Dogs/neighbors, A crappy situation.

[purpless77.livejournal.com]

My friend lives a few streets over and she's been having a lot of problems with her neighbors and their dogs. First the neighbors were walking their dogs through her drive way. She spoke to them more then once telling them to stop and after speaking to them even caught them running off from the driveway once they saw her coming. She doesn't have a problem with them or dogs and didn't want to cause any. But also didn't want the smell and stains of urine and her land lord might assume one of them has a dog when none of them do as it is private property.
Now someone is throwing bags of dog crap into her drive way. Though she has an idea of a few it could be, with so many dogs now in the area she isn't 100% sure. There are also a few apartment buildings around and she isn't exactly sure of the exact apartment IF it is one of them. There are a few other suspects in the neighborhood as well. What if anything could she do about this? She was going to call Animal control but doesn't want to call on the wrong person. Should she report it anyways?
Thanks for any advice I can pass onto her.

Comments

[haptotrope.livejournal.com]

Dogs are the new cat. And Somerville, is not really a very good city (too dense, too little green, too few yards) for as many dogs (especially big size) as seem to be migrating into the 'ville.

[incandes-flower.livejournal.com]

I don't know if I'd agree with that. I have a small dog and find that there are many dogs for her to play with here in Somerville, which is nice. And we have found many great spots for the dogs to play. Although, I'm sure it is harder for larger dogs.
But I would never not pick up after my dog. And I don't understand why people don't. It is just common courtesy.
There are good dog owners out there! I swear!

[haptotrope.livejournal.com]

Of course I've had a very very bad experience with dog owners in Somerville (so I reserve the right to be a bit angsty about it)and I do cut some slack for small dogs, and he rare people who are fortunate enough to have big yards. But the overarching sense of responsibility has gone *way* down hill in recent years... evidenced by the amount of poop I end up nearly avoiding.

[incandes-flower.livejournal.com]

Angst away! I'm just saying that we are not all irresponsible and careless. I can't speak for any other dog owners. Just for myself.
And I mentioned that I see it as dog friendly because the number of dogs in Somerville may have increased due to the fact that other dog owners see it as such.

[koshmom.livejournal.com]

One thing to remember: in the wintertime, sometimes even a responsible dog owner can't *find* the poo that a dog leaves behind, because it might sink into a snowbank or become solidly attached instantly to the ground due to the weather conditions, or walking at night the dog might make a "deposit" somewhere that the owner cannot get to or even see due to the darkness/snow/current snowstorm. Since most of the snow has recently melted, such hidden "treasures" are now appearing, and thus making it seem like there's a lot more irresponsible dog owners than there really are (because you get 3 months of dog stuff appearing all at once).

[haptotrope.livejournal.com]

I know. This is an observation aggregate of 8 years. Not from Fall to Spring.

[dancingdeer.livejournal.com]

Sorry. I can't believe this one. Anyone who has a dog on a leash and is actually paying attention to their dog while out walking should be able to pick up the poop whatever the conditions. We have never failed to pick up after our dog, no matter how deep into a snowbank (it just sinks right in, but the hole is pretty darn obvious, especially if you're standing there watching him do it). If it's dark, bring a flashlight.

There are a lot of irresponsible owners out my way, too, but still a lot of responsible ones.

Sorry you're not walking Kosh anymore. Walks are often nice.
But boy do I sometimes wish we had a yard. :)

[koshmom.livejournal.com]

yeah, Kosh is getting older and slower. I'm more fortunite to have a dog that is totally reliable on recal and have a yard. And it's so much easier to just let him use the yard and pick up the whole week's worth in daylight in one batch, rather than go out in the freezing cold in the wee hours and follow him with a bag.

[buckturgidsen.livejournal.com]

Sorry but as a fellow dog owner, there is really no excuse for not being able to find/clean up your dog's poops in the winter. You just need to pay attention and clean it up right away. If anything, the snow makes it easier to find, not harder.

[diatomacearth.livejournal.com]

Dogs are the old cat, making a comeback! It's only recently that cats have displaced dogs as the most popular American household pet; dogs held that honor for many decades.

I don't think dogs in urban areas is any worse than dogs in suburban areas--a properly exercised dog of any size should be fine living in an apartment, and it's generally unsafe for the dog to let them off leash outside in either setting. If anything, urban settings are better, because they are more reliable about providing sidewalks and other safe places for foot traffic. Unless you're an extremist who thinks having any animal anywhere but a farm, I don't see a legitimate argument against keeping a dog of any size as a pet in the city.

Irresponsible owners cause problems, sure--but that's hardly limited to pet ownership; see any of our godawful arguments about walk-shoveling or car alarms for some of the other hazards and obstacles of communal life.

[diatomacearth.livejournal.com]

Er, make that, "Unless you're an extremist who thinks having any animal anywhere but a farm is irresponsible, I don't see a legitimate argument against keeping a dog of any size as a pet in the city. "

[haptotrope.livejournal.com]

(I got the gist, its cool :-) )

I am a bit of an extremist in that regard. Though you need a fenced yard, and preferably owned property, since renting, may mean being forced into being irresponsible (if you have to move...)

However I see you point about "the old cat" but the world was less densely populated, and women's lib hadn't happened, so the animal could go out at any point of the day, people drove slower and so on. Our culture has changed, and so should our choices. I still do not believe that the majority of people who have chosen a high maintenence pet, such as a dog, deserve the privilege, given the other (hypothetical) choices they have made.

I see the same logic convincing someone to get a dog (over a cat/ferret/goldfish/etc) being powered by the same logic that convinced so many that it was ok to get an ARM for that condo that they could barely afford. Some people could afford it. Yay. But the logic sensors are on the fritz, because, the cuteness is a tough competitor for logic!

[diatomacearth.livejournal.com]

I don't agree with your ultimate conclusion, but I'll grant you that you're arguing reasonable points. Is that allowed, here?

[haptotrope.livejournal.com]

hehe. If this was b0st0n, being reasonable is not allowed... but here, in davis_square, I think its ok. :-)

But then a stanger's dog slobbered on my pants this morning.... I think he knew that I was writing anti-canitist statements on the internet. :-)

[talonvaki.livejournal.com]

Dogs are the new cat.

Wait, what?

Unless you're talking about training a dog to use those "pee pads" in an attempt to get the dog to use a canine litter box, no. Not even slightly.

I never have a problem with other people's cat crap...

[haptotrope.livejournal.com]

"The new" being "the new trendy pet to have"

like a couple years back, "an ARM is the new fixed rate mortgage"

or Rickshaws are the new fixed gear.

Its not literal in the poof! you are a kitty now! way... And I never have any problem with other people's cat crap, either. Or ferret crap, or goldfish crap, and someone's iguana did not just slobber all over my jeans on my way to work -- someone's dog did.