Inconsiderate Neighbors - HELP!!!!!

[Beth]

I am wondering if anyone else has the unfortunate experience of having ignorant, inconsiderate neighbors that tease their dogs and throw things over the fence into their yard?

We are at our witts end with our neighbors and I need to vent to other dog lovers.

Our dogs, and I am not being bias, are great dogs they only bark for the normal stuff they hear someone on the other side of the fence, animals on the other side of the fence, etc. Our other neighbors in the neighborhood have actually asked us how we keep our dogs so quiet and well behaved. We also don't just let the dogs bark and bark in the yard we let them in to calm down before they can go back out.

So when we find apples in our yard with ants on them (when there are no apples trees to be found anywhere), and BIC lighters in our yard when neither one of us are smokers, and see the kids next door waving hockey sticks and toys over the top of the fence teasing our dogs we just don't know what to do. Yesterday it was firecrackers at the back of our fence it was driving the dogs mad so I took them inside and they settled some but still heard the firing of fire crakcers and they could not get completely settled. I was home yesterday from work too with a sick infant.

I want to talk to the neighbors but we are afraid they will not be approachable, and that a feud will ensue and we all have to live on the same street and we'll be even more miserable.

They have 3 dogs that they let roam the neighborhood and pee and poop on everyone's lawns. We have a leash law in our town and no one else allows their pets to roam around unleashed. Other neighbors walk past our house to use the woods (our street is a dead end that has state protected woods) and walk their dogs and the neighbors dogs will come running out and annoy the people walking their dogs, not to mention not all dogs are dog friendly, and we all know how scarey it is to have an unleashed dog come running up at you when you are walking your dog.

Their dogs have sprayed on our bushes and my husband caught one in our garage spraying some boxes that we had sitting on the floor. Our garage door was open and we can let our dogs out there and they won't run out the garage but imagine if we had let them out at the exact moment their dog was in our garage spraying?

I mean we have a fun loving female pitbull/lab mix who is a big baby - but we wonder sometimes rub her the wrong way and then what? Especailly now that she has been exposed to the teasing. Don't get me wrong she is by no means aggressive we have toddlers in our family that can put a cookie in their mouths and she will genlty take it out. Our other dog is a jack russel terrior mix and he's not as dog friendly or people friendly as our older dog. He is more of the barker and these kids make him crazy. And he's a puppy still so it's not helping our cause of trying to get him socialized.

We just don't know what to do these people are irresponsible animal owners they have wild cats, wild dogs, and wild kids and I am begging for suggestions on what to do.

Any suggestions? Any great wisdom out there?

[Della]

Sounds like you have MY neighbors, who are about as nice as yours! I live in a subdivision that was filled with these kinds of neighbors, & have taken 3 of them to court about their dogs. Even our Animal Controll officers said they never saw anything like it in our neighborhood, there were so many. Mostly constant barkers (& I mean CONSTANT!) or running around loose, turning over garbage cans, threatening to attack when I walked MY dog, etc. Also, sever neglect. Unfortunately, the severe neglect cases didn't save even 1 dog, but it sure put a dent in the dog's owner's pocket through fines. Do you have an Animal Controll shelter staffed with law enforcement officers who handle cases like yours? I'd definitely go that route---------take these folks to court if you have to. Some neighbors are hostile if you dare tell them they're causing a problem, & I've had both good & bad experiences going to the offending neighbor, but mostly bad. People don't like hearing they're negligent, not oare they willing to change their behavior, except through legal channels. There are ordinances that protect folks like you from neighbors like yours, but you have to be willing to take action, & that isn't pleasant. But hey, you can't reason with them anyway, & you must protect your own! If the neighbors' dog is on your property, you hve every right to protect your property! Call Animal Controll in your city or county, & seek their help. That's what they're there for!

