I hollared at children that were not my own--I can't believe I did that!

**Cricketlegs** · 04-08-2011, 10:05 AM

Wow! I did,I did. I would never even dream of yelling at someone elses children

Dd and I were getting in out last mile on our walk and we always walk by this one house with 2 dogs that are always alone in the back yard just laying there.

They always seem so sad so I always say "hi puppies!" to them even though I have no idea really what kind of life these dogs have. They could be 100% happy and content for all I know.

So, we are walking and turn the corner and I see the dogs are not laying in their usual places and low and behold I see a little boy back there.

My first reaction was "awww joy they have a playmate today!'

That was until I see the kid with a stick and he goes around the corner and I just had a really bad feeling so when we got closer I saw 3 kids hitting that dog with sticks and the older girl hauls off and kicks him right in the side. This is a smallish yellow lab mix.

I said "HEY! DON'T YOU KICK THAT DOG!" really loud. Loud enough for the parents and another adult to come out and yell towards the kids.

Dd and I just kept walking and they never said anything to me. My poor dd cried half a mile all the way home. I told dd we can adjust our walk to not go that way again.

I hope that if the parents didn't put some fear into those kids for the right humane reasons, then they did from the embarassment of a total stranger seeing what it was they were raising.

There were 3 large dogs back there. If one of them snapped and bit one of those kids the dog would have been destroyed no questions asked.

I can't stand mean kids. I abhor people who hurt defenseless animal more.

I still can NOT believe I hollared though. It was just a reaction.

If I had had my cell I would have taped it and call animal services.

Grrr.

**CrazyHomemaker** · 04-08-2011, 10:12 AM

Thank you for doing a good deed! I hate to see animals abused by humans. Humans are supposed to be smarter than animals? HA! When you see heart-wrenching stuff like this, you know which humans are not smart at all.

I would've yelled, too. Carry your cell always, these days.

**frugalfriend** · 04-08-2011, 10:25 AM

Don't feel bad at all, you did the right thing! I hope it stopped them.

The adrenaline would have made me yell at them too, and go tell the parents exactly what those kids were up to (the hitting of that poor dog). Maybe you SHOULD walk that way again and those kids will see you and leave the dogs alone.

**Greebo** · 04-08-2011, 10:28 AM

Good
for
you!!!

**wanderlusting** · 04-08-2011, 10:31 AM

WTG! Glad you said something- I would have done the same thing.

**Dixie** · 04-08-2011, 10:52 AM

Those kids will probably grow up and abuse humans. I'm glad you came to the defense of the poor dog.

That kind of thing just makes me sick.

**Cricketlegs** · 04-08-2011, 10:54 AM

I HOPE the children don't live at the house. I hope they were visiting. I just don't know.

I myself will have no qualms about walking that way again when my dd goes home to Dallas but I am afraid that she would just get to upset. Bless her sweet heart.

I think SEEING me on a daily basis will remind them to behave.

I normally do carry my phone but I had just gotten my upgrade in the mail that day and it was charging. It isn't safe really to be without a phone out on the mean streets of Longview Texas I tell ya!

**OOwl** · 04-08-2011, 10:56 AM

Oh my gosh! I'd call animal services ANYWAY. That poor, poor dog. I'm a "million" miles from there but it just hurts my heart to know this poor dog suffers that kind of treatment (that probably was NOT an isolated incident). I've heard it said that a child's viciousness toward animals is a sign of a future life of crime and abuse toward other humans, as well as animals. Might want to look up that study and mail it to that house for the parents. Baah, I feel just awful now.

**IndigoMom** · 04-08-2011, 11:43 AM

That's scary. I'd have yelled too! I hope those kids were just visiting - but if it were me, they'd have been leaving right about then too, never to return.

**frugal is fun** · 04-08-2011, 11:48 AM

you definitely did the right thing!

**madhen** · 04-08-2011, 11:53 AM

Definitely call Animal Services. You never know if they have received complaints in the past, and if they are one step from removing the animals from an abusive environment. Your call might be the one that saves those dogs.

Good for you for yelling, as well. The old saying about "it takes a village" is true. If you tolerate horrible behaviour, the individuals who practice it see no reason to change. Social pressure can have a huge impact on individual behaviour, and admonition from an adult teaches a child that what he/she is doing is not acceptable.