So furious at neighbor - JAWM

[Murphy101]

These turdy people have lived there for about 5 year iirc. They keep between 3 -6 pitbulls. I don't give a flip about the breed. That's just a description of the dogs.

 

Shortly after they moved in their dogs ruined almost every private fence attached to their yard.

 

Within the last 5 years, every single neighbor has had to buy a new privacy fence bc of these dogs jumping and digging to get through. That is FIVE neighbors. I'm on the corner lot, they are behind me. So I have about 1/5 of their side yard, the neighbor next to me as the rest of that side, they have two neighbor's behind them sharing their back fence line and they have their neighbor that shares all of the fence on the side opposite of my side.

 

I thought I'd had planned sufficiently ahead. When we paid to have our fence installed, we paid extra to have the guy bury a 2 foot deep and 18 inch wide concrete barrier under the fence. and raised our fence base about a foot above the ground on their side.

 

Should be problem no more, right?

 

Hell no. Those damn dogs put a freaking HUGE hole in my fence last night!! 😡

 

They have done this to all our neighbor's at some point, but we had hoped we took enough precaution to avoid the same fate of major repairs to a fairly new fence. This summer we woke up one morning to banging and cussing from our next door neighbor because these dogs put a 3 foot wide and 2 foot tall hole in his new fence and he was franticly trying to repair it so his geriatric dog could use his backyard again before the dogs returned.

 

I could not go over there and knock on their door. It wouldn't have been pretty.

 

My dogs are indoor only and we don't even let them go out back into our fully private fenced yard without supervision bc I despise how their dogs start barking and howling if my dogs or kids go anywhere near our own fence. The second my dogs engage in the barking, they are commanded to go back into the house. And my dogs are fairly well trained, but geez. 3-6 dogs spazzing out a few feet away is going to get some barks of warning in return.

 

So now my dogs can't use the backyard at all bc these dogs are crapping and peeing and barking hysterically and charging my back door. And of course my own pets are none too happy about that either.

 

I'm fed up. These dogs are a problem for either myself or some other neighbor every week at least.

 

I called the cops and he knocked on their door and left a notice to please call the police department to resolve this problem. I asked him what I'm supposed to do at this point bc this is nuts and has gone on way way too long. It's ridiculous.

 

He said he cannot tell me what to do, but I have every right to protect my property. 😉

 

Let's see...

Shoot

Tazer

It's too windy for pepperspray and I think that just revs aggression anyways.

Poison is illegal and too risky to other innocent critters.

 

I'm so pissed off that this is where these dumbass neighbor's have left me wrt to their dogs.

 

If you want a pet, then have a pet. I'm very pro pets. I have 2 dogs, 2 cats, 2 parakeets, one rabbit, numerous fish and amphibians. I practically live in a menagerie and it's a great and wonderful thing for children to grow up wit IMO.

 

A dog that you will not or cannot contain or train is not a pet. Dogs left to destroy property and risk children are not pets just bc you claim to own it or love it. They are just wild animals that the rest of the population has to deal with for you. So if you love your dog, either contain it and train it or do the rest of us a favor and put it down so we don't have to deal with it for you.

 

And no. I do not have to trust your dogs won't attack my kids or dogs. Not on MY property. It's such a stupid ignorant thing to even say, much less expect of other people.

 

I really hope the cop is able to get ahold of them and get this resolved, but I have no expectation of it. These one neighbor's have been a thorn in this otherwise very quiet and let be neighborhood. The woman owns the house, but her grown kids and grandkids are nothing but trouble and they come and go all the time and get police called on them delivering warrants and arresting for drug use or what all else.

 

The general reaction of the neighborhood at this point is anger and frustration bc there's really no legal outlet for us.

 

I guess in theory I could take her to civil court? But that's a joke. I can't afford to do that and I doubt she would honor the court ruling anyways. And until her dog bites us, we can't demand the removal of the dogs. So we all just keep calling and complaining and repairing our property.

 

Ugh.

 

Dammit.

 

So not happy right now. And they just took out another section of my fence.

 

Bleep bleepin bleep.

