Moral Dilemma

Have you ever had a situation where you just didn't know what to do? Today I had one.

Our new neighbors (have been there a few weeks) next door have a German Short Hair dog (about the size of a lab). He always seemed really shy to me. And it seems like they never let him in the house. Ok, I love animals quite insanely...to me they are children. But, I know lots of people have outside dogs, so I let it go...until today...

This poor dog sometimes tears things up in the backyard (wouldn't you if you were outside all the time?) And since this is a rented house that creates a whole separate issue. Well anyway, I noticed when I got out of my car this morning he had torn off some edging around some landscaping in their yard...I thought to myself..."Uh oh, he's in trouble" Thinking he might get scolded and perhaps a few swats with a newspaper. Well, this guy comes out, literally picks the dog up, slams him down, hold him by the neck and hits him about 5 in the head with his open hand. Keeping in mind he was giving it the full swing, I mean I could hear it everytime he hit the poor thing. I closed the door on my car and he looked up at me and stopped. He pulled the dog to it's doghouse and tossed him into it.

Here's the dilemma..WHAT DO I DO?? I know he saw me, I can handle myself if he wanted to try and thing with me, but there is only a chain link fence between our 2 houses, and it would take nothing for him to reach over and grab Biscuit or Flo and throw them against the wall. I mean look what he did to his own dog!! I called the Humane Society and they said I could file a statement and they could serve him a summons for animal cruelty, but she agreed and a said I had a valid concern about my own dogs. I just don't know what to do. In the mean time I've reach over the fence and loved on the poor thing, just so he knows at least someone cares about him.