Agitated neighbor

[clinebarger]

I've always had a good relationship with my neighbors & hopefully this will blow over.....

I have 2 female American Pitbull Terriers, Sisters that are @ 3 years old.....Sweet dogs toward people & not really aggressive toward other dogs. Well trained & will not leave the fenced yard even if a gate is left open. But they will hunt & kill any animal that gets in the yard....Squirrels, Possums, Raccoons, Rabbits, Foxes, Snakes, lizards, Frogs, Cats, Chickens, Birds, Mice, Rats....
Yesterday my neighbor came over & said there's something dead near our shared fence....Told him I'll take care of it right away but then he goes on about them killing his Cats & Chickens. Said if they stayed out of the dogs territory they wouldn't get killed....

He said he would call the city (Code Compliance) & have my dogs put down, That made me upset but I kept my cool & didn't further escalate the situation.....No ordinance as of yet banning Pitbull breeds....All shots up to date, Both have been spayed.

Sure, I get that Cats & Chickens have no concept of territory/boundaries, But he (More so his wife & kids) feed stray cats & some of those cats have litters & they end up in my yard trying to eat my dogs kibble, His yard isn't big enough to feed all the chickens he has & they end up in my yard looking for bugs.

BTW....The dead animal was a 25+ pound Raccoon, Not easy to get that stinking carcass in a trash bag!

 

[GW.]

Sounds like he’s the one with animals on other peoples property.

 

[spasm3]

I hate to say it. I know you don't want to escalate it. But he made the threats.
You may need to complain about feral cats that he is feeding, and that it is attracting other animals, before he makes accusations about your dogs.

 

[ctechbob]

I would call LE and have it documented in case it gets worse.

You can't just threaten people and he needs to know better.

Also, his animals on your property is usually fair game.

 

[dlundblad]

I’d tell him there’s not a thing he could do if the dogs killed a cat or chicken in their own (dog owners) yard.

The neighbor needs to keep his animals contained. They make fencing for chickens.

OP needs to make sure his gate is closed at all times despite not having an issue with them getting out.

 

[Lubener]

Best neighbor is no neighbor. My ideal home would be isolated in the woods or in the middle of a corn field.

 

[billt460]

I've got a "snowbird" neighbor who is here maybe 4 or 5 months out of the year, who whines that my carriage light, (one), on my garage is "too bright". (There are no windows on the side of his house that face mine).

I keep a high lumen bulb in it to illuminate my driveway. I'm on the opposite side of a tee intersection that doesn't have street lights. And I don't want to end up with a car in my living room. (This happened some years back on a tee intersection on the other side of town).

I put a dimmer bulb in, then replaced it after they left. I finally got tired of catering to this guy, and last Fall I replaced the light fixture with a 4 sided one, and dark tinted the side facing his property.

They just came back a couple of weeks ago, and so far, so good. As far as I'm concerned the "problem" has been properly addressed. We'll see. But I agree with Lubener. The best neighbors are none at all.

 

[Zee09]

Get security cameras for the dogs yard. Only way to prove their innocence.

 

[ctechbob]

Get security cameras for the dogs yard. Only way to prove their innocence.

I was going to mention that too. In case he throws accusations about them being in his yard, and keeping tabs on him to make sure he isn't being shady in your yard.

 

[demarpaint]

I would get some cameras, for a number of reasons including the possibility of him trying to poison the dogs. At this point he is no longer a neighborly neighbor and odds are he never will be again. As long as your dogs are on your property they are not the problem, cameras will prove that. I would consider taking steps to see if there is an easy inexpensive way to keep his animals out, if that is even possible. Good luck!

 

[97prizm]

I hate to say it. I know you don't want to escalate it. But he made the threats.
You may need to complain about feral cats that he is feeding, and that it is attracting other animals, before he makes accusations about your dogs.

These are the type of people that get dog breeds banned.

 

[PontiacHO]

Tell him to PLEASE CALL whoever he’s threatening to call. He will complain that “his animals” are getting killed in your yard. They will explain to him that which you won’t have to…. Keep his animals contained in his yard. Beware! He may be the type to play with poison.

 

[demarpaint]

Tell him to PLEASE CALL whoever he’s threatening to call. He will complain that “his animals” are getting killed in your yard. They will explain to him that which you won’t have to…. Keep his animals contained in his yard. Beware! He may be the type to play with poison.

Yes, that's a move I've used often when threatened, only I say go for it. I'm fortunate I have good neighbors, over the years I had a few gems. One of which complained about a fence that was up prior to me buying the house. He didn't like it and wanted it down and replaced with a PVC fence, and me pay for it. LOL He threatened to call the Village Code Enforcer. I said yea good idea, and told him to go for it. He shut up and walked away.

 

[Elkins45]

You need to protect your dogs. Cameras are a good idea, as others have said, but cameras just provide evidence after the fact. Make doubly sure your dogs can't get onto his property so they don't give him an excuse to murder them.

 

[2dogs]

Is there anything you can do to increase the chances that no animals get in your yard? Maybe something you can put along the bottom of the fence? Getting along with neighbors (not always easy) is important for own peace and tranquility.

 

[blain450]

You've got to watch those Pitties.
One minute they're all "Sugar & Spice" then the next they're ready to rumble.
But usually a squeaky tennis ball calms them down.

 

[dbias]

My pittie mix has no prey drive whatsoever, half pit bull and half Australian shepherd and she never chases or even pays attention to squirrels or birds in my yard. My goldendoodle on the other hand does and has snatched two birds out of the air and killed multiple chipmunks and a squirrel. None are reactive to other dogs which is good.
Keep an eye on your dog so they don’t get hurt.

 

[Donald]

Unfortunately not all neighbors are reasonable. My neighbor has called the dog catcher 4 times. And I was issued one ticket. Wife (retired NY Asst Attorney General) got the case dismissed.

My crime is walking my dog in my backyard while not on a leash. It's not allowed in our HOA.

 

[Pew]

My crime is walking my dog in my backyard while not on a leash. It's not allowed in our HOA.

Delaware § 3048F. Dogs running at large.

(a) (1) Unless exempted under this section, a dog may not run at large outside at any time. A dog must be secured by means of a leash that is capable of physically restraining the movement of the dog. A dog is not at large if it is within the real property limits of its owner, or on private property with permission, or within a vehicle being driven or parked.

 

[Wylie6G72]

If he cared anything about his animals, he wouldn't let them wander out of the yard. He's taking no steps to secure his "loved ones", so he gets what he gets. As far as the cats go, whatever ones aren't stumbling into your yard are probably stumbling out into the road and getting hit. He needs to do better, or stop doing.