[Rockdiva]

I am having a hard time here. I have spent the past couple days on the phone with our Humane Society Investigators and the Sheriffs Dept. Our neighbors have an old Husky, probably close to 13 years old, that they have never really taken care of. I mean, she is an outside dog, and they treat her like one. She has a dog house (that she never gets into) and I see bowls on their back porch, but that is it. When we had 18 degree weather last week, she was left out in it even though they have 2 huge storage and work buildings in their backyard. She never gets attention of any kind. Her fur is completely matted to the point the mats pull her skin when she walks, her nails are growing into her pads so that she walks on the sides of her feet. Things like that. I have tried to do what I can with her, but because she gets no attention she is a bit wild. She will let me pet and feed her, but doing anything else gets kinda scarey. She also has arthritic problems that I am positive she probably isn't getting any help with. (She was run over by a car as a puppy and has a pin in her hip, which they didn't take care of, her first owners did)

Well, this Sunday, she came to the house (she just wanders the neighborhood, we live in the country) and my husband took some of our brisket scraps out to her. He called me outside to see her and I just started crying. She is total skin and bones!! She stood there eating what we gave her like she hasn't eaten in a month, so I think they must not be feeding her. Or feeding her something she isn't able to eat anymore. Either way, they should see she needs to be cared for!!! After she finished eating she stood there shaking and crying this awful cry! I couldn't stand it! I went inside and wrote them a long letter about her being thier responsibility and how the things they are doing (or not doing) are affecting her. I told them there are places where they can get help with her if it is a money issue...a big 4 page letter. I also said that I understand that she is old and probably doesn't have much time left, but it is their responsibility to make her comfortable, fed, clean and warm for what time she does have left. My husband put it in their mailbox. Well, I decided that wasn't enough at this point. So I called the Humane Society Investigators, they told me I had to first file a report with the Sheriffs Dept and then they would follow up with them. They will first try to educate the owners and find help for them, and they take the dog as a very last resort. But they told me that in most cases like this, the owners will just turn the animal over to them. That is what is breaking my heart, cause if that happens, I know she will be put down. They won't want to spend the money on her in the shelter at her age! I can't take her in either. My husband and I are splitting up and I am moving at the end of the month to where I can't have her (I already have a dog). So I am just so torn today. Did I do the right thing or did I just send this sweet, sweet dog to her death.....