Shocking footage of neglected Corgi on a Melbourne apartment balcony sparks outrage online

Distressing footage has surfaced showing a small dog confined to a tiny balcony in Melbourne’s CBD.

The video, which has gone viral on social media, shows a corgi nervously pacing the narrow outdoor space, which is shielded only by a grimy glass window streaked with filth.

A basic wooden kennel sits at one end of the balcony, lacking any bedding or weather protection.

Over the course of multiple clips, which were recorded over three months by a concerned neighbour, the dog’s owner is occasionally seen stepping onto the balcony to clean large piles of dog faeces.

“For the past three months, I’ve witnessed a little corgi trapped on a tiny 1.5m balcony of an apartment,” Helia Abdollahi revealed.

“Rain or shine, day or night—he is always out there. Alone. Cold. Barking. Spinning in circles. No toys, no bed, no food in sight. Just concrete. And silence.”

Ms Abdollahi claimed she reported this to the RSPCA in Victoria on 1 June, yet nothing has changed despite her sharing videos of the cruel conditions the dog is living in.

“Just this morning, in the freezing Melbourne rain, he was still out there. Last week, my housemate heard him crying and barking late at night. It was too dark to record, but we both knew what we were hearing. This isn’t a one-off. This is chronic neglect,” she added.

“I’ve seen him spin on that tiny balcony floor endlessly—a heartbreaking sign of anxiety and psychological distress. I’ve seen his tail wag when the owner comes out, desperately trying to connect.

“But the owner doesn’t even acknowledge him. Doesn’t pet him. Doesn’t let him inside. The corgi literally hesitates to step over the threshold, like he’s been conditioned to know he’s not allowed inside his own home.

“This is emotional abuse, and it’s completely preventable. Melbourne is freezing right now—I can barely handle the cold inside my apartment. I can’t even imagine how this small dog is surviving out there night after night.”

In an update to her followers, Ms Abdollahi said the building management confirmed that the RSPCA has visited the apartment twice, but weren’t able to take further action because the dog “technically has access to food and water.”

Under Victoria’s Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act 1986 (POCTA), RSPCA inspectors are permitted to enter properties and remove animals, but only if they have reasonable grounds to do so.

Such grounds include instances where animals are being used for baiting or as live lures, are being denied access to adequate food or water, or are found in situations where they are entangled or restrained in a way that causes pain or distress.

Animal Justice Party MP Georgie Purcell criticised the “archaic” animal welfare legislation on social media, expressing her frustration over the legal limitations that stop authorities from taking action in cases like this.

“I, like many others, have reported this to the RSPCA and despite them investigating… they have told me they cannot intervene,” she said.

“This is because under Victoria’s animal welfare laws things like this are perfectly legal.

“Almost ten years ago the Victorian Labor Government committed to rewriting our state’s archaic animal welfare laws, but Jacinta Allan just hasn’t prioritised it.”

The videos, which have amassed nearly 200,000 views, have sparked widespread outrage among viewers.

“As a corgi owner in Melbourne this makes me so unbelievably angry and upset,” one user wrote.

Another questioned, “What is the point of having a dog? I dont get it.”

“Corgis are high-energy dogs, and seeing one kept in such a small space honestly breaks my heart,” a third wrote.