Mom Frustrated with Neighbor's Dogs

I know what you are going through we had the same problem with the people across the street there pit was always loose so I started calling animal control and they kept fining them for not kepping the dog contained finally they gave the 3rd warning and if they would have came back they would have taken the dog..keep calling she'll either get sick of paying fines or the dog will be taken. Our kids are our first priority not other peoples animals. We have a rottweiler and have a fence because we know he could get loose if he was just on a chain.I hate it when people dont keep their animals in there own yard.

I also have to say this first... Just because they are pit bulls does not mean they are mean dogs. Some of the meanest dogs I have met are SMALL dogs and some of the best dogs I have met are pit bulls, german shepards & other such big dogs. They look scary but are sometimes completely harmless so don't base your judgements on their size and breed alone.

That being said, no matter if they are pit bulls or poodles or any other breed - you don't want ANY stray dogs or "stranger" dogs in your yard EVER! A lot of townships, cities, counties have laws about dogs being outside and not in a fenced area or a lead of some sort. Call the police and animal control and see if there isn't something that can be done about it that way. Save the confrontations for the professionals!

I'd call Animal Control in the city and file a report. Explain to them the situation, and let them take it from there. If there is no change in the situation within a week, I'd call them every day a report a stray dog. Eventually the woman will get tired of paying fines and do something about her dogs.

I would contact your local Animal Control office. In a city setting, nobody should be allowed to let their dogs roam free. Especially if they keep wandering into your yard repeatedly. Animal control will most likely require them to either fence them in or have the dogs on restraints to keep them in their own yard. If possible, photograph the animals while they are "trespassing". The more documentation you have, the better...just in case something were to happen.

Good luck.

Have you tried calling animal control and reporting the dog/situation? Most cities/townships have leash laws & it sounds like your neighbor is in violation.

CALL THE POLICE!! I would make a complaint every time that I daw the dogs in your yard. In my community, there is an ordinance that forbids dogs to be off leash or out of the owner's control. You have young children to think about. Don't take the chance with dogs that appear to be vicious, because you don't want to live to regret it later.

I don't care if animals lovers blast me for saying it, if a dog came within a foot of my baby that I paid big money to fence my yard to keep them away, I would be throwing something at the dog first or trap it and tie it up on the corner and have the police pick it up.

Then I would have yourself or your husband go to that hole in the fence and fix it yourself because the neighbor keeps putting it off.

if Animal control won't respond call them back and demand a supervisor and write down names and if that all fails callthe police every.single.time.

Wanted to add that German Shephards are not usually mean they afre extremely loyal though from what i have read.

Call animal control. I have been on both sides of this issue. You've asked nicely. You've taken steps to secure your yard. There is nothing more that you can resonably be expected to do. If she can't control her dogs then she shouldn't have them anymore.

I don't know where you live, but I know where I live dogs are not supposed to run free in the neighborhood. I would call animal control, they will come out and give your neighbor a warning and or a fine. If it continues they can and will take the dog away especially if it is a pit bull. They are a very dangerous breed. Pit dogs are known for being vicious and dangerous and you don't need that around your children. Also, you would be doing your other neighbors a favor by calling animal control. If outside, they need to be leashed or tied up and under control.

Call your local animal control. Immediately. Have the dogs picked up the next time they are out of her yard. It is ILLEGAL to allow animals to roam free. She may think they are harmless, but dogs are territorial and it would be a tragedy if someones child was attacked by one of these dogs. The dogs themselves are in danger if they are crossing any streets as well.
Good Luck.

THere has to be leash law's, my mom got in trouble in Dearborn for not having her Bishon Fries on a lease! Those people need to put those nasty dogs on a leash, I am sorry but those Pit bulls are nothing but dangerous animals, especially around children! Like others said, keep calling the police and animal control everytime they enter your yard! Good luck! If those dogs come near your children I hope you would harm it!

