(sigh) How should I approach this issue with my upstairs neighbor?

Bear with me on this one, guys.

I live in an off-campus student housing complex near my University. The people who live here are all college age and go either to the University or to the CC a few miles away. We are allowed to have pets, including dogs not younger than a year old.

The girl who lives directly above me recently got a puppy, so there’s been a bit more noise up there than in the past. Fine, I can deal with that.

My problem is when the dog is alone. For the last four hours I have been listening to a record on repeat of the most pitiful whining and door scratching you can ever imagine. This poor animal is obviously miserable and there’s nothing I can do about it. It will not stop whining until it either literally wears itself to the point of exhaustion, in which case it stops for a while and starts up again when it wakes up, or until the girl comes home. Then I get to listen to her chastise the dog for peeing on the carpet. This has been going on for a few days now.

I really think this is not an appropriate place for a puppy to be (I’d put it at about 6 – 8 months old). I understand that the girl can’t possibly be with the dog at all times, but puppies are needy and need a lot more care and attention than this one is apparently getting. I think that she should send it back home or give it away.

This is breaking my heart. Is there something I can do or is there something I can say to my neighbor without seeming like a busybody?