[lisa and coco]

maybe if you are able and affordable to build up a privacy fence.?atleast you wouldnt see them or their dogs and less chance of throwing things over the fence.

pet parent lisa,sidneyohio

[Shelia Ball]

Boy do I understand. Unfortunately, we do not have a leash law here in my part of Virginia in the county. The town does, but not the county. Several years ago I had a Schnauzer that we would let out to go potty and he would come back into the house. We had several Rottys running loose in our neighborhood at this time and animal control had been called numerous times. Tragically, I came home one afternoon and found my sweet little Schnauzer bleeding to death in my front yard. He died in my arms. I called my neighbor who owned one of the Rotts and told her what her dog had done, then I called animal control. I was very upset and told them that if I ever caught their dog on my property, I would shoot it, that it could have been my 2 year son lying there dying. The animal warden threatened to take me to jail and fine me $2,000.00. I told him that my son's life was worth that. Needless to say, we never seen their dogs again. I know that was extreme but Jaye was a huge part of my life.
Now, they are at it again with 5 dogs that run on our property using it as a litter box, trash dump, etc. Once again animal control has been called as these dogs present a danger to my 81 year old father who likes to get out walking on his 15 acres and these dogs have sent him scampering up on his tractor. My father would not stand a chance with these dogs. So, now he has a whistle that I bought him and he does carry a gun. We have confronted our neighbors and sometimes that is what you have to do. Its not that you are being un neighorly, you are just protecting your interest. Buy you a whistle and speak with them. With a leash law in your area, call your local police and have this on record and there should be ramifications for their actions. I would never shoot a dog but when unwanted dogs come on our property, I will shoot in thr air to scare them off. Videoigng them is a wonderful option if you have the capability. Works great to prove your point.
Hang in there. We confronted our neighbors and they advised they would buy a kennel and place them in when they were work. We will see how well it goes.

[Allison Turner]

I would suggest not only keeping your dogs supervised outside at all times, but to call the police for them setting off firecrackers! That's not only a potential health hazard or physical injury to your dogs, but it is a fire hazard to your property. The surveillance cameras will do the trick for proof to the authorities, or if you just want to go the quiet route and speak to the parents. Either way, their behavior is unacceptable, and they need to know that.

About the dogs just running loose, I would call your local SPCA if your neighbors won't listen to you. It is VERY dangerous for dogs to run loose! You would really be doing those dogs a favor by having them be taken into protective custody. They would be cared for, trained, and loved, and it doesn't sound like they are getting much of that right now!

If speaking with your neighbors doesn't do the trick, then take action! It is in the best interests of their animals, your property, and your children (animal or human). You would also be doing your community a favor by getting the wild dogs and cats off the streets.

When I was a young teenager, we lived right by a catholic church (the parking lot was on the other side of our fence). The fence was rather old, with pretty big gaps between the slats (but not big enough for our two dachshunds to get through). The kids would come out of the church, pick up sticks and stones, and climb our fence to hit them with it. One little kid poked a rather sizable stick through the slats and hit our dog in the face with it. Except our simple solution was to build a newer, bigger, better fence, with no gaps between the slats.

[PEG PEG]

WOW YOUR NEIGHBOR SOUNDS LIKE, I DONT THINK I CAN TYPE IT. FIRST OFF REGARDING YOUR BABY PIT/MIX. I UNDERSTAND YOUR CONCERN. BUT I BELIEVE IF ANYONE PISSES OFF ANY BREED THEY COULD SNAP AND RETALIATE. HAVEN'T WE ALL? I SUGGEST YOU FILM THESE DINKS THROWING SHIT OVER YOUR FENCE, AND ALSO RECORD THEIR DOGS CAUSING MISCHIEF, WITHOUT THEIR LEASHES TOO. MAYBE ASK YOUR LOCAL NEIGHBORS THAT YOUR COOL WITH TO WRITE WHAT THEY THEMSELVES WITNESS. I SON'T WANT TO IMAGINE HOW THEY CARE FOR THEIR PETS INSIDE THEIR HOUSE EITHER. I HOPE I HELPED A BIT!!

[Jeana]

I know exactly how you feel. My husband and I have had a lot of run ins with our neighbor across the street. They have 4 pit bulls and let them roam everywhere. We have a pit bull and a jack russell. We have to wait til their dogs are in the house just so we can bring ours out. One day it got so bad that the dogs came over in our yard and tried to charge at me and my jack russell. The pit bull tried to bite at the dogs to keep them away. The only thing I could do was throw stones at the dog. I left so bad for doing that because I love animals so much. But I wasn't trying to get bit. We finally got tried of their stuff so we called animal control. We found out that everyone in the neighborhood had made complaints about those dogs so animal control took the dogs away. We thought maybe that the neighbors might retaliate against us in some type of way. But they never did. We have no problems with them now.