Hi Brenda,
It is very difficult with what you are going through. I would suggest start by checking with your local city office what dog ordinance they have. Most cities have one and from there you could file a complain or at least let the neighbor know that you are going to file a complain if this problem continues.
Hope that works for you. Good luck. You have done everything else maybe this will work for you.

Brenda-

There is an easy solution to this. You simply call your local animal control when you find the dogs in the yard. I know that in most cities that if pitbulls are found roaming they are captured and taken away. I don't blame you being so frustrated. My husband had an Akita before we married almost 8 years. Last year just before Christmas our Akita (who was very good with our daughter until she started walking) bite our then 15 month old daughter in the head. So I feel your concern deeply. We put our dog down because we could no longer trust her around other people or dogs for that matter.

Brenda R.,

I am not fond at all of pit bulls, either, but they are only doing what the foolish owners allow them to do. It really is not the dogs' faults that the owners are not very responsible people. I would leave a note on the door or porch and ask kindly if they could keep their dog in their own yard because you are afraid your children will slide in dog poop and get injured. If that does not work, I would call animal control the next time their dog is in your yard and report the dog in your yard. Most areas have a leash law and the people could get a ticket for not having it on a leash. I had much trouble with a neighbor hooked on to our house for the same reason. My husband got so tired of cleaning up dog poop when we never allowed ours to poop in their yard without us picking up the poop and theirs pooped all over our yard but they would leave it for us to clean so he put several piles of their dog's poop into a bag that he collected over several days and put it in front of their front door one night and when the husband went to work the next day he stepped right into the piles. They got the message and the problem was not as bad for a while. I thought it was mean but it did work. They would wake us up every morning calling their dog that they allowed to run free to potty all over the back yards of all of us neighbors. We were so glad when they moved away later. They were not nice neighbors. We also had young children and did not want them to step into the dog poop because little ones don't always think to watch where they step before they place their feet while running and walking.

I'm in favor of talking nicely to people but some people don't respond even to kindness and you said that you are afraid of confrontation.

L. C.

Check with your city to see what their ordinances are on dogs. I would be willing to bet that they have to be contained in their yard or on a leash at all times. That's not happening. Additionally - you may be able to call anonymously and ask if their dogs have been licensed with the city. Hopefully a visit from the city would help shape them up. If not, call animal control. The safety of your children is the most important thing in the world!

Certainly there have to be some leash laws in your town. If your neighbors don't respond to YOU, call the city and see what they will do for you. Where we live, there are leash laws and any roaming dog's owner can be ticketed and fined.

You have 2 options. The first is to contact the police in our area. They will come over when the dogs are out. Once they are out 3 times they will be put down at animal control.
The second is to move. With kids you will need to do this because even if they get put down the owners most likely will get violent on their own. I wouldn't put your family at risk for sure. My boss' son was at the babysitter with a pit bull that was raised nice from birth. It had been around him since his birth, about 8 years. Then one day it bit off his face. He has had 14 surgeries and is horrified to go to school, camping or fishing because of how he looks. Move out.

most townships or cities have a "dog at large" law. dogs cannot roam free...
call animal control and have them picked up...the neighbors will learn to keep them tied up the hard way then

Hi Brenda:
Call your local Animal Control or if you are in Detroit contact the Detroit Humane Society (that is the Humane Society that is featured on Animal Planet's "Animal Cops Detroit") when it happens again. The info for the Detroit Humane Society is www.michiganhumane.org and their add is 7401 Chrysler Dr. Detroit, MI 48211-1942. The phone number is###-###-####. No matter which agency you call just explain the situation to them and also tell them that you want to keep the peace with your neighbor so you would like to remain anonymous and they should respect your wishes. By doing this the aniaml is taken care of and your kids can play in their yard safely! I hope this helps! Good luck!
H. S
New Baltimore, MI

Brenda, Have you tried calling the City Hall you live in for their ordinances? The city I live has rules & regulations for animal control. I walk and a German Shepherd would chase me down the sidewalk. When I called the city they informed me animals are supposed to be controlled and the sidewalk is not the property of the homeowner. Most cities have leash laws and when violated can be enforced and the home owner ticketed .

