YAY! I am glad this animal was saved. So many are not :( I have a dog and house-full of cats that I was fostering..right..they came and will never leave, my husband will see to that!

But thats one of the reasons I love him...his compassion.

GREAT JOB! (both of you)

Update, rottie:

Thier neighbors took the dog a couple of days ago and are going to foster it until it is adopted. They are going to fix him and license him.

He has a great chance now to live a good life. He now has grass to play on.

My son did a great job to make this issue public, I am so proud of him.

Thanks Nancy... when it comes to animals, they are more important to us then people. People can tell us what is wrong, a pet can not. I wouldn't even say that the rottie is thier pet, pets are family, you wouldn't or shouldn't treat family members like that.

My son give animals more respect then giving to me... what is up with that? I love that little boy.

Thanks again.

Good for you Anonymous...  Stay with them til something is done.  Remind the Animal Control people of the new laws and ask what good are the new ones if the old ones aren't enforced.

Get the Californian involved too.  The more publicity there is on this subject, the more likely you are to get results.  I hate seeing animals abused.  Shoot..I won't even give one of my dogs a treat without giving one to the other (out of guilt) so things like this really bother me. 

Sounds like you're raising a good son.

If all else fails turn them in for dog fighting. Apparently they are not aware it's against the law, definitely STUPID not to mention inhumane.

They are intimidating... they told my son that the pit bull they have is for fighting. Maybe they don't want the rott at this time because he is so nice. But then maybe they are keeping him alone to get him mean.

We walked by yesterday and there was no water and all dirt. He barked late last night and they didn't even yell at him.

I am filing a complaint today online, then mailing them a complaint with a picture.

I want to thank all you for replying to my sons blog, he is so proud that you all care.

 try to get that dog help~ as you know rotties need a human pack more than most dogs.They need attention.I am not a dog person,but recently got new roomates,1 human 2 rotties~ they have wormed their way into my life and heart.I hope you can make the folks see how cruel this is~ these dogs ( the ones with me) only go out to use the facilities,can not imagine them living outside at all..

There are a couple of things that come to mind.

Have you or your parents tried talking to the neighbors? You don't have to be confrontational. You can tell them that you've noticed the rottie puppy and think that it's a fine-looking dog. Then you can ask (nicely) why it is being kept separately from their other dog. If they sound as though theya re no longer interested in the pup, you can mention that if theya re interested in rehoming the dog you'd be happy to take it.

If you do not think they would be receptive to talking, take photos of the dog's current situation that clearly show that the shelter they have provided is no longer viable for the dog and that there is no protection from the elements. You can use the photos to demonstrate to animal control or the police that the dog is in conditions that violate the county ordinance.

If you decide to engage animal control, keep in mind that you will have to be very proactive. They receive a number of complaints and don't have a large staff, so oftentimes it's the squeaky wheel that gets the grease. You may have to call/email several times and insist that they look into your concerns.

Thank you so much for caring enough to ask for advice. We sure could use more like you in the world!

There are evils of commission and evils of ommission.  They are obviously doing something worse than stupid, it's a purposeful cruelty to the animal.  You need to report them and come to this animal's rescue or you are just as guilty.

You might consider calling animal control - you can place an anonymous call so the neighbors don't know it was you. If you're in the city the number is 326-3436 - the county number is 868-7125. No animal should be without protection from the weather - rain, heat, etc. Kudos to you for caring.

Yes, They do sound like really stupid people.

I don't know why some people bother to get an animal and then basically discard it

I would try to do what I could to solve the problem. If all fails, turn them in on a regular basis and don't give up on the sweet puppy.

 I hope it turns out well..