[JoJosMom]

I'm really sorry that you are dealing with this. I love animals, but those dogs would be dead. :(

[Happy]

When they take out a section of fence, do they get into your yard?

If so, that's when I'd call the cops, animal control, etc.

 

Take photos of the damage done. Record the commotion when you are trying to enjoy the comfort of your back yard.

 

 I would hate living next to animals like that.

[Annie G]

Is small claims court cost prohibitive in your town? Here it's cheap but I know in other places it's not. Might be worth a shot. 

 

 

So sorry you're going through this. It's so infuriating when you do the right thing and yet you're the one who suffers.  :grouphug:

[Arcadia]

:grouphug:

 

Hubby's colleague has two pitbulls. His colleague complained that no one wants to sell him home insurance. The insurance company says the liability is not worth doing his business.

[ErinE]

That's awful. Take photos of the damage and the dogs inflicting damage if you can. Id look into small claims court, filing suit every time they broke out if I had to.

[gingersmom]

Can you contact your local newspaper and see if they will do story?

[OneStepAtATime]

Has the neighborhood as a whole tried to have a meeting with the neighbor?  Has anyone directly talked to her regarding the damage and shown her?  I agree, if the dogs get into your yard call animal control.  And see about small claims court.  And call the police and file a complaint for every incident.  And take photos every single time there is damage.

 

:grouphug:  :grouphug:  :grouphug:

[Ravin]

I'm not the sort of person to suggest litigation for every little dispute...but under these conditions, I would probably sue them. That, and call animal control to have their dogs removed from my property.

[The Girls' Mom]

Ugh.  

I would sue for damages at this point.  Maybe round up some neighbors and go in together.

 

I would also not hesitate to call animal control to come get the crazed animals that are at your back door.  They are a danger to you and yours.

[applethyme]

Can you let them out of your yard then call Animal control about dogs running free?

[BooksandBoys]

Let them come into your yard (take down any temporary barrier you may have erected) and call animal control about wild dogs breaking into your yard. That would work where I live.

[BlsdMama]

Let them come into your yard (take down any temporary barrier you may have erected) and call animal control about wild dogs breaking into your yard. That would work where I live.

And I'd do it over and over again as needed until they were removed. I'm so sorry you're dealing with this. It would just be too much for me.

[prairiewindmomma]

In our experience, the dogs were trained to be rabid as a protection to the homeowners for their drug deals. Awesome sauce.

 

I'd small claims court her. Filing fees are usually under $150. If your other neighbors all pool in, that's $30 each.  You could call the other neighbors as witnesses for a stronger case.

[The Girls' Mom]

This is exactly what I did.  The dogs broke into my backyard, twice in one day.  I called animal control the first time; they were closed.  I took pictures.  They did it again in the evening.  I called the city emergency line and demanded that someone come get these dogs out of my yard.  Nothing was done.  The next day the supervisor of animal control called me and told me that there was nothing they would do about it.  I was livid.  That's why I ended up calling the police.

 

Seriously?!  What in the world are they getting paid for?

[tm919]

:grouphug:

 

Hubby's colleague has two pitbulls. His colleague complained that no one wants to sell him home insurance. The insurance company says the liability is not worth doing his business.

I was wondering about this. Does your insurance cover your fence, and have any of the other neighbors made claims for their fences? It's often hard to get and keep insurance for reasonable rates if you have certain dog breeds. I wonder if their insurance company (if the house is insured) even knows about the dogs.

Edited December 8, 2015 by tm919

[Scarlett]

Oh boy.  I cannot even imagine what I would do!  Ugh.

 

So sorry!

 

Small claims court might work.....if the owner of the home gets sued in small claims maybe she will make her kids/grandkids get rid of the dogs.

[lewber]

I'm really sorry that you are dealing with this. I love animals, but those dogs would be dead. :(

 

 

This is what would happen here too I'm afraid. That's utterly ridiculous. I am so sorry you are going through this. I wouldn't ever trust a pack of dogs that behaved like that. 

[ashfern]

I'd call animal control if they're in your yard. They should remove them and then the owners will have to deal with them to get the dogs back. 

[Amy in NH]

I'd band together with the neighbors and file a class action suit for all the repairs plus legal fees and losses for use of your property and emotional distress.

