Lucky is a nine-year-old dog who spent nearly half of his life locked in a basement. Before that, he was left alone in the yard most of the time, where he would constantly bark. The owners claim they love Lucky and he had the run of the house, but photos show that he was leashed and living in his own waste, and the neighbors could still hear him barking for attention.

In late summer 2010, Lucky's owner went out of town and neighbors report that her ex-husband would only stop by sporadically to open the sliding glass door just enough to pour kibble and a can of food into the basement. Local activists and concerned neighbors finally convinced authorities to free Lucky from the basement. Unfortunately, Lucky ended up locked up again -- this time in the shelter -- because authorities wouldn't release him to a foster home during the investigation.

Even worse is that, after just a few weeks in the local shelter, Lucky was returned to his owners. The King County Prosecutor's Office said there was insufficient evidence of animal cruelty since he wasn't starved, dehydrated or visibly suffering from physical pain.

It is unacceptable for a dog to live in the conditions that Lucky has had to endure. Dogs deserve clean living areas, where they don't have to live among their own waste, and food every day. Dogs are social animals, and leaving them in isolation is a form of neglect.

Lucky's case has highlighted the fact that defining cruelty and neglect by "physical pain" isn't good enough. Tell the prosecutor's office that it's time to re-evaluate cruelty laws to protect dogs like Lucky.

You can also sign the petition in protest of Lucky's release to his owners here.

Photo credit: Anonymous, with permission