This is our dog, Swedie
It's been a nightmare.
Last fall, our neighbors had three golden retrievers and one Czechoslovakian shepherd that formed a pack. The four dogs attacked our other neighbors two little dogs three times and our dog once. The vet bills for all three dogs were over 3,000-dollars. The neighbors with the four dogs paid the vet bills but it wasn't until the fourth attack that Animal Control intervened that they got rid of two of their dogs and promised to keep the other two put up.
The neighbor lady sent me a note that said, "You should be happy to know that our dogs are no longer free to roam."
I sent her a thank you note and said, "It's a comfort to know that your dogs will not be attacking our dogs anymore. Being free to roam and being free to kill are entirely two different things."
The neighbor lady who lost two of her pack resents that my other neighbor allows my little dog to go on their property and we allow their two little dogs on our property, but that none of us will allow her killer dogs on our property.
It's Spring ... All the dogs want to be outside more, but the little dogs stay where they are supposed to be.
On Saturday, the two big mean dogs got out and were on our property.
I called the neighbor lady and asked her to get the dogs off our property. She said she didn't have four dogs anymore but she would be happy to call the only ones she had.
I called the other neighbor to warn them that the big dogs were loose. We all put our dogs in our houses.
I called Animal Control.
Animal Control called the bad neighbors with the big dogs.
The neighbor with the big dogs lied (to avoid a fine) and said that our dogs had been on her property.
Animal Control really doesn't want to do anything. The truth is that they usually don't step in until a dog is killed or a child is attacked. The Animal Control Officer told me to put video cameras in the woods and film their dogs on my property for proof!
The dogs are just a small part of the overall picture.
We have lived on our quiet little hill for 17 years. The neighbors with the big dogs moved in three years ago. I remember the first time I ever met them. She introduced herself, "Hi, my name is Carol and I am a Christian ..." Wouldn't you think an introduction like that would mean we could expect good things from these new neighbors?
Our neighbors with the big dogs also own horses. She told me that we needed to cut our mountain laurel because mountain laurel would kill her horses. I asked why mountain laurel on our property posed a problem to horses on their property?
They also graded out and flattened some land to make it into pasture but now, the pasture land drains rain water and horse sewage unto our property and is killing our trees. We asked them to fix the drainage problem and they said the land was designed to drain unto our property ... but it never drained that way before ... so I guess it was by "their design".
I am ready to put our little dog down rather than have our poor old dog attacked and killed by their big mean dogs.
It has been a nightmare.
I am frustrated. I am angry. I am afraid for my dog and my grandchildren. I would rather move than risk something happening to my grandchildren. Joey says there are very few people that neither of us can talk to and it's a shame that one of them had to move in next door. I agree.
I write about healing ... and healing is present in so much of our lives ... but some times, trouble moves in next door ... and it forces us to rethink our position ...
Ideas anyone?
P.S. I do see the irony of the previous post being written before today's meeting with Animal Control ... It is not right that I should live in fear. How in the world do I show love to these people who have infringed, intruded and even attacked?
Ideas anyone?
I feel for you Taylor. I hope nothing happens to your dogs.
I don't relly have any ideas on how to help you out in this matter. It seems like you're not getting much help in any direction. If there are leash laws where you live and these dogs continue to run free, it seems like SOMEONE should do something about it. I know it gets very frustrating and it's so unfair to the ones who do obide the laws and keep their pets on their property but hang in there and you will come across the right person to help you. Hopefully, it will be very soon.
Good luck!!!!
They already got our little dog once when they were a pack!
Joey was standing in the front yard with Swedie one night when he heard something in the bushes. Before he could do anything, One dog had Swedie by the throat, One dog had her back leg and the other dog had her other back leg and between the three, she was up off the ground. The fourth dog was coming in to bite her in the stomach when Joey started yelling and swinging a stick. The three dogs backed off but the one who was going in for the tummy, got down on his hunches and lowered his head, looking at Joey through the top of his eyes.
He seemed to be saying that he wasn't going anywhere without biting something and it didn't seem to matter if it was our dog or Joey!
The neighbor man heard all the noise and called the dog. The dog didn't leave until the neighbor man was halfway up our driveway.
Joey picked up Swedie and came in the house. Joey and Swedie were both covered in blood. I made Joey take a shower while I bathed Swedie to try and figure out where the wounds were!
Joey's arm was scratched, probably from reaching into the briars for the stick.
Swedie had a cut on her throat and another scratch on the inside of her leg. Neither of them were deep so I doused them in peroxide and put neosporin with pain reliever on the cuts and one of those cone collars on Swedie until I could take her to our vet the next day.
