t is a common complaint that a neighbour's dog poos outside your door/gate or in a shared passageway. Not only is this disgusting, unhygienic and smelly, but it means you have to take extra care to avoid it and it creates extra work for you having to clean it up if your neighbour doesn't.
If you are suffering with this problem, what can you do?
As an initial way to tackle the problem, try to have a quick chat with your neighbour. Often dog owners are unaware that their dog is doing this, or are unaware of the problem caused by it. If you've been unable to make contact in this, drop them a formal note before taking more serious action in the form of a formal letter. Our examples below should help:
Informal Note to Neighbour About Dog Fouling
Dear [name]
Just a quick note regarding dog poo [location - e.g. in the shared passageway / outside my gate]. It is both unhygienic and smells.
If it is your dog creating this mess, please can you try to discourage it from pooing in this area and clean up after the dog if it does? If it is not your dog, [I/we] will do some further investigating to find the owner.
Thanks for your help.
Best wishes,
[Name] [Your house number]
Formal Letter to Neighbour About Dog Fouling
[Your Address]
[Neighbour's name] [Address / 'Delivered by hand']
[Date]
Dear [Neighbour's name]/[If unknown, just address as 'Dear Neighbour'],
Re: Dog fouling
I live at [address], next door. I am writing in relation to problems caused by where your dog goes to the toilet. The specific dog causing this problem seems to be a [colour and breed of dog].
The dog poos regularly outside my gate / door / in my garden. You may have previously been unaware of this problem. However it affects my enjoyment of my property, is unhygienic and smells.
If this issue is not resolved, the Environmental Health Department may take action. A dog being allowed to poo in a public place (such as the street outside my property) is also a criminal offence that can attract an on the spot fine in many councils.
I am keen to resolve this amicably; we are after all neighbours! I would therefore be grateful if you could prevent your dog from pooing [outside my gate / door / in my garden] going forwards and clean the mess up if you find that it has gone to the toilet in that area.
Thank you in advance for your cooperation.
Kind regards,
[Your signature] [Your name]
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I live in a townhouse community that does not allow fences. Therefore, the we share a “common “ yard. One of my neighbors of course repeatedly goes outside to play catch with their dog or leaves the dog outside alone on a leash harnessed to the ground. This creates a problem for me when I want to take my dog outside. The dog will immediately charge towards my dog.
I tried to talk the female neighbor, however she plays the victim and has told her family that I am harassing her. I have complained to the home owners association, but nothing has been done.
I have started videoing the episodes and sent them to the HOA. Any other suggestions while I wait?
Nay - 14-Jun-21 @ 2:20 AM
My problem isn’t the neighbours dog messing on my property,the problem is our neighbour I don’t know why he’s started doing it because we haven’t talked for 2 years ,he’s started collecting all of his dogspoo then throwing it over our fence it’s taken 1hour to clean it all up ,it’s not in bags it’s loose ,we have now switched our outdoor camera on so if he does it again we have proof.
Yorkie - 12-Apr-21 @ 6:15 PM
I came to this site looking for a letter format to use to warn the neighbors landlord (and parents) that their daughters dog HAS to stop barking all night, or I will sue.Landlords have received letters from nuisance abatement. In response to the letters, daughter and her sister began honking car horns late at night. This has been going on for 2 years. City offices and police are useless, as they all say someone else is supposed to enforce our dog barking ordinances.Quit whining about what's going on and take the idiots to court.Obviously the violators don't care.
NOmorenoise! - 3-Nov-19 @ 3:12 PM
A tenant complaint that his neighbor's pets have fleas that are infesting my house and causing him not to be able to go outside due to the problems this infestation is causing his children.
This is the first time I have this problem and I do not know how to address it.
Thank you in advance for your help.
Maria Chamipon
Maria - 16-Jul-18 @ 1:36 PM
So I have lived in my council bungalow for a couple of years now. When I moved in, I had a few minor problems straight away, i live in a block of 3 and, one is an elderly couple, and the other is an elderly woman who lives alone. So I got a move by the council on disability reasons. So I am quite a few years younger than the other people in the block.
Any way sorry to go off topic, so when I asked for a key for the comunual shed I was refused. So I didn't want to cause problems as I had just moved in even thoughI needed the space as I am registered disabled, and could have done with putting some stuff in the shed, as I have a wheel chair, perching stool for help in standing in the kitchen, a stool for the shower and various other adaptations I have been given by the occupational health to help with my mobility.
