I have not thankfully witnessed any form of animal cruelty in person. My neighbor was telling me that before we moved into the area there was a husband and wife with no kids that lived on our street. They had a cocker spaniel they would literally leave tied up on the enclosed back porch day and night. The neighbors complained about the barking, but nothing was done.
People on the street started kind of keeping tabs on the dog and would notice the water bowl wasn't filled while the dog was barking and stuck in the hot sun. Also the patio was covered in feces. That was enough for the housing manager to investigate and then someone came and took the dog. I guess some people fail to realize you have to interact with your dogs. You just don't leave them on a chain 24/7.