Initial Report to SPCA July 21, 2024:
To SPCA via their Website Contact Page 7/21/24
Printed and mailed to the SPCA 7/29/24
TO: Niagara County SPCA
There is an 86-year-old woman in my apartment complex who insists on walking her dog and has now started taking him for walks around the block in a buggy (unsecured).
It’s shockingly obvious that she cannot handle the dog. She can barely walk and is extremely weak and unstable.
The dog is approximately 25 pounds and young. He has lots of energy and is very quick to chase cars, rabbits, other dogs and people.
She cannot hold onto him and she often lets go of his leash if he pulls in any way. Recently she let go of his leash and he ran towards the woods after a rabbit. Thankfully he came back. It’s my understanding there are coyotes in the woods where we live. He could also get lost in the woods.
I’m afraid he’s going to get away from her and either be lost or be hit by a car.
She also takes him shopping regularly to places like Target and TJ Maxx. Again, she cannot hold onto him and I think he’s at a huge risk of getting away from her in one of those busy parking lots and being hit by a car or lost.
I’ve expressed concern and have told her straight out that she cannot handle the dog. She becomes angry and arrogant, and I actually think she does it more to spite me (seriously).
Also, she has told me on several occasions, and told others (as if bragging), about how she assaults the dog. Once she violently threw him in the car and screamed, “Get in the God damn car!”
Another time she “cracked him one” when he wouldn’t go to the door to enter the building. She also said she kicked him down the stairs as well that day.
She regularly throws shoes at him when she’s angry, most recently because a dog walked by her apartment and he barked.
These are things she’s actually told me and others. So I wonder what she does that she doesn’t tell people?
She regularly makes him go for 12-15 hours or more without being let outside to urinate. If he wakes her up in the night whining at the door to go to the bathroom, she yells at him and will throw a shoe at him. If he goes potty in the house as a result of not being let outside, he is yelled at and I’m guessing assaulted.
When I’ve expressed concern, she says, “Don’t worry, he won’t make a mess in the house.” Whether the dog makes a mess in the house is not my concern. The dog needs to empty his bladder and shouldn’t be made to wait so many hours. I’m told her last dog had severe bladder issues. I’m guessing from this very thing.
She refuses to get any immunizations for the dog besides a rabies shot. She takes him to the dog park and he’s exposed to lots of other dogs at our apartment complex. She also refuses to get him any flea and tick medication/treatment.
She was regularly feeding the dog tons of sugar (cookies, cake, sugary cereals, doughnuts) and he was repeatedly struggling with stomach issues and diarrhea. I had to actually get into a screaming fight with her to get her to stop.
The dog was “scrooching” often and the vet did allergy tests and found the dog is allergic to a lot of foods. She surprisingly purchased food recommended by the vet. But now she’s back to feeding him more and more junk. He suffers enormously because of her irresponsible way of feeding him.
She regularly calls the dog “stupid dog, “dumb dog,” and a “pain in my ass.” She once threatened to throw him in the dumpster.
The dog has lots of toys but is yelled at when he plays (runs around, zoomies, etc.) He’s barely allowed to play.
According to her, the dog often stays in bed until 9, 9:30 and beyond. I personally have never had a dog who didn’t get up at the same time (usually earlier) than their owner. I seriously believe the dog is depressed.
She says she wants the dog for companionship. Which she doesn’t need because she has tons of family and friends at her apartment constantly. She doesn’t seem to actually care about the dog, only her own needs. She actually said to me the other day, “He slept ALL day! I have him for companionship – what good is he?”
The dog is quite sensitive and easily scares when there are workmen around or loud sounds. He has been frightened to the point of trembling on several occasions, two of which lasted more than a week. Rather than trying to comfort him, she continuously scolds him for trembling and says he’s a pain in the ass.
She often talks about how the dog “loves her so much.” He seems attached and loyal to her, as any dog would be with their owner. But obviously he doesn’t know any different, and he’s scared often, and he obviously needs food and shelter. Who else does he have to cling to?
She even said recently something like, “I kind of hope something happens to him before I die because I don’t think he could stand to be without me.” The dog is 3 years old. It’s ok with her if he dies at 3 years old so he’s not sad when she dies?
Seriously, the things that come out of this woman’s mouth regarding the dog are shocking to me. Regarding many other subjects as well. She recently called her son a “waste of human life.”
She’s lived in my building about a year. I immediately began offering to walk the dog because she clearly couldn’t. That moved into a permanent situation where she pays me to walk him morning and evening. I don’t care about the money. And at this point I don’t care about her, because she’s a terrible person in my opinion. But I continue to walk the dog twice a day just to keep him as safe as I can, and to get eyes on him every day to make sure he’s ok.
