Overhearing People Speak of Animal Abuse

Today I was standing in line at the print shop at my school when two young women came up behind me.  One was telling the other about her dog.  As she spoke about how her dog pooped all over the floor all the time, and begged her to take her outside often (although she ignored him), likely due to an allergy of something he was eating outside, I wondered to myself why the woman didn't take him to the vet.

The way she spoke it sounded like the dog was kept in a kennel all day.  She said that her dog's paws had become bloodied from scratching at his kennel door to get out.  I began keeping a close ear on the conversation, waiting for a name to pop up so I could report her for animal abuse.  This doesn't sound like an extreme case, but animals shouldn't have to go without veterinary care when ill or be locked in a small box so long they injure themselves trying to escape.  Then she said his nose was developing a bump from sticking it through the kennel grate.  And from being hit by her brother for pooping inside.

As soon as she said this I turned around to tell her off.  Suddenly, I became very afraid.  What would I say?  Did I want to start something in the lineup?  Wouldn't it just be more effective to report her to someone who could take the dog away?

I'm not precisely sure what kind of look I gave her.  Neither was she, I suppose, because she whispered to her friend "what the fuck kind of look was that?".  They lowered their voices, but I kept listening closely for a name, or some information that could help me identify her, although I knew that was very likely not going to happen.

Now I'm at home, safe with my healthy and well taken care of cats, feeling horrible for this poor dog locked away in a kennel sick with bloody paws and a hurt nose.  I'm never sure what to do in situations like this.  It's like when people publicly (and loudly) talk about drunk driving, or covering up for friends who got in accidents while driving drunk.  At first, I'm so perplexed that a person wouldn't want to keep such horrible behaviour to themselves.  Then I'm shocked that they would loudly speak about their stupidity and ignorance around strangers who could be a) judging them severely b) getting ready to report them.  Often I become too tongue-tied to say anything.  I want to take a photo of them to use to try to find them later, but that's just awkward and pretty creepy.

If you know someone like this, please report them for animal abuse.  Animals deserve vet appointments, to go outside when they need to,and to be loved and respected by those who are taking care of them.