Need some advice on landlord's dog...

[Ginevive]

Here is something I really need to vent, and maybe get some thoughts, about. It is a pretyt emotional issue for me, seeing as it involves a helpless animal and I have no choice but to be involved.
Our landlord has had this dog for several years (black lab mix.) Well, months ago the dog started developing a cyst, kind of like an open tumorlike thing, on his neck, and our moronic landlord hasn't done anything to get it removed. I guess that surgery to remove it would have been relatively inexpensive when it first started growing, but he was too much of a cheapskate to do it (and this is the same guy who talks about being able to get approved for a loan for a million bucks if he needed to... and I believe it.)
He is a pretty wealthy guy (at least by my standards) Owns close to 1000 acres of land and three rental properties including our place, earns over 100k a year. Well, he just won't take that dog to the vet. Refuses, and gets very irate and ignorant if you try to talk to him about it at all. His girlfriend confided in me that he grew very enraged and verbally violent when she confronted him about all this.
And my boyfriend and I.. you won't believe this, but our LL leaves his dog out at the farm with us. He didn't even ask if we would mind watching him; just left one night and the dog is still there, that was it. He was gone for nearly a month the first time; then he shows up, takes his girlfriend riding around on OUR four wheeler, lets her feed Our horses, and traipses back to the city without a thought. Not to mention, he is a big alcoholic as well.
It is horrible when people cone over; we have to explain the whole story and it is mortifying. We had a vet come out to look at our colt, and of course she was asking questions about the dog; we are friends with her but still it is just a horrible, shameful situation to see this dog running around with a huge (think, the size of a big man's fist) red open sore on its neck. Seriously I would love to just put the dog out of his misery, but our landlord says "oh, he isn't in pain; he is still eating" etc. And even a girl I talked to about this said, that if the dog is still eating and stuff, this is ok ??!!
I really need to know, what would you do? We are not yet in a position to set out and buy our own place yet, and we could never find a better bargain in rent costs and still keep our horses. How I hate life sometimes

[cornyballpython]

do you have an aspca neer you? if so call them and tell them whats going on

[tigerlily]

That is SO WRONG!! First off, he has no right to be taking your stuff without asking.
Uh hello? I would be seriously looking for another place. This guy sounds very unbalanced, especially if he is violent and an alcoholic. It doesn't sound like such a great deal, if you have to deal with that type of person.

As for the dog, I agree with calling the ASPCA. If you have the extra money, I would call the vets and ask around to see if anyone will cut you a deal, and do it yourself. It is not fair to leave an animal in that condition. An open wound like that, is a constant source of infection. How old is the animal? If the animal is signnificantly old, then maybe just discuss having the animal humanely euthanized. There's just not too many options available. Best of luck on getting that animal some help!!

[Ginevive]

I would love to be able to do it, but I was told the surgery would be $800 and I just can't do that. If this were my animal, I would have done something about this long ago; it would def. be more humane to just put him down. I would not have any qualms about getting the SPCA involved, but I have heard horror stories about this. I've heard about a farm not too far away, where they had about 8 horses, and someone called about them. They sent an inspector out and they found an old mare that was basically thin and not an "easy keeper" but they said she was emaciated, and took ALL of their livestock even though they were not in any way being abused or neglected. I just shudder to think of them taking our horses, even though you can obviously tell they get awesome care.
I honestly think we are going to end up somehow humanely euthanizing this dog. I am looking into getting a shot or some sort of thing, if it is possible; we obviously can't just shoot him or our landlord will have a fit and kick us out, and quite honestly I wold rather be discreet and still have a roof over our heads, as well as the horses; if we had to move, there's no way we could afford boarding for them, and we sure can't afford to buy a place for another year or so until we pay off some credit cards. So if we moved, it would be sayonara horses, and not to get too dramatic, but I can't let go of them now when they have already been absically abandoned in the past by other people.
So how do you quickly, discreetly put an animal down?

[Ginevive]

I should add, this dog is pretty old (at least, over 8 yrs old; not a puppy by any means.) God, I can't wait until we can just buy our own place and tell this stupid landlord of ours to buck off.

[cornyballpython]

have a friend take it to the aspca and say they found the dog.... and then you dont have to worry about them taking your horses...

[Ginevive]

I am trying to think of someone who could do that; anyone want to volunteer? (I am not being funny here.) The thing that enrages me most, is, if I were on the outside looking in and i saw myself as the person whose house this dog was in, I would lose so much respect for that person. I would think "why doesn't she DO something?" And here I am, in the situation, and I really don't know what to do. My boyfriend is pretty well fed up with the whole thing, he feels bad for the dog too and he is a very sensitive person about animals (even though he is a hunter, he kills all his deer with one shot, etc.) So even a simple day at home, mowing the lawn and doing various chores, is tinged with a huge undertone when this dog is walking around. And it isn't just like a rat or something that I could clunk in the head and be done with it.. AArgggh.. I am sorry to lay all this on you guys but it helps to vent and read yer responses.

[cornyballpython]

it helps me to vent too hope you can figure out what to do... im sorry i cant help you i live in FL a good 16 hours or more from you..

[denowt]

When he dropped it off, did he leave food? If not, what has it been eating all this time? Give it back to the owner, or better yet, make it simply disappear. I don't know where you are at, but here in TX, there are plenty of coyotes, buzzards(sp) and other scavengers that would make a dog carcass disappear in a matter of days. Or you could even bury it. Next time the owner shows up and asks about it, you haven't seen it in a few weeks and thought he came and picked him up. Sounds kind of heartless, but from what you describe the dog would be better off dead.

[Ginevive]

He did leave food; he seems to think that if you put out a bowl of food and a bucket of water, that's fine and dandy. See, I think he's leaving the dog out here, because in the city people would see it and be apt to report it, etc. Whereas, our place isn't visible from the road readily.
Gr....