I hesitate to argue with her any more than I already have on the issues I’ve described in this letter because she’s arrogant and selfish and I’m afraid she won’t let me walk him anymore if I make her mad. Then the dog would suffer even more and be in even more danger. I also can’t allow her to find out I’m making this report, again because if she knew, she won’t let me walk him anymore or even see him, I’m sure.
I have a cat and I’m not allowed to have more than one pet in my apartment. I’ve been desperately trying to get another apartment or house where I could take him. I’m currently on a waiting list for an apartment where I will likely be allowed to have both my cat and him. But I don’t know how long that wait will be.
I doubt she’d give him up willingly, but if I can at least find a place where I can have him, I can push the issue further and possibly get her to let me adopt him.
I’m sorry for this long letter. I suffer with this every single day. It sickens me to no end to see this dog so terribly mistreated. And I live in fear every single day that he’s going to be hit by a car and killed.
She and I share the same veterinarian. I went to their office to report these things and although they were upset to hear it, they said they don’t have any authority to take action and recommended contacting the SPCA.
By the way, when she and her (now deceased) husband got the dog, the vet’s office scolded the two of them for getting a puppy when they were both nearing 90 years old. They’ve made several offers to find a good home for the dog, but she refuses.
Is there anything I, or you, can do? Any advice or assistance you can give me will be greatly appreciated. I want to get the dog into a safe home before something happens.
Thanks so much,
Debra Sherman
Email: dlsherman1@yahoo.com
Phone: 716-940-6684
Updated Report to SPCA March 11, 2025:
SPCA MARCH 11, 2025
Update March 11, 2025
I’m inquiring again about the possibility of receiving assistance, or at least advice, regarding the lady in my apartment building I reported to you in July for mistreating her dog.
I’m attaching the letter I submitted to the SPCA Contact Us page on your website on July 21, 2024, then sent via US mail on July 29. I did not get a response to either.
Since that date, several more things have happened to the dog.
She continues to refuse to keep him on the leash. We live in a large, busy apartment complex with several people, dogs and cars. A couple of weeks ago he had a near-altercation with a German Shepard. She was able to step on the leash. But it’s a miracle the two didn’t fight. Both were growling.
She knows the dog will fight if provoked. She knows he tends to chase cars, rabbits and sometimes people. She can’t hold onto him. She knows the risk, yet she continues to take him out.
Even after that, she will not keep him on a leash. She won’t keep him on the leash because she’s afraid he will pull her down. She can barely walk. She should not be outside with the dog. Yesterday I took 3 videos of her outside with the dog on a leash. It’s shocking. She can barely walk.
Several other tenants here in the apartment complex have commented that she’s too old to own the dog and cannot handle the dog.
I have contacted two of her children more than once and both refuse to intervene or assist. Yesterday I reported to them that she left a candy dish filled with chocolate out and refused to put it away when I told her chocolate is toxic for dogs. I also sent them the videos of her outside wobbling on the sidewalk with the dog on a leash. Their response was, “It’s her life, her dog.” They will not help.
She continues to take him to Walmart, Target, TJMaxx, CVS and Family Dollar. It’s frightening to me that she has him in those busy city parking lots when she can’t hold onto him. It’s a miracle he hasn’t gotten lost or hit by a car. I’m shocked no one has called the police when they see her.
I recently ran into her at CVS during the recent single-digit temperatures. She had the dog in a cart, walking around the parking lot. The dog was clearly freezing and terrified.
By the way, this dog is not registered as an ESA. I believe it’s against the law for her to be taking him into stores to begin with.
I believe that the reason she takes the dog out on the leash and shopping is in no way for the dog’s benefit. She has a bizarre hang-up about being out alone, even taking a walk alone. The dog is literally a prop. She wants to be seen. She wants to be doted upon as the old lady with the cute dog. It’s sickening.
She drives a large SUV. She awkwardly lifts him to put him in the SUV. I don’t know if she’s ever dropped him, but she can barely lift him. Then she lets him jump out of the car onto the ground. He’s too small. It’s too far a jump. (He’s a Shih Tzu Bishon mix)
She continues to feed him the kibble recommended by the vet for his allergies. But also continues to feed him cake, cookies, peeps and other sweets. She boasts about how she cooks for him: baked sweet potatoes slathered in more than two tablespoons of honey. I told her the excessive honey is not good for him. As always, she refuses to stop giving it to him, in arrogant defiance.
If she puts food down for him and he doesn’t eat it, she literally throws the food in the garbage and scolds him, and reports to me that he’s a pain in the ass.
She does take him every several weeks for professional grooming, but often reschedules the appointment and waits too long. I recall when I was a kid we had a poodle and if he went too long without grooming, the groomer said it was difficult and painful to remove the hair from his ears. I don’t know for sure if this is an issue or not, but it’s just one more way she’s irresponsible with his care.
