no joy from the owner when she returns next week she then needs to decide whether or not to continue, but as a dog owner I suspect she feels sorry for the dogs. As far as kennels are concerned, traditionally most have never expected payment up front, but as many now take payment by cards some are starting to take the card details so they can get their money should the owner not pay up. If the kennels I help at have a long term booking they ask for so many weeks' boarding fees up front especially if its a new customer or a foreigner (a lot dump them when returned home). If the dogs are not collected on the due date the owners have seven days and the kennels can sell or rehome the dogs. IMHO I would mention casually to a person of dishonest intentions that they are away and the dogs are not in the house and sit back and wait to find out they have been burgled - that should bring the owner back.

[hc4361]

A similar scenario
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2713063/Babysitter-20-hauled-court-dog-house-working-escaped-attack-neighbour-kill-cat.html

[Baldric]

Farrier, I have used a lot of Kennels over the years, not once have I been asked to pay up-front, not even a deposit, all they want is the Vac'n Certificates.

[lozzer50]

the bali *** is back for a day next week so my daughter has written a letter that she will leave, wih the house keys, where the woman can find it . she is also telling her to shove the job where the sun dont shine. She is also going to let RSPCA know when the woman is back so they can sort it with her. The only reason she is still going to the house is because she loves dogs.