Good day Hokie. I saw a Beagle in my neighborhood who looked to me like he might be starving. I suspect animal neglect but can't be sure . . . what do I do, please? He was being walked by his owner and daughter. After seeing his ribs exposed, though, I think that this doggie might be abused or neglected and feel it's important that I do something about it. Please let me know what I can do to help. Thank you.

Kind regards,
Robyn in Florida

Dear Robyn:

Thank you for writing me. I can understand how sad you must have felt when you saw the skinny dog. Is it possible that the dog is a recent rescue? I've known some dogs that were rescued from bad situations and arrived looking horrible. Maybe if you see the dog on a walk again, you can ask the owners about his story. They might be already working with a veterinarian to get him healthy. If you can make friends with the owners, that's the best way to help them get educated on the best ways to care for their animal.

One thing we at UAN recommend is to share ideas with others in your area who have an interest in helping animals. Get involved with local rescue groups who might already know how to navigate your local area's animal control. You can find local rescue groups here:
http://www.petfinder.com

You can also chat with animal lovers and share ideas on online message boards like these:
http://forums.petfinder.com
http://forums.craigslist.org/?forumID=26

Hokie, if someone is not sure how "thin" is "too thin," here is a useful link to a body condition chart:

http://www.cvm.tamu.edu/clinicalnutrition/bcs.htm