1. I wouldn't rely on this woman to live up to what she said she would, about taking care of the one side of the fence. If they have a careless attitude about their dogs roaming free, they'll have a careless attitude about getting it done and/or paying for it.

2. Realize that careless people who have pets are selfish, and they don't give a care about other people. Or children for that matter. They don't care about their pets either if they allow them to roam because they allow the potential for the dog to get hit by a car or to cause injury to someone and have to be put down. This woman is a selfish idiot. The world revolves around her and she can't be inconvenienced. It won't even be a wake up call when someone gets attacked by the PitBulls and she has a lawsuit to deal with.
3. If I were you I would consult the humane society and see what actions can be taken, if any, about the dogs. Legal action perhaps too. You'll make an enemy of the twit, but she's already seen to that so you have nothing to lose. But perhaps a policeman could advise her to keep her dogs contained and restrained before something bad happens. Sadly PitBulls end up in too many wrong peoples' hands, like this lady.

1) call your city's code enforcement department and see if there are any laws in the city regarding dogs being on leashes, registered, etc. Ask specifically if there are any regulations regarding pit bulls. Some places are more strict about pit bulls because they have harmed children in the past.

2) call your local city council member/at-large members and mayor and explain how badly you were treated by animal control and how you are trying to protect yourself and your kids because of the rude neighbor who won't leash up her pitbulls - and remind them that a toddler got mulled to death in Eastpointe by a pit bull that this toddler knew - so, you aren't being unreasonable in your request to your neighbor to leash up the dogs and animal control is supposed to do its job and not hang up on people. Tell them you called code enforcement and learned X,Y,Z about the regulations and A is supposed to happen if B is going on and animal control isn't going their job.

3) keep a log when and where you see the dogs, when they are wandering around the neighborhood. When you spoke to your neighbors and other incidents regarding the pit bulls. If you can document the problems/incidences, then people are more likely to do something to -

Oh, and if you can get your neighbors to call animal control when the pit bulls are wandering in their yards and call their city council members - there is power in a lot of people complaining - especially in an election year!

There are still options, don't give up!

Chances are VERY high that there is a leash law in your town. The dogs not being on a leash or inside an enclosed area is a violation and you can and should report it to the police/animal control ASAP. This isn't about being confrontational, or a "bad" neighbor...this is about keeping your little boys safe...those dogs have already shown you that they are aggressive to YOU (barking growling) and you are easily 3x's the size of your children...how much more aggressive will they be toward your little guys?

It's not worth it to be a "good neighbor" and try to work it out amicably.

I would not worry so much about the German Shepherds as they are bred to be protectors not aggressors as pit bulls are...but then again you don't know how the Shepherd has been treated or what if any training he has had.

Just saw your follow up. if animal control won't help, call the police...tell them that the dog is in your yard and is aggressive...they HAVE to respond.

I would place a call to your local Animal Control and ask what the leash ordinance is. We live in Grand Rapids and I can tell you for positive that if a dog owner does NOT have a fenced in yard, then the dog MUST be on a leash at all times when outside. The only other option would be for them to get a fenced in dog run to put the dogs in. If that is the case in your city then you can report that they are on the run constantly and that they are threatening people in their own yards. They can then come out and take care of the situation.

I am a dog-lover and get so frustrated when my neighbor is angry because my dog barks at her dog when they are out at the same time. But I quickly bring my dog in to keep the peace and I love my neighbor. But I would definitely get the police involved if I were in your situation. This is scary! I would also do whatever I had to do to secure my own yard, even if temporarily putting up chicken wire, which is cheap, was required till neighbors replaced their fencing. I think this lady is protective of her dog and oblivious to the dangers not to mention the lack of courtesy involved in letting her dogs run. I used to have a dog who would scale my fence and run loose. I had to pay to have a higher fence put up when I was not in a position to do that, but it had to be done so I did it. My dog was not a threat to anyone but I didn't want her hit by a car. Then a workman left my new gate open and she got out when I was in labor and it was pouring rain. I was yelling for her in the rain between contractions all over the neighborhood. It's a little funny now but not at the time. I ended up selling her because she just wouldn't stay in the yard. She was a
German Shorthair Pointer, a lively hunting dog who wanted to run. I definitely would have another serious talk with this neighbor and tell her you have small children you must protect and you will do whatever you need to do. Then call the police every single time there's a problem. Good luck, Brenda! Dog-owners sometimes feel picked on but it comes with the territory. You have to take responsibility for your animals or get rid of them. That's life in a neighborhood! And I am one who thinks pit bulls should be outlawed anyway!