 

Put up video cameras so they can't try to pin it on your own dogs.

[Gil]

I'm probably going to get grief for this but...

You shouldn't have to live as a prisoner in your own home. In some states, when a PERSON is trespassing, assualting and menacing you in your home, you have the right to kill them. It shouldn't be drastically different for animals.

 

OP, have you and your spouse considered killing the dogs yourselves? What are the local laws concerning shooting an animal on your property? If they are favorable to you, I'd kill and dispose of the dogs without saying a word to the neighbor.

 

Repeat until the neighbors wise up or the dogs are all gone. These dogs sound like a serious threat. Not just to your property but to the safety of you, your children and your own pets. As well as the health and well being of the neighborhood.

[Scarlett]

I was wondering about this. Does your insurance cover your fence, and have any of the other neighbors made claims for their fences? It's often hard to get and keep insurance for reasonable rates if you have certain dog breeds. I wonder if their insurance company (if the house is insured) even knows about the dogs.

 

 

Hey maybe if you file a claim on your insurance your insurance will go after the homeowner for restitution....that might get their attention.

[prairiewindmomma]

Oh, and videotape the dogs doing the damage.

[gardenmom5]

can all the neighbors who've had to put their own money into a fence that the neighborhood problem's dogs (because the owner is the problem) take them to small claims court.  (doens't mean you'll collect, but it will be in the court record.) every single person, doing a seperate claim for the cost of the fence. 

 

just because they are bad neighbors doens't mean money doesn't talk.   . . . if they dont' pay, every single one of you can put leins on their property (yeah, even for the cost of a fence) and make their life more difficult.   proper motivation to get them to do something about their dogs.

 

if they want to cause trouble for anyone complaining about their dogs - there is then a solid record of how much trouble their dogs cause other people.

Edited December 8, 2015 by gardenmom5

[Murphy101]

People.

 

I can't afford video cameras and courts. I won't have the money to fix the fence and that's cheaper. They have done about $250 in damage and I don't have that, there's no way I can get cameras and courts in addition to it. And seriously what happens when the person doesn't or can't pay the court ordered amount? Nada.

 

The animal control that came with the cop couldn't do anything bc the dogs kept getting back in their yard when they would try to get them. They can't cross the property line without a warrant or just cause and this doesn't qualify. I offered to let the animal control guy use a taser, but he said he isn't allowed to. I have no idea why.

 

These dogs have been picked up by animal control multiple times when outside of my yard in the past and when the owners pitch a fit about the fees, they let them have the dogs anyways rather than put them down for lack of paying the fees.

 

I'm going to talk to my next door neighbor when they get home if I can.

[Murphy101]

Seriously. I'd be a bawling mess having to put those dogs down. I LIKE animals dammit.

 

But this is ridiculous and a serious dangerous incident waiting to happen.

[Julie Smith]

I'm probably going to get grief for this but...

You shouldn't have to live as a prisoner in your own home. In some states, when a PERSON is trespassing, assualting and menacing you in your home, you have the right to kill them. It shouldn't be drastically different for animals.

 

OP, have you and your spouse considered killing the dogs yourselves? What are the local laws concerning shooting an animal on your property? If they are favorable to you, I'd kill and dispose of the dogs without saying a word to the neighbor.

 

Repeat until the neighbors wise up or the dogs are all gone. These dogs sound like a serious threat. Not just to your property but to the safety of you, your children and your own pets. As well as the health and well being of the neighborhood.

 

Shoot, Shovel and Shut-up.

 

It's how some people I know of in the country deal with animals. 

[stephanier.1765]

Open your gate and let the dogs out of your yard. Maybe they'll get lost or picked up by animal control then.

 

[Murphy101]

Open your gate and let the dogs out of your yard. Maybe they'll get lost or picked up by animal control then.

I have. It's wide open.

 

I had to put my dogs in their crates upstairs bc these other dogs were just loving riling them up by charging and barking at my downstairs windows.

 

Now they are just pooping everywhere and wrestling with each other.

