So I want to punch my soon to be ex roomate in the face.

[TasmanianDevil]

Oh the irony.

You want to physically hurt a guy.
Because he physically hurt an animal .
How does that make you better than him?

Anyways. What do people have against talking. Talk to him! Hell you should have done that before making this thread. Words people , fight your battles with words.

Yep, should have done something there and then, rather then make a thread. although i'd have been some what understanding if in the moment, the OP met violence with violence.

Aside; I hate people who start sentences/titles with "so" - I see it a lot here.

Yeah, if I saw someone (especially someone I knew) doing that my first reaction would be to say "Hey, what are you chucking the dog around for? Stop it!", and actually have it out with them there and then. Going off quietly to seethe, only to come back later and punch the guy and/or steal his dog would just make you look as crazy as him.

Of course, this is assuming the OP didn't say anything at the time, which isn't specified.

secretly hoping he does do something now, n we get to read about the case of the crazy dog-napper

Sensible approach, but I hope you're aware that if this dog hurter turns out to just be some asshole you can't just 'talk it out'; you need to remove the dog from the situation. Preferably legally, but honestly if it came down to it and it was me, I could live with the guilty conscience of having stolen a dog than knowing I doomed it to live as some dickhead's punching bag the rest of its life. The legal option is, of course, the *best* one though.

 

[Kerethos]

You need to take a moment, sit down and think about this seriously. You know this guy better than any of us could - is he a violent person, or was this some horrible bad day resulting in a horrible mistake? Was the man remorseful of his actions, or did he simply not care? You need to sit down, and think - do you think this person will hurt this dog again if it continues living with him?

If the answer is 'Yes', you have two options: First and foremost, I'd offer to buy the dog off him. If he's hurting the animal, he won't put it before personal gain - people like that don't. It's also the 'easiest' option. If you can't afford the dog due to finances, space, or don't want a dog, scout around for a friend who might and explain the circumstances. I gaurantee you'll know someone who will.

Secondly, you have the option to report him to the police or animal welfare services. You cannot leave this animal in the care of an abusive owner; it hasn't been with him long. It's showing signs that it doesn't know what's going on - it isn't learning that this life of fear is 'the way' of things yet. It can still be saved from the cruel fate of constant fear and aggression that'll only result in it being put down.

You seem like a decent person, but you have a very, very important decision to make, and the ability to do something this creature cannot possibly do; save it from a life of horror if that's what you deem to be a possibility for it.

Again, you know this man - If there's even the slightest chance he's hurting the dog, you have to remove it from his care. Don't hit him, don't post shit online, all that's irrelevant and doing nothing to remove the dog from his care. Focus on that first and foremost. You have two days to decide this dog's future. Please, use that time carefully.

I'd say this is the best course of action anyone here has suggested so far. Try talking to him first, if you think that's an option.

I'd also advice that if you intend to report his abuse to the authorities then - like other's have already stated - you should try to record the abuse, rather than intervene with force. Just one such recording should ensure he won't be allowed to keep his dog.

A pet is a privilege that comes with responsibilities. And in the case of a dog that responsibility is to be it's pack leader; a point of safety, leadership, rules, guidance and love. Not abuse and fear.

Hurting the dog will never teach it anything else than fear and aggression.

 

[lacktheknack]

Don't post a single damn thing online - there's literally nothing that makes that worth doing unless you're completely vindictive. (Please don't be completely vindictive.) Your number one priority is to get the dog out of that situation. Even overlooking the animal cruelty aspect, abusing a dog like that is building a time bomb that will become dangerous to anyone that accidentally surprises the dog in the future, especially if it's a larger breed.

 

[Coruptin]

Oh, I thought this was going to be something where it would be funny to encourage a violent reaction.
Ech, beast lovers. You lot burn my black lifeless soul.

 

[Uncle Comrade]

While I don't condone what he did, or any sort of animal cruelty, I would be interested in hearing what the roommate has to say about it. He might be an unrepentant arsehole, or he could've been having a bad day, lost his temper, and now feels really guilty about it. We have no idea, because all we have to go on are a couple of sentences, on the basis of which Judge Internet has already convicted him.

Like I, and others, have said, what's wrong with talking to the man? If it turns out he thinks what he did was okay, then by all means report him to the authorities and try and get the dog rescued. But to advocate just stealing his pet without even making an effort to hear his side of the story doesn't seem like the best advice. Like my mother always said, two wrongs don't make a right.