She’ll leave him with people she doesn’t know when she goes out of state to visit her kids. In April or May she’s planning a week-long trip and is planning to leave him with a young woman who has a dog. She met the woman, but not the dog, and the two dogs did not meet. I personally would not leave my dog with someone who had another dog unless I knew the two would be ok together.
She takes him for long vacations to her daughter’s house. The daughter has a Bernese Mountain dog with severe anxiety. The dog hates her dog and is greatly annoyed by him. Yet he’s forced to vacation there for several days in the company of this large dog who is emotionally unstable, dislikes him and is annoyed by him. It’s dangerous.
When she flies to either daughters’ houses and takes the dog, the dog is forced into a way-too-small carrier. I mean way too small. He’s forced to travel in it.
She continues to assault him. Two days ago she slapped him at least 6 times for humping a pillow. This was right in front of me. What does she do when no one is watching?
I’ve seen her hit him with a hairbrush.
On two different occasions he had diarrhea and was unable to complete a bowel movement so his rear end was a terrible mess. I’m assuming it’s caused by the constant consumption of sugar. Both times she insisted on putting him in the tub. I insist on staying to help. She argues with me and says she can lift him into the tub herself. She can’t. I have to argue and force her to let me place him in the tub.
The most recent time she had the bath water WAY too hot. This woman raised 4 kids. She certainly knows better. Luckily I was able to add cold water before he was put in the tub.
She angrily and violently holds him down in the tub. Insists that he sit down and nearly broke his back putting all her weight on him to try to force him to sit. She grabs his fur and skin tightly as if it’s fabric. And gets angry when he tries to get away. She uses scissors to cut the poop-covered fur away from his rectum. She is awkward, week, clumsy and unstable. It’s a miracle he has been injured with the scissors.
Then I have to argue to get her to let me pick him up out of the tub. She insists she can pick up this 25-30 pounds wet dog by herself. This woman is weak and physically unstable. I truly don’t know what’s worse; her ignorance or her arrogance.
I walk the dog when they get up each morning and at around 7pm each night. During the recent cold weather she said, “You don’t have to walk him at night.” I said, “He has to go to the bathroom.” She said “You don’t have to walk him.”
So…now it’s ok for him to only urinate every 24 hours?
I have a 7pm curfew 7 nights a week because if I don’t walk the dog, either he’s not let out at all and is literally assaulted if he pees or poops in the apartment, or else she’ll take him out herself which is dangerous and foolish. Even in the single-digit temperatures, she still said she’d take him out herself. I literally never go anywhere past 7pm because I cannot and will not leave him to be lost at night, or in frigid temperatures, because she takes him out and can’t hold on to him, or doesn’t take him out at all.
She, nor her children, have any regard whatsoever that I walk this dog morning and night 7 days a week. She pays me, but it’s absurd that I never get a break. I’ve suggested several times that we have a substitute in place on nights when I have another obligation.
A fellow-dog owner in our park has offered. She said no because he’s black. There are two gay men who live in the apartment next to her. When I suggested them, she said no because “I don’t want gay guys in my apartment.” I also suggested one of the cleaning ladies who has been nothing but nice to her, and she refuses. I’m guessing because she’s a cleaning lady…below her.
So unless I want to allow the dog to be in danger, I have to be there at 7pm seven nights a week. I don’t even care that much. I’m just making a point about her complete disregard for anyone but herself. And as much as I love the dog, I can’t continue to be obligated twice a day seven days a week indefinitely. Something has to be done.
I rarely go more than two days without witnessing some sort of abuse of the dog. It’s ongoing. She brags often about how scared he gets when she scolds him. She brags about how she calls him a bad dog, a pain in the ass, stupid dog. She brags about how she hits him and throws shoes at him. She takes some kind of sick pride in abusing this poor animal.
She claims the dog means the world to her. She claims she desperately needs him for companionship. Whether these things are true or (clearly) not, her abuse of the dog is inappropriate and inexcusable.
She’s breaking laws:
The apartment complex requires all dogs to be on a leash.
Niagara County and Lewiston both have leash laws.
She takes him to the dog park without immunizations.
She takes him into stores and he is not an ESA
Again I’m asking for assistance. Is there anything that can be done? I’ve offered to adopt the dog. I have a cat who is an ESA. I recently found out that the law allows for me to also have the dog in my apartment because the cat is an ESA who is exempt from pet limit rules. I can afford him. I can take care of him. I want to adopt him.
I’m begging. Any assistance or advice you can provide will be greatly appreciated. I’m desperate to get this dog out of this situation before something tragic happens.
Debra Sherman
716-940-6684