 

I swear they have worms or something. My English mastiff does not crap as much or as messy as they are. Fun times. Not. 😡

 

They have until 6pm. At that point I'm tazzing, crating, and literally handing them to animal control with the understanding that I'm not going to be so nice if there is a next time.

Edited December 8, 2015 by Murphy101

[Lara in Colo]

I would be figuring out how to have the fence wired for electricity so that the dogs get a shock when they touch it.

 

[Murphy101]

I would be figuring out how to have the fence wired for electricity so that the dogs get a shock when they touch it.

Hmm. But I have kids and dogs too. And I'm not sure that's legal here either.

[Liz CA]

These dogs have been picked up by animal control multiple times when outside of my yard in the past and when the owners pitch a fit about the fees, they let them have the dogs anyways rather than put them down for lack of paying the fees.

 

I'm going to talk to my next door neighbor when they get home if I can.

 

This does not help you much but in my state the dogs would not necessarily be put down. They would be assessed for temperament, etc, and advertised for adoption by more responsible owners.

 

[lllll]

nm

Edited December 10, 2015 by ^ 022

[gardenmom5]

I would be figuring out how to have the fence wired for electricity so that the dogs get a shock when they touch it.

 

keep the dirt around the fence wet too.  they'll keep their distance after that . . . .

 

it's actually not that much.

 

eta: i grew up in an area with livestock - in the suburbs. NOT rural.  it doesn't take much for kids to learn to not touch the wire.  (actually we played games daring each other to touch the wire.)  there's a guy on youtube posted video of having wired his bird feeder (birds were safe) to keep the squirrles away . .  took them awhile to get the message, but eventually gave up.

Edited December 8, 2015 by gardenmom5

[trulycrabby]

I would set up traps in the backyard, then take the dogs to animal control. I would also organize a neighborhood lawsuit against the owners for the damages. So sorry you are having to deal with this.

[mathmarm]

They have until 6pm. At that point I'm tazzing, crating, and literally handing them to animal control with the understanding that I'm not going to be so nice if there is a next time.

 

Why are you waiting? I'm genuinely curious. If it were me, I'd go for them now if you have a clear shot and the dog "owners" aren't around. You should be able to get at least one.

 

[Valley Girl]

How frustrating! Hopefully the police can issue some citation for property damage or something. If not, can the affected neighbors band together and contact 1) animal control for the menace 2) your city council person to get laws changed if needed 3) small claims court and share the cost 4) an attorney? So sorry you're stuck dealing with these idiot neighbors.

[alisoncooks]

What an awful situation. I hope you're able to find a solution.

[Murphy101]

Why are you waiting? I'm genuinely curious. If it were me, I'd go for them now if you have a clear shot and the dog "owners" aren't around. You should be able to get at least one.

 

My taser isn't a gun taser. It's more like a 4 ft long cattle prod. So I have to enter the yard WITH 2+ pack dogs. I'm not stupid. I want the odds in my favor. (ETA: I don't actually HAVE the taser in house. It's actually in a gun safe in a separate place from my home. So I have to wait for the person who has it to bring it over for me.)

 

Momentary achievement! One of the dogs did leave the yard and I promptly called animal control who is already nearby.

Edited December 8, 2015 by Murphy101

[foxbridgeacademy]

I'm really sorry that you are dealing with this. I love animals, but those dogs would be dead. :(

I also love animals and shooting the dogs would be a last resort but I think I'm with JoJo'sMom on this one.  One other option..... a very large live trap and then take them to the pound, make sure it's a pound that charges to get a dog back.

[Garga]

Wild dogs are jumping at your windows? Pooping all over your yard? That's just insane! I feel so sorry for you.

 

What kind of fence did they get through? Why won't those loser neighbors put up some sort of metal fence the dogs can't get through? People are so annoying.

[Murphy101]

Oh for...?!!?

 

The damn dog that left the yard came back in through the fence.

 

So apparently they have a whole network of ways to enter or leave their yard at the moment. He just left throug my gate and entered his yard via some other method and came full circle to rejoin the party his buddies are having in my yard.

 

Grumble.

[idnib]

These dogs have been picked up by animal control multiple times when outside of my yard in the past and when the owners pitch a fit about the fees, they let them have the dogs anyways rather than put them down for lack of paying the fees.