Since animal control has gotten you no where, start taking pictures of the animal in your yard and every time the dog is in your yard, call the police. Just say you have a pitbull in your yard and you fear for your kids. Don't say you don't know who's it is, but kind of play dumb. If they can't do anything, just have them make note you called. Continue to call throughout the day/days, and eventually they will have to do something about it. Document all the times the dog is in the yard, video tape it, take pictures, write it down, everything and anything! If it gets sticky and the lady trys to get back at you, you have proof. good luck and I feel for you! Oh also, get the guy that put your fence up to give you something in writing about the fear of the animal and having to work with protection around him; that will help your case.

It sounds like she just doesn't care. I would call animal control and tell them of your problem. Chances are the dogs are not licensed so they will get picked up. Then it will be up to the owner to pay the fines to get them back... If she gets them back and still lets them run loose I would call the police and file a complaint but tell them you don't want her to know it's you...It sounds like you have been beyond nice with this situation. You don't want something to happen to you or one of your kids and regret not calling animal control and or the police.

Every time the dog is out of its own yard, call animal control. They will come get it and if it isn't licensed, the owners will be fined.

Call the pound, if you have asked this woman several times to tie it up then call them. In most towns/cities there is a leash law now. From my understanding the first time she will get a warning and each time ofter that she will get fined and if it keeps happening they will eventually take the dog away but usually after getting fined the first time they learn to follow the RULES of having a dog. Its your home someplace you and your kids should feel safe so do not feel guilty at all, you can always let your neighbor know that next time it happens then you will call, let her know that its her dog and she needs to keep it in her yard. Good luck :)

I WAS IN YOUR SHOES ONCE! i HAVE A DAYCARE AND HAD A SICK STREY DOG HERE, i CALLED ANIMAL CONTROL AND THEY TOLD ME THEY COULDN`T COME FOR A DAY OR 2 AND THAT OTHERS REPORTED THE SAME DOG! i HUNG UP AND CALLED 911 AND THEY CALLED ANIMAL CONTROL THEMSELVES! (Sorry I didnt realize I had all caps) I explained to them what they told me. Needless to say, they were here withing 15 min.! Protect yourself and your kids! I HATE confrontation myself! But you have to do what you have to do!

Hi Brenda,

I understand how you feel and am suprised they contractor didn't just leave. You can always call animal control. If you see the dogs walking around and they are not leashed the owners can get a ticket. I don't know where you are from but where we live (ingham county) if your dog is picked up they will call you or you have to go in and find it and show that it is licenced and up to date on all shots or you have to pay all those fees on top of the 40 to get the dog out. Every time they are picked up the price goes up as to how much to get them out. But also if you just call animal control and tell them what is going on they will talk to the owners of the dogs and maybe even ticket them.

Good luck

call animal control....there are laws to protect you and your kids....make sure you tell them it isnt the first time the dogs have been in your yard....pllease don't wait til someone gets hurt

M.

I can relate to your problem....we have neighbors to this day who believe they do not have to tie their dogs up or keep them in their own yard....
Our dog on the other hand who's 14 y/o has always been tied to a runner when outside, believe it or not has never steped foot in their yard....

I have always called Vector control and finally had to go to court , then they lied of course!!! and got out of it....

My husband was so frustrated one day and just called the police (911) , but did you know your not supposed to call 911 unless someone has been bitten or hurt????????
To them it isn't considered an emergency!!!!!