So things were plodding along and I had quite a good relationship with the couple, but the lady was very off with me and never acknowledged me ever.
So just over a year ago I got my self a puppy to help me with my mobility and my mental health as I suffer from panic attacks and depression as well. And I thought a little puppy would help me all around. And it did for a bit untill iwas trying to toilet train her to toilet outside. Any way i feel as though im going on to much, so any way the puppy started to toilet out side, but the neighbours wanted her toilet picked up immediately after she had gone. Which is fair enough what with it being a comunual garden, but unfortunately sometimes I was not able to because of the pain in my legs . But I would pick if up as soon as I was able to. I use two crutches to walk by the way so some times I am just not able to pick it up immediately so any way they ended up banging on my back door , scaring the life out of me telling me to get it picked up NOW. In a very aggressive manor. Any way to cut things short now sorry. They have now built a fence right across the garden so I am unable to use the grass and put a pad lick on the gate and refused to give me a key for access when I asked for one he just said , no your nor getting one. So now I can't use the garden at all and I feel very vulnerable as both neighbours have garden furniture and I'm not allowed to have any . So no it's nice weather I am unable to use the garden and feel my mental health is going down hill due to them . Wat can I do so sorry to go on so much buthaven't told any one else about my problem
Ruski - 5-Jul-18 @ 7:42 PM
Mr cheesed off - Your Question:
I live in a block of flats that is six stories high, they have balconies, with one owner directly above me that feels it is acceptable to let their dog go out and foul on the balcony with the obvious results that it drips down, and the solids get blown or washed down by wind or rain.I have informed the landlord who says he has told them to stop, but with no noticeable effect if he did. I have not spoken to them directly because of previous harassment from former residents and I do not want the confrontation.Therefore has any one got any advice on a way forward in particular in getting the Landlord to take further action on this dirty and unhygienic practice which is nothing but laziness on part of the dog owners as we are surrounded by areas where they could be walked and do their business.Many thanks in advance
Our Response:
There isn't much you can do to "force" the landlord to do anything other than to continue reporting the problem to them. There have however, been some cases in civil law where a landlord has effectively "adopted" the nuisance of their tenant if, with actual or constructive knowledge of the nuisance, he/she fails to take reasonable steps to abate the nuisance. It might be worth mentioning that to your landlord?
ProblemNeighbours - 5-Mar-18 @ 12:22 PM
I live in a block of flats that is six stories high, they have balconies, with one owner directly above me that feels it is acceptable to let their dog go out and foul on the balcony with the obvious results that it drips down, and the solids get blown or washed down by wind or rain.
I have informed the landlord who says he has told them to stop, but with no noticeable effect if he did. I have not spoken to them directly because of previous harassment from former residents and I do not want the confrontation.
Therefore has any one got any advice on a way forward in particular in getting the Landlord to take further action on this dirty and unhygienic practice which is nothing but laziness on part of the dog owners as we are surrounded by areas where they could be walked and do their business.
Many thanks in advance
Mr cheesed off - 2-Mar-18 @ 10:34 AM
messedup - Your Question:
Hi my neighbor is so dirty she is only a young girl well in her early 30s.she as house full of fleas that came in to mine last year now we have a rat infestation on the back she never cleans up after the dogs.there was mattress carpets bedding food waste.its been reported now so getting a visit.so guess what she as buried it all in the garden. I mean buried it.a full mountain
Our Response:
If you know this, why don't you report it to your local environmental health office.
ProblemNeighbours - 24-Oct-17 @ 2:37 PM
hi my neighbor is so dirty she is only a young girl well in her early 30s .she as house full of fleas that came in to mine last year now we have a rat infestation on the back she never cleans up after the dogs .there was mattress carpets bedding food waste .its been reported now so getting a visit .so guess what she as buried it all in the garden .. i mean buried it .a full mountain
messedup - 22-Oct-17 @ 6:00 AM
Is there anything that can be done like this for cats.
A neighbour has 8 (12 if you include the spirit cats....yep odd conversation that) and they perpetually use my garden as a litter tray. Have tried everything. Scent, sonic, water, everything to dissuade the little buggers but no joy.
I take it the regulations do not extend from dogs to cats?
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