 

Is there any way to elevate this to the local or city council? Maybe attend meeting and tell them the problem? Remind them of their responsibility if something should go wrong and the city or county kept re-releasing them?

 

:grouphug:  :grouphug:  :grouphug:

Edited December 8, 2015 by idnib

[momacacia]

A dog repellant to spray in boundary between your yard and theirs? (I mean, absent all the other great ideas working). :/

[Murphy101]

Wild dogs are jumping at your windows? Pooping all over your yard? That's just insane! I feel so sorry for you.

 

What kind of fence did they get through? Why won't those loser neighbors put up some sort of metal fence the dogs can't get through? People are so annoying.

I have a 6ft wood privacy fence buried in 2 feet of concrete.

 

They have slowly chipped and chewed and jumped and pressed at the concrete and the fence until they have a whole that a pitbull/rott mix can get through. And because as one tried to get through, the other spaz and get excited to get through, that also quickly expands the damage.

 

But this is not new. I mean if it happened once, I'd still be ticked, but I understand animals can slip through owners once in a great while. But this has been a 5 YEAR problem. Every single one of their neighbor's has had to repair, replace, and repair AGAIN their fences because of these dogs.

[gardenmom5]

I also love animals and shooting the dogs would be a last resort but I think I'm with JoJo'sMom on this one.  One other option..... a very large live trap and then take them to the pound, make sure it's a pound that charges to get a dog back.

 

and doesn't cave when they cry about not having the money to get the dog back.   if they can't afford to get the dog back, why would a shelter/animal control person think they had the resources to care for an animal?

 

 

[StephanieZ]

I totally agree with you. That absolutely stinks. One avenue would be small claims court to file for damages to the fence. It should be very cheap to file, and if you win, they'll owe you. You may or may not get payment now, that depends on how your area laws work. I think that in our area, the sheriff might help collect. If you know where the owner works, you might be able to get her wages garnished, so definitely gather that info if you can. I'm so sorry. If you are allowed to put in chain link, then I'd put chain link secured to that cement footing on THEIR side of your pretty fence -- before/at the same time as you have the wood repaired. You probably can't sue them for the chain link improvement, but you should be able to recoup a few hundred dollars for the repair to your fence, and your neighbors could do the same thing . . . And, keep calling the cops every time they get into your yard. Take pics of them every time they are in your yard, and keep calling the cops. I'm so sorry. What a nightmare. 

 

If everyone hates the dogs, and the dogs are bad news, and the owners suck, then I would consider just shooting the damn dogs if your dh or you are willing/able to do that. Make sure you do it when they are clearly in YOUR yard. Of course, I personally wouldn't be able to do that because 1) I am a sissy and 2) dh is a vet who owns a hospital, so the possibility of bad PR wouldn't be something we could risk.

 

(If I thought the dogs were a risk to life/limb of my family, all bets are off . . . I'd get a gun and kill the damn dogs, assuming I was clear that it was legally OK to do so and again, I'd be sure they were clearly on my property when it happened and I'd take plenty of pictures to make that clear, and I'd call the animal warden to collect the carcasses to further make a record. Just be sure they are DEAD, because you don't want vet bills that anyone could sue you for.) 

[tomandlorih]

I'm so sorry that you have to deal with this, and the obviously negligent employees of animal control!    From what you have described.. you are never going to get anywhere with A) the neighbor B) animal control or C) the legal system.  I am squeamish about such things but I would definitely have someone "take care of" those dogs for me.  You and all of your neighbors have been so much more than patient and generous about the situation!!  

[Seasider]

I'm not the sort of person to suggest litigation for every little dispute...but under these conditions, I would probably sue them. That, and call animal control to have their dogs removed from my property.

Class action suit? How many people do you need for multiple complaint litigation? Go in with the other neighbors. There's no way her home owners insurer knows about this setup.

Edited December 8, 2015 by Seasider

[Guest]

The only time our animal control did anything quickly was when I called and said "my neighbors pit bull jumped the fence into my yard and chased my children". Why do they need to escape your yard for animal control to get them?