possibly pursue legal action?

no, you DO pursue legal action! track down the former tenant and make him or her suffer the consequences of torturing their dogs.

Dogs abandoned in Old Lyme garage

Old Lyme - WTNH) _ Abandoning dogs can be considered cruel but the discovery of four mistreated dogs in Old Lyme could be considered criminal.
The property owner said the last tenant took everything of value from the garage, except for his dogs. They were left without food and water for nearly a week, leaving Martha Rumskas, the town's animal control officer with a potentially dangerous situation.
"Well there's one dog in there that I know that's not very nice because I've tried to pick that dog up quite a few times when it's been roaming and I've never been able to catch it," said Rumskas............

............"He had a harness on and it's too tight and it is ripped at least two inches into his flesh," said Rumskas.
Rumskas said she wants justice for the abandoned animals and plans to track down their owner and possibly pursue legal action..............