Gosh, that is sad...
I understand she is your relative and you want to be nice...I would not be. I would call my relative on the facts and have them face the reality: address the state the outside dog is in, and the fact that that dog has not been to the vet...
This is not "minding someone's business" but rather stepping up for the poor animals - and letting the other person know about them mistreating their current dogs - let alone wanting to have another! Obviously this person will not learn from the mistakes - one cat has already been kicked out, so will be the third dog, and another....
Tell her how you feel about it - it is not about your relative, her kid or even your relationship with her - it is about yet another innocent creature this lady is about to mistreat...

Its a hard situation. Of course, I would be very frank and let her know that the family hasn't been able to get their thin dog checked by a vet, why would they want another one.

I probably would sneak in an opportunity for her dog to get to the vet... like btw, I am taking my dog in to the vet for his shots next week, shall I make an appointment for your dog at the same time; so we can go together...

I think I would try saying you certainly can't bring another dog on the property until "name" is diagnosed. You wouldn't want your son to get attached to a new pet and end up loosing them all!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
All my life I never understood anyone having a dog they keep outside and not a part of the family. I will not buy the hunting dog stuff either. Just look at Parson Russell terriers that hunt and they are couch potatoes, bed partners, lap dogs in the house if they get enough physical exercise and mental stimulation (hunting)

I think you really need to sit down with her and tell her she is being extremely selfish. She cant handle to animals she has and she wants to bring another one in her life to abuse? I do feel its abuse to keep a dog locked up outside and ignore the need for the vet. And how are her outside dogs going to feel when a new inside dog comes...she is asking for trouble and is going to create problems among the animals. She does not seem like she is smart enough to own animals IMHO. She has two other dogs and yet neither one of those can be used to teach her son responsibility? Honestly I don't see how someone who is so irresponsible herself imagines she can teach responsibility to others.

I had a similar situation with my sister. She had a beautiful boxer that she paid a lot of money for. I met her at house after work (she works 9 hours a day) one time because we were going somewhere together. She opened the garage door and inside was a large dog crate. She opened the crate and the dog leaped out with excitement. She let the dog sniff around in the yard for about 10 minutes to do it's business and then back in the crate she went. We were then gone about 3 1/2 hours. I asked her if her dog gets any regular exercise and she said no, that she's at work all day. I told her it wasn't fair to the dog to be locked up all day and then only be let out for 10 minutes. My sister also went to school at night. In other words, she was gone too much to properly take care of a dog, and especially a boxer who requires a lot of exercise. I told her it would be in the dog's best interest if she found her another home. She said she didn't want to do that, and I told her I would call Animal Control and report her if she didn't start exercising her dog more. I don't know what kind of food she fed the dog. My sister eventually found a wonderful home for her dog with a family that had another boxer along with 2 children.

I didn't care that she was my sister - cruelty is cruelty no matter who is doing it.

She should start with the two she has and make both of them house dogs. If she can't house train the dogs she now has, how does she intend to do the same with a new dog? I'd also warn DS that she could be charged for cruelty if the emaciated dog is found to be neglected.

How much, and how often, do they feed the dog each day?
As someone else mentioned, I'd offer to take the dog to the vet........she can call in her credit card info to cover the expenses.

Shame on your sister, and shame on her husband!!! I would call animal control on her sorry behind. She might be your sister, but she is not a good person. Anyone who neglects animals like her does not deserve to have them. I don't have any patience for people like that, they are scum. And minding your own business will result in more suffering and misery for the poor sick dog. If you don't intervene, he is at the mercy of this person who will just let him waste away without a second thought. If you don't want to report her, maybe you can threaten her into taking him to the vet, or take him yourself. Please do something to help the poor dog!!!!!!!!

Tell her little dogs pee like racehorses & they're impossible to housebreak.

("Haven't you noticed when people have little dogs, their houses always smell?")

Take the big dog away from her & tell her if she says one word you'll tell the cops-& your mother, if that'll work.