My advice would be to call animal control and just tell them what has been happening and maybe they can do something about it.Good luck!

[PJ]

I would talk to them about what their kids are doing. They should understand, how would they like it if someone did that to their dogs? On the otherhand, it sounds like they don't care much for their dogs to let them roam the streets. If nothing is done, I would report them for letting their own dogs run free. People like that don't deserve to have pets.

[kathy]

I feel for you!!!!!I have a neighbor that will sit outside and blow a dog whistle to annoy my dogs, then file a complaint. He went up behind my house and leaned over my fence with a video camera and when the dogs came to the fence and barked, he video taped it for his proof that the dogs barked....I wish they would have done more than that,,,,,he has gone to my daughters school and said things, and tried a bunch of different things, but the only people that would listen to him is our local animal control......so now I have issues with them, because in our county, anyone can make a complaint, you have to have 2 signatures and you are guilty........I tried mediation and that has made it worse....now we are going to animal court because I wont build my fence to match his.....and animal control tried to tell me that I had to or they would give me a ticket for not having bark collars on the dogs 24/7. I had the collars on the dogs for 4 days, and my labs neck was burned and raw from the collar.
Hopefully you can solve your issues before they get to this point!!!!!!

[PJ]

all dogs bark. It is their nature. I don't believe in bark collars. They're cruel. If this man has gone to your daughter's school, I would think that would be harrassment. I had neighbor kids that taunted and teased my dogs with sticks. Thankfully, I have moved to the country on 40 acres and my closest neighbor has a dog,sheep,chickens, and roosters so no one complains. And just for some humor, yes i have to stop my car to let the chickens cross the road.

[Susy]

Nice one about the chickens i laughed out loud otherwise known as lol

[Kimberlyy]

I have three dogs that are all well behaved but my youngest is only a year old and my neighbor would go in my front window, and we have a bow window that comes out of our house and our neighbor will go out in front and tease my dog. Bentley(the dog) goes crazy because hes very protective, but we're trying to calm him down and our neighbor isnt helping. Also ive seen that same neighbor physically abuse his dog with a belt, and when we contacted the police and they took a look at the dog they said nothing was wrong but that dog is deathly afraid of his owner. They always get cats even though their daughter is allergic and they always give them away. They always tell their two daughters that the cats went to "the farm" but we all know where they really go. Their dog has also attacked their cats and one time broke one of their cat's legs. They brought it to the vet but didnt want to pay for and of the expensives so they let the poor cat limp around with a severly broken hind leg. It was the saddest thing to see. They leave their cats outside in the pouring rain, and i would take them but i have my dogs that arent car friendly and i dont want to cause any more problems. The man that teases my dogs also catches pigeons and keeps them in cages. I dont care what animal it is even pigeons, if they're wild i dont think you should be keeping them in cages, especially when you dont have the adequete living requirements for them. He just so happens to be a hunter, and he shoots peasants and quail in their wings and brings them home and keeps them in cages. I was in their house one time and i turned around and theres 2 femals peasants basically fighting with each other for food and room in this little cage. One was all bloody and i started to cry. I yelled at him and told him that what he was doing was wrong, so you wanna guess what he does? he grabs both of the birds and brings them outside... snaps their necks and throws them away. it was one of the most HORRIFIC things ive ever seen in my life. I was so upset you really have no idea. Seeing something like that makes you literally HATE people and i think hate is a VERY VERY VERY strong word.

[TRC]

I understand your reluctance to speak to the neighbors for fear of a feud, however the situation may become increasingly dangerous for your dogs, as who knows what may end up if they are to eat or swallow something thrown into the yard.

Their safety, just like the safety of our children and family members is of paramount significance and I would be hard pressed to stand by too long and wait for something fatal to occur with one of your companions. By then, it will truly be too late and a feud will become the least of anyone's concerns.

I think that a frank discussion prior to involving authorities may in fact help to reduce the possiblity of an antagonistic sitution occurring, but if that fails then I would not hesitate one second in involving authorities as the health and welfare of your animals is of a much higher priority than making nice nice with the tormentors.