Find the # to the police that isn't 911 and keep calling until they are tired of hearing from you....We also live in a village and as it turns out our ordanace inforcer also takes care of this problem....Still after them being sighted and what all else...a couple of weeks ago sure enough 2 not one of them are in our yard barking at our dog...

Our daughter suggested taking pic's with a camera that shows the date...document everything and everytime
....

From our experience it doesn't pay to be a good neighbor when it comes to these kind of people.....These people also have always had cats who seem to think our property is nicer than theirs....our cat never went put!!

I wish you Luck as I know it is a on going battle!!!!

Call the police or animal control EVERY time the dog tres-
passes. Don't wimp out for the safety sake of your kids!

Brenda,
You need to start calling animal control when these dogs are in your yard.
Michigan has a specific law that states all dogs must be registered and wear a collar at all times. "It is unlawful for an owner to allow a dog 'to stray unless held properly in leash.' " http://www.animallaw.info/statutes/stusmist287_262.htm
This means unless she can keep the dogs in her yard, she is breaking the law.
As these dogs have made you nervous before, you have the right to protect yourself and your family.
If you really want to, talk to your neighbor again, requesting she be responsible for her dogs.
If she isn't, you need to be responsible for your children and call animal control.

Have you tried calling local law enforcement or animal control? I don't know where you live, but I don't think there is a city in Oakland County that does not have a leash law.

Please don't assume that the dogs are viscious because of their breed. Do, however, assume that their irresponsible owners are causing a huge problem for you and your neighborhood and due to their neglect, there is a very good chance that these dogs will end up euthanized.

Call the authorities now!! If you have asked several times for this person to have her dogs restrained in some manor and she refuses you need to get the authorities involved now. That is in no way a safe situation for your children and it needs to be delt with before something horrible happens. I'm sure there is some sort of leash law where you live. I know you don't want to be a trouble maker but, you are not the one making trouble. Call animal control or the police. I could be more understanding if the dogs pulled a hudini every once in a while but not just letting them roam free on a daily basis.

Animal control would certainly be an option. Not just for your family's sake, but also the dogs as well. Have you completely determined that the dogs are dangerous? Pit Bulls get such a bad rap. They are by breed, suppose to be human friendly. The only aggression that is natural for them is dog aggression. If the dogs are human aggressive, then the owner is completely irresponsible. You need to do a little research on the breed (reputable and not just people who themselves have no clue and are blasting the breed). A true, and well trained Pit is very happy to be around any human. They may growl, but listen to the growls. Are they sensing your fear? Are they seeing You as a threat? Dogs can sense your tension, and respond to it. If you don't want to hurt the dogs (and rat poisoning is an act of cruelty and can be punished by law as such), then maybe try to win them over. Start by not making eye contact, but kindly and happily talking to them. Maybe toss a treat to them once in a while, so they know that you are friendly. chercarkennels.com has some information and links to dog bite prevention that would be helpful in this case. An interesting website to check out is http://www.pitbullsontheweb.com/petbull/findpit.html It shows that not every dog it really a pit. Also, go to bestfriends.org It is an organization in Utah that rescues animals, and have worked with all kinds of dogs. The group is the Best Friends Animal Society. They rescued and worked with Michael Vick's dogs (if you are familiar with that case).

I would also like to point out that most people are mis informed about dogs. ANY dog can be dangerous or vicious. German Sheperds can bite just as well as Pits, Yorkies, Poodles, Labs, etc. Don't just assume because you've heard things. The media sensationalizes certain breeds. Dobermans and Rotties are also considered dangerous. My cousin had a Yorkie who out of the blue bit her boyfriend~~ he ended up getting stitches from it!! And that was a Yorkie!!!! The people saying that a certain breed should be outlawed are completely ignorant of the actual facts!!!

Good luck with the situation, and determining the best way to handle it.

Call animal control! Preferibly when the dogs are out roaming and they will be picked up (assuming you live in Lansing area??) I've had to call on 2 different dogs in my neighborhood and haven't seen either one of them since.