I would send her the link to this thread. Maybe it will make her think a little before she makes a bad decision. Also point out to her all the negatives of another dog.....the peeing, the noise, the farts, the drool, the biting....anything to dissuade her, the shedding :-)

How about asking her if she is planning to have another child too? When she looks at you like you've lost your mind, you can tell her that having (and training!) an indoor pet is like having another perpetual infant and toddler and is a LOT of work. Doesn't sound like she really understands that, so putting it into terms that she CAN understand may help to put a stop to her notions. I would also talk with the children personally about the dogs they already have and what being a responsible pet owner means. Let them visit with you and see how your dogs are treated. If you can't reach your sister, maybe you'll have better luck with your nephews and neices. Kids aren't so dumb, and they surely can see that their current dog needs attention----if their eyes are opened to it. Get the kids to come along with you when you take their current dog to the vet and have the vet talk to them about why the dog is sick and what the dog needs to be healthy. If they don't get the right kind of information about how pets should be treated, they may never really know how to act. So, work on their malleable minds at least if you can't make your sister see sense.

I would take the dog to the vet myself. I can not stand by while anything is being neglected or abused, and If I had the opportunity I would buy better dog food myself, even if not my dog. Last month I found out my friends neighbor could not afford dog food, and tho I am on a limited income I can not stand to know about an animal suffering, so I went out and got dog food myself, no new shoes for another 6 months but really, what is more important??

Ask her if you can be a reference for her. Then tell the truth when you get the call.

And, by the way, this IS your business. You're the dog's advocate. Thank you for trying to help.

Sounds exactly like my sister except she gets rid of her dogs when they are 3 or 4 years old.

I hate to say this but it sounds like her large breed dog that looks very emaciated most likely has cancer. Is there any way you could take the poor guy to the vet and have the vet sent your sister the bill?

As for her getting another dog, I would flat out tell her what you told us. I told my sister how I felt. We didn't talk for a few weeks but I was so upset and fed up I didn't care.

Like you, I don't have kids so my dogs and cats are my family. My sister on the other hand, treats her dogs and cats like today's fashion play toy.

Animals can't speak for themselves so someone has to. I don't believe a 6 year old is old enough to have a small breed puppy. I've seen so many toy dogs disfigured from kids accidentally dropping them.

I totally agree with what Sylvia Texas said. I have Cocker's and they do pee like a race horse.

Good luck!

Boy can I relate ... I had this on-going discussion/agrument with my younger sister for years. Her now ex-husband used to just bring home animals cuz their girls "fell in love with them". My sister didn't want to take care of animals, she can barely take care of a home.

I would gently push and coerce as much as possible. When she finally left him, but took the dogs because it turned out he was abusive to them ... I finally convinced her to find them good homes. She took them to the SPCA where they were both adopted out the next day.

It certainly wasn't easy, and I know the need to tread lightly ... but sometimes you just have to be blunt.

I also would probably make an appt. and take the sick looking dog to the vet.

Good luck, it's a really tough situation.

I am sorry but your sister sounds like yet another irresponsible pet owner. Tell her so and tell her not to get another dog, please. I would feed my pets before myself. It's a commitment. I still say Americans should have to take care of their pets!

Carla

I would have to agree with most of the comments here. It does seem very typical of the immediate gratification/no responsibility of the way of things.

You could ask your sister if she is planning on getting rid of the other dogs - you could also point out the huge social disorder that will happen when there is one inside dog, and two outside dogs.

Dogs are very social and consider themselves part of your pack, so if you banish them outside they will always be wanting to move up the pecking order, perhaps by challenging the next dogs in line - the kids - and of course the newcomer. Unless the sister somehow plans to toilet train the dog, the new one will have to be outside.

I think the social aspect is one thing to push **AND** most importantly, you may find if you are in city limits, you are limited to how many dogs you can have, and, as it happens where I live, the limit is 2. So the problem'd be solved that way, although educating sister into being....a responsible grown-up would be the best thing.

I don't know what the legality of age of child in control of a dog is, but when I lived in Australia, a dog had to be under the supervision of someone at least 12 years of age when out on a leash.

I think that if it were anyone *but* your sis, you'd have to consider keeping quiet. But family? If you can't have frank discussions with a family member, who can you have them with? I will bite my tongue with a lot of people, but not family.

I'm currently providing all the food for one of my parents' dogs because she's very old, and they wouldn't provide her with healthier soft food when her teeth went bad. She was getting very skinny, and I practically hounded them into taking the dog to the vet, then told them I'd be making food for her along with my dog's food weekly. They know that I feel she should be put down (she's got cancer, and seems to be having joint pain they won't treat her for either), but since they won't, at least I know she's getting good food until the end.

Don't mince words with your sister - ask her why she doesn't bring her other dogs into the house, and why she hasn't gotten medical attention for the ill one. No way would I let my sister get away with treating animals that way - not without a lecture from her big sister!