idiot neighbours

[earthmother]

Looks like it is my angry at the world week 

Neighbours have a 6 month old puppy.  Gorgeous thing - a poodle spaniel cross - apricot colour.

except . . . . .

The household next door has nanna who is 92, the parents who are in their late 50's and a 21yo daughter.  We have been neighbours for 6 years, and until now have got on really well - I often used to go next door to play canasta with them etc.  He used to drive taxis for a living and she was a stay at home mum.  They got the puppy about 4 months ago, and she just used to let the puppy roam during the day.  A couple of times I caught it trying to get through my fence to my chickens, and took it back home.  Neighbours still dont have side fences.  About 2 months ago they opened their own business, so they are now both away from home 8-6 Mon-Fri, plus Saturday mornings.  They are working hard, and I wish them all the luck.

BUT

they still have done nothing about keeping the dog in.  They have a dog door in the laundry then nothing (no fences, gates etc).  I have seen the dog roaming up to a kilometre away - and only 600m in the opposite direction we have a main road with 4 lanes - this is a recipie for disaster.

Just now my son opened our side gate to take the rubbish out, and the dog ran in.  Chickens squawking everywhere.  It took me only 3-4 mins probably to catch the dog, but it seemed much longer - and the chickens are now frantic.  I hauled the dog next door, knocked, nanna came (a truly lovely lady) and I told her what had happened.  Also told her that I had seen the dog wandering near the main road.  Told her that it was a lovely dog and deserved to be better looked after - and if i saw it wandering again, or if it came anywhere near my chickens again, I would be ringing the council.

I know it is not her fault - she is old and uses a walker etc, I kept apologising to her.  But really - people who have pets and dont bother fencing them should be shot.

So, on the one hand I feel bad for threatening to contact the council - but on the other hand I will feel worse if the dog gets run over, or eats one of my hens in front of my children.

Should I have just let it go?  Am I really just angry at my ex and taking it out on poor nanna and puppy?

[Frenchy]

You did the right thing EM, i certainly wouldn't have let it go either.

If they continue doing this, the dog will get run over one day, stolen, or somebody in a similar situation to you will take the matter into their own hands and shoot or poison it. 

I have no tolerance for people who let their animals roam either.  It's completely unfair to the animal and the residents in the area.  I had a dog that wasn't good with other dogs, i'd walk him on the leash down the street and it used to infuriate me when people who let their dogs roam free would just let their dog run up to mine.  He'd go nuts and was strong as hell, so really hard to handle when i would try to keep him away from the other dog.

Hopefully they just didn't realise it was such a bad thing and will do something about it now that you've brought it up.  It does make you question their ability as dog owners though doesn't it.

[earthmother]

thanks Frenchy

Though they knew all right.  About 2 months ago the dog did the same thing - got in and chased my chickens.  I caught it, tied it up, and kept it here till they got home.  This was about 2 weeks before they opened their new business.  I told them then that I had seen the dog roaming, that getting run over was a possibility etc.  Also, it is must a matter of time before the dog realises it can dig through the garden bed next to my driveway and just get straight in (my block is on top of a 2m high boulder wall, the dog cant get in driectly along their fenceline).

I know they have been busy with the new business, but to me this is just negligence.

Also - we have a school just around the block, and live in a really hilly area with lots of crests on roads etc - so poor visibility when driving.  How would they feel if a mum with a car load of kids/babies ran over the dog? or worse still swerved to miss the dog and had a worse accident?

PS - they like my chickens - we always give them free eggs, and the man (had chickens when he was a boy) often comes over with lettuce etc for them and talks to them.  He likes looking after them on the odd occasion we go away - he likes to talk to them, knows their names and what food is each ones favourite etc.

[Karzii]

i think you did the right thing.

if they still do nothing about it id go and report it to the council (if you can do it anon).

as you said too much could happen if it continues.

[Frenchy]

How about next time you find a dead chicken on the road that's fallen off a truck, take it over there and tell them that their dog did it! (i honestly would do that)

[earthmother]

ummm . . . . . . because I live 6kms from the Brisbane CBD and I have never seen a dead chicken on the side of the road that had fallen off a truck?

[Snapdragon7]

pmsl, can't say I've ever seen a dead chicken off a truck either ... or was that "fallen off the back of a truck"

[earthmother]

*now picturing a huge chicken black market, so huge and out of control there are spare chickens wandering the footpaths looking for their lost trucks* 

[Frenchy]

Really? I see them all the time and feel sorry for them.  I'll post one to you.

[earthmother]

lol thanks Frenchy . . . . but I already have 5 hens . . . . . perhaps you could post it to my neighbour though?


thanks ladies, I needed the laugh - between my ex, my 18yo son and the neighbours, I was beginning to think I was THE Biatch from Hell  .

[stm]

Hey, I'll take one too, Frenchy!

My neighbors are the same, only they have a 100# lab and a smaller rottie mix. And they have only lived next door for about 3 months. The dogs are in our property more than they are on their own.. and have now begun crossing ours to get some 3 houses worth down the street to the other neighbor's chickens. They have threatened our dogs and entered the unfenced yard (rest is farmland) while our dogs were out... I chased them back to the property line some 300' away. There was a stand-off at the property line. I've fired shotgun blasts to scare them off (and my boxers are now gunshy).

I'd hate to have the expense of a fence (one of that magnatude, however simple, would be costly) when our dogs are contained by wireless collars. I suppose I'll have a talk with the new owners over the weekend... although I don't care to.