The vet checked her out first thing the next morning and said that I had done everything he would have done ... keep the wound clean and the collar on for a few days, give Swedie oral antibiotics and she'd be fine. She was fine ... but it took months before she would even go out in the yard without one of us there beside her ... Poor thing.
Swedie is old and gray ... She hardly gets around some days. It's a shame for her to be unsafe in our own yard.
You say you would take matters into your own hands ... I don't know what I will end up doing but I don't really want to hurt anyone's dog, even if the dogs are mean ... Besides, in South Carolina, their dog can obviously attack and maim with no repercussion, but I could actually go to jail if I hurt their precious little killers!
It hurts my heart.
Thanks for listening.
I'm so glad that you and Hera are okay. I have carried pepper spray when I go walking. I don't know if it works on dogs, but it makes me feel safer.
Hugggggggggggggggggggggggggggz,
Taylor
I will hold unto that hope. Someone has dealt with this kind of problem before. Maybe, they will know the right thing to do?
Hugggggggggggggggggggz,
Taylor
Hmmmmm ... like "Let me talk to your supervisor."
It suppose it would be someone in the county ... I wonder who that would be?
I certainly can try to find out!
Thanks!
Doing something BEATS worrying!
Huggggggggggggggggz,
Taylor
I do have a video camera and a tripod that I could set up in the back room of the house. It wouldn't cover all 8 acres but it would cover the normal path that the dogs take to the river ...
The log is a good idea. Maybe, the rest of us neighbors need to have a neighborhood meeting?
Good ideas. Thanks!
Hugggggggggggggggggggggggggggz,
Taylor
So I have no practical wisdom beyond what others have already offered.
I do wish you well.
I guess we should be counting our blessings. We have had some fantastic neighbors ... and never a bad one ... until now.
We don't have any experience with this, but we are learning as we go.
Hugggggggggggggggggggz,
Taylor
Have you thought of hiring all those vikings from the Capital One Master Card commercials?
You and I are both women of faith ... so isn't it sad that we see red flags in that kind of introduction?
Thanks for the hug! I needed it today.
Huggggggggggggggggggggggz,
Taylor
Wonder what they would cost?
Dog Pack vs Pack Of Vikings ...
I'd side with the Vikings, but being from Minnesota ... I guess that's understood!
Hugggggggggggggggggggz,
Taylor
And you have to carry on your person the immunization that the dog has had all of its shots..
But I know that if I was put in your postition I wouldn't be very nice and yes I would risk going to jail. ITs called the big dogs come on my property big dogs NO more.
I sure hope that you find a solution... And your dog is a cutie.
Gloria
Once again, you give me one more reason to come to Canada!
I am going to start keeping a list!
I don't know what needs to happen but I am sure that something will happen. It can't go on like this.
I had to show my little dog so that you could see the dog that my neighbor called "threatening" ... Swedie was diagnosed two months ago with congestive heart failure ... She can barely walk on days when her arthritis is acting up.
The whole situation is very sad. Trying to be hopeful though!
Huggggggggggggggggggggggggz,
Taylor
You don't really have to get along with your neighbors. Just don't resent them so much that it effects you!
I would definitely check County restrictions for drainage with your local development or P&Z office.
And to think that all my neighbor does is sic his dogs on the people that he doesn't like (like my kids) and is a part time window peeper who once told me that 911 was God's judgement on America...Hey maybe I need one of those invisible electric fence thingy's.
That's not how electric fences work ... the dogs must wear a collar to be effected by the fence. If the neighbors won't keep their dogs kenneled, they sure won't make them wear collars.
But a regular fence might work ... and then it would keep the deer out so ... now we lose the ability to feed deer.
Bummer!
It's a problem. That's for sure! Thanks for your comments.
Huggggggggggggggggggggz,
Taylor
Maybe you could get your neighbor to wear a shock collar?
I am calling agencies to see what they will do, but government agencies don't exist to actually work anymore!
Hugggggggggggggggggggggggz,
Taylor
Sounds like your neighborhood is going to the dogs.
That's really sad too. I'd also contact someone about property zoning to see about the drainage problem. I don't think anyone has a right to alter their property to where it effects yours in a negative way. There might be fines for that too.
Your neighbor has some nerve!! I think I might shoot the neighbor with the salt rock too!
Hope you get this worked out soon. My mother's poodle was attacked by the dogs across the street & nearly killed him the first time. The meanest one was killed by a car not too long after that, but I wasn't sad at all. He attacked several dogs, chased cars, & even growled at us when we were outside on OUR property.
Good luck & good aim!!
I guess that you could say that!
Joey and I are searching for a solution/compromise/answer.
Huggggggggggggggggggz,
Taylor
Animal Control said that even the noise of a shotgun would scare the dogs