I could use some advice here. My next door neighbors have a dog that's not abused but certainly neglected. She never leaves the backyard, never has any companionship, is a little skinny but far from malnourished. Last night we had a hell of a monsoon and it blew their gate open. This morning around 6 I was picking up debris from the yard & she comes walking down the street after a night roaming the neighborhood in the rain. It's only the second time in 4 years she's been out, the last being a year ago when the same scenario happened. She's a loveable beast and I want to keep her. The owners don't care about her & both are at work, they own a restaurant. They left with the gate wide open and their dog missing! She's filthy, and in spite of temps reaching well over 110 the last few weeks, as long as a dog has shade & water it's perfectly legal to keep them outside 24/7. Wrong, but legal. They aren't breaking any laws but morally I feel an obligation to take over. I also really like her! Do I go the nice route & ask to keep her, play tough & see if in fact they are violating any cruelty laws, or lay down and hand her back when they get home? She deserves better. I lost my best friend over ten hears ago, still dream of him once in awhile, and being single I should could use the companionship. My dogs are family, I'd give a great home to her for the rest of her life.