Not sure what to do...

Last night I was having a little after-work nap (yes, PMS - don't ya love it??) when I heard this awful yelling and screaming on our street.

After a minute I was able to decipher what was being said and it was a man shouting at his dog. He was really, really frighteningly angry - yelling `BAD DOG!!! BAD BAD DOG!!!' SO loudly and furiously that his voice was breaking. It was very scary. I gathered from looking out of the window that his dog had run after a couple who were walking their dogs along the street - but I had heard no barking or yelping or anything else to indicate that this was a problem. I was really afraid that when he got his dog back inside he was going to kick it or beat it or do something really awful - honestly, nobody yells at an animal like that unless they beat it up as well.

It upset me the whole night and I don't know what to do. Should I ring the RSPCA? Max said we didn't know what the dog had done, but I don't think anything could warrant that kind of a violent reaction.

I'm pretty sure it was at his house - because after the screaming match he went back inside and closed the door. I would've gone out there but any man who is that aggressive is not going to find out where I live! Plus, Maxy wasn't home and there was no way I was going out by myself. I am very concerned for that poor pup.

A quick call to your local animal protection agency would probably bring you peace of mind.

That's a tough one. Wow, I'm sorry you had to see that. I think the best thing to do would be to talk to the man about it. Bring someone with you if it would make you feel better. Tell him you're concerned, and his dog doesn't deserve that. Suggest training, and a leash on his dog. If that doesn't work, a report to the SPCA is in order.

You know, I thought of putting an anonymous typed letter in his mailbox saying, `If I EVER hear you terrifying your poor dog like that again I will have the RSPCA onto you so fast you won't know what happened' but I've changed my mind now - I think that was just a knee-jerk reaction to how horrible it was.