I don't feel about taking my friend's dog away from him but it had to be done

Photo byTaylor KopelonUnsplash

My college friend's dog was being severely neglected, and I had to do something about it. My friend was struggling with depression due to personal issues and had been isolated from everyone else. I was the only one who visited, but I was only able to come by twice a week due to my busy schedule. Every time I visited, I noticed that the dog was being mistreated. It was hungry, its waste was all over the apartment, and the last time I visited, it had been left on the balcony for almost two days, despite its howling.

I tried to convince my friend to let me move him in with me so that I could give him the attentive care he needed, but my friend refused. So, I made the difficult decision to take the dog with me until I could come by every day after my finals were over. I promised that the dog could stay with him again once I was able to come by more frequently, and in the meantime, I would bring the dog with me every time I visited.

When I told my friend, he started sobbing and screaming, stating that the dog was one of the only things keeping him going. He began berating me and got aggressive, so I had to leave with the dog.

The dog is doing much better now that it's in my care, but I feel terrible about what I've done. My friend has no one left to tell since all of our other friends and his family have given up on him. I worry that if he makes a drastic decision, it will be my fault. It's been tiring to take care of the dog on my own, and I'm scared to go back to my friend's apartment. I wish there was something else I could have done to help both my friend and his dog.