Wednesday, April 30, 2008

Dog Poop Dilemma

I've been puzzling this over in my mind for a bit, and I've decided I'd like some input.
I mentioned in the Fire post that I had a chance to speak to my neighbors about their dog pooping in our yard. These are the neighbors who have friends in the house on the other side of us, so they are often traipsing through our driveway/yard, are responsible for the demise of the back fence, and are loud from time to time, though not as bad as others who have been next door.
My house's yard is not big, and especially when the grass was not growing it was glaringly obvious that the dog (Maui, I think) NEVER went in her own yard, always in ours. I've seen people waiting on their front porch for her to do our business in our yard, and they see me and don't seem to care a whit that our yard is now the one with little piles all over (for of course they would never think to pick up their dog's poop). I know this has happened to the others that live in my house, too. It's like they think our yard is also theirs, when it clearly is not, and they also do not care that they have essentially destroyed the yard.
Last night, it happened again, around 11 - midnight. Dude in a bathrobe was standing on the front porch, and Maui was squatting in our yard. I went out and called to him and asked him not to let her go in our yard. He said it was his roommate's dog and he would let the guy know (which is exactly what the other guys said last time I asked, at the scene of the Fire). I really have no idea how many people live in that building, but find it annoying that so many people take the dog out so I don't know who the owner is, and that the message has not seemed to filtrate through their collective brain stems.
So...what do I do? Our yard really has too much poop in it. I am afraid to walk out there, which is irritating because come outside season, I like to sit in my skychair, which hangs from a tree on the front lawn. Even if they finally make Maui poop in her own yard, we still have her collective poop from before to deal with. I was going to content myself with the idea that the next time they traipse through our yard, someone is going to step in poop, but I don't think that's enough. If I catch the dog out there yet again, what recourse do I have? And would it be reasonable for me to ask them to clean up the poop that is there? How?
As an addition problem, it would be nice if I could just ask my landlady to talk to their landlord about it, but I'm pretty sure the dog is not supposed to be there at all. I have nothing against the dog, but I am sick of this problem.
I need some suggestions on how to handle this. The hot season is fast approaching, and I cannot deal with a stench in my own yard. I refuse.
Help.

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

Can *you* call their landlord? Maybe the landlord will make them and/or dog go away. City Hall should be able to tell you who owns the property.

If you can stomach it, try scooping up a bunch of the landmines and pouring them by their porch steps or something.

-SECP, not all that fond of dogs, and even less fond of dog owners who think their pups poop sunshine

Carrie said...

It is not out of line to ask them to clean it up. I would think any responsible dog owner (or owner's roommate) who's walking their dog cleans up it's business when it's someone else's house. Tell the house that they need to clean it up, whoever's letting the dog out. That crap wouldn't fly with me (pun intended, I guess). I would ask them to clean it up first, give them warning, and if they don't, tell them you're going to investigate avenues to report the issue.

Carrie said...

Ok, because this situation irks me, I looked up the city ordinance. (I really am my father's daughter.) Anyway, what your neighbors are doing is completely outlawed. Try looking here
, or reference ordinance 90.99:

"No owner, keeper, or harborer of any dog, cat, or other animal shall knowingly permit the animal to defecate on the property, either public or private, of another without the owner, keeper, or harborer having in his possession the necessary tools or equipment to remove the defecation.

(B) The owner, keeper, or harborer shall use the necessary tools and equipment to remove defecation from the property forthwith.

(C) Any person who shall violate any provision of this section shall be guilty of a minor misdemeanor."

I don't know if this will make any difference, but at least you know you're in the right!

Mrs. White said...

I hate confrontation personally, so the thought of actually going up to them and telling them they need to stop makes me queasy. Would it be ridiculous to pin an anonymous note on their door warning them that if they don't knock if off you're going to report them?

Anonymous said...

As a long time municipal attorney I learned that the chief cause of rat infestation is dog poop. I would strongly recommend that you call animal control and complain. They should take care of the problem. This is clearly a legal nuisance.