Something I really hate, that actually makes me super angry.

[altarflame]

Other peoples' dogs roaming loose around the neighborhood.

I cannot even express the way this drives me nuts.

And I am not even talking about our dead chickens, because I do understand you are always taking that risk in one way or another when you choose to keep a prey animal in your yard. We'll secure them better next time.

BUT.

The other evening on our bike ride, Aaron and I had two different LARGE dogs chase us. He almost fell off and got extremely freaked out, both times. I had Elise on the back of my bike and didn't even feel certain I could stop and help him because this giant dog is going nuts and she was shrieking with fear. He keeps his cool pretty well - if it had been Ananda or Isaac it would have been a disaster.

These aren't strays. They're peoples' pets that are allowed to dig under the fence, or sit on the porch until an unsuspecting pedestrian goes by, or whatever. There are already two block long stretches we always avoid because we know there are mean, unattended dogs on them, but apparently now there are more. Even if the dogs aren't truy viscious, barking like mad while nipping at my kids' heels, making him swerve all over the road and become totally distracted from general traffic safety, IS NOT OK. I know of at least two dog owners around here who make a freaking habit of coming out when they hear the ferocious barking from inside, yelling "Dog's name! HEY GET BACK HERE!!!" and then a weak "Sorry". But then they go back in AND THE DOG STAYS OUTSIDE, UNRESTRAINED, until the next person comes along.

Now my across the street neighbors. Who are nice people, and our kids play together, they've given us tomatoes out of their garden and we baked extra cupcakes for them, yada yada. They got a second dog. The old dog was under their fence and in our yard pretty regularly but he was pretty innocent and quiet and very small, and ran when he saw us so I only really mentioned it to them once. But they've added a hyper german shepard puppy who's nearly grown but still acts like a maniacal puppy. Who came under the fence and killed our chickens, and has been back under the fence twice.

Granted we have been trying to figure out a good non-relationship-shattering way to tell them they have to do something, so we haven't informed them of this yet. Partially because summer activities have thrown our schedules so far out of sync that we're rarely home at the same time anymore.

But Grant has found dig marks from the dog coming BACK IN under the privacy fence in the back since. And I found POOP in our side yard, where the kids play. And this morning while I was trying to get my kids out the door to VBS, the stupid thing was - playfully, no barking - jumping all over the opening door, and any person who came out a little, REFUSING to get back. Elise is really freaked by big dogs, Isaac is nervous about them, Ananda USED to have a major phobia that kind of resurfaces in these instances. I was eventually, after yelling at it, and swatting at it, KICKING this dog with my baby on my hip and it was still constantly leaping at me on my front porch as if it were a game. The whole way to VBS and back Jake and Elise were hoping the dog wasn't still in our yard when we got home...but of course it was. So I had to carry Elise in again. Keeping in mind I am never supposed to lift Elise at all because of herniation and entrapment and how usually she climbs in and out of her carseat herself.

I just feel so pissed off about how this is totally socially acceptable around here. Part of me really, really wants to call animal control, but I would never want anyone to call people - animal, child or whatever kind of people - on me, especially without at least attempting a conversation first.

So I have to watch for them to be home and try to have a really awkward conversation now. It's hard because I know they've moved boards around and even gotten some fill, to ATTEMPT to keep the dogs in, and they do put them back in whenever they're home/awake. But it is obviously not good enough and I don't know how to tell them they need to leash them or put up hot wire or stick them in the house more or, I don't even know what. I'm not really in the habit of issuing neighbors ultimatums.

Blah.

Comments

[altarflame.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I posted about it in a previous entry.

I would probably call if we had talked about this and it continued. But they don't yet know their dog killed my chickens. Or is digging under our fence. Or scaring my kids. Etc.

There is nothing that bothers me more than people who call government agencies about the least little thing. Like I knew someone who's toddlers got outside while she was sleeping very early in the day, and were playing in the front yard, and some busybody called the police. Rather than, you know, KNOCKING ON THE FRONT DOOR or asking the kids where their parents were or any other normal human compassionate response.

I don't know. I would just rather give them the opportunity to be good neighbors. I don't even think I'm actually supposed to have chickens in this zone at all, but tons of people around here do which I think is fine. You know?

[zeldazonk.livejournal.com]

It's nice of you to be that way, considering part of being good neighbors is to keep your potentially dangerous animals away from people that don't want them.

I don't think in your scenario, it would be overreacting at all. Your kids are scared of them, and they've destroyed your chickens. It's not like you just don't like seeing their dogs, yanno?

You definitely need to talk to them ASAP. Though I've never understood dog owners who just let their dogs roam. It's a very risky thing to do, besides the dog possibly attacking someone, someone could call and have them taken in.

Hope you get this sorted soon.

[altarflame.livejournal.com]

The way you phrase all of that is great in a "debate tactic" way. But the daily reality here in this area is that most people value the right to have a dog and none of them really think much of it if their dogs get out...it's not isolated behavior on my neighbor's part by any means, if anything they have some of the least problematic pets because theirs don't bark at us or bite or chase bicycles. They just poop and want our chickens. And now jump at us playfully. But we really did move into some kind of dogtastic neighborhood, as I was telling someone else some of these neighbors actually seem annoyed with US, for riling up their dog by walking/riding by!

Anyway we are all sort of in it together ignoring regulations and not calling people because like I said, I am one of like 6 households in a half mile radius with illegal chickens. Even if you don't believe in karma, there is always revenge.

[babyslime.livejournal.com]

This.