If I saw a pit bull loose in my neighborhood, I would call the police - I wouldn't even hesitate. Those dogs are bred to attach. I would call the police EVERY time I saw them off a leash. Don't wait until someone is attacked. This woman is obviously irresponsible and you owe it to yourself and your family to protect them.
Good luck.
Barb

I would animal control each and every time there is a problem w/ the dogs-they have to come out and take a report regardless of how rude the person answering the phone is. Encourage your neighbors to do the same. If they get enough problems w/ the same dogs they will eventually do something. You can also call the police and see if they will come out too. In the meantime, do everything you can to protect your family...you shouldn't be growled at in your own yard, or have to worry about the safety of your children.
If the dogs are in your yard, have animal control come take them, or you could drop them off there or at the humane society...the owner will still be able to get them back, but why not make it harder for her?
I am a vet tech and have worked w/ animals for many years, and I have no sympathy for irresponsible pet owners. I have seen too many bad situations... I also don't agree w/ the other post about giving them rat poison-that is cruel, and it is not the dogs fault that they don't have any direction and have an irresponsible owner...
Good Luck!

I don't know if you have done anything else with the neighbors dogs but I would call the city/pound and tell them that there are stray dogs running around the neighborhood and that you have children and are trying to protect them and tell them what has happened when you couldn't even enter your house.... Thats what I would do...
H. B.

Call Animal Control. Things like this make me so mad also. If they aren't going to watch them then they shouldn't have them. Pitbulls are not safe my niece was malled by her family pitbull it chewed her arm till they thought she would never be normal but thank GOD for the U of M hospital they saved her life and her arm. Our son had a pitbull and it went after our granddaughter it was constantly growling at her and trying to bite her the last time it really tried to attack her they did get rid of it. I don't care what people say those dogs are mean and they will even attack the owners. Call Animal Control and the Police everytime they get out they will get tired of being called and do something sooner or later! Besides it is their job to protect.
K.

I know you called animal control once. The next time the dog is in your yard I would call them again. Tell them that a strange dog is in your yard and it tried to attack you (It is true just maybe not that day). I would not say that it is your neighbors dog. The animal control probably does not want to get into a neighborly dispute. This way your just stating that it is a strange dog and they should take care of it.

call your local police on her

since your neighbors are gone, it's the perfect time to call the police. I would call the police everytime those dogs ended up in my yard.

I would call animal control next time they are running loose.

I would call the police--these dogs are dangerous. If that fails, call Problem Solvers or Channel 7. In some parts of the state and in the country, you'd take matters into your own hands when law enforcement fails--grab your shotgun! I don't know what the laws are here in Wayne County for that, but you do have a right to protect yourself. Maybe call an attorney and find out what happens when you use martial law. (I'd hate to see you get in trouble, but I don't want to see one of your boys mauled either):( I'm not advocating violence, just protection when all else fails. I'm a dog lover, but there is also a responsibility that a dog owner has to the rest of society when owning dangerous dogs such as pits and germans.

Hope things work out for you before it's too late.

M.

Call the POLICE. If the dogs are in your yard... they will come pick them up and she will have to pay to get them back. Call the police EVERY time you see them lose. It is against the law to not securely tie a dog if there is not a secure fence.

This drives me crazy. Dog owners should be responsible. Esp if they have unfriendly dogs.

Seriously-- I would call the police every single time.

Hi Brenda,

Why have you not called the police??? I love animals, but if I'm out on a walk I carry a bat, if a dog runs at me, sorry to the owners... There is a leash law in Michigan PERIOD! And the one person who responded is right, call the police if they are loose and they will take the dog. And also if it is a pit bull and found to be mean and they get many calls the owner may not get it back. We had a new family move in with a pit bull a few months ago it got loose a lot, it came out in the front yard ran down the block and attacked another dog that was leashed. The dog survived, but the pit bull didn't. Police came took the dog away and put it down. Now all the neighbors are back to being happy again.
Good Luck and start dialing 911 every single time!!
J. in Macomb

Do you have a neighborhood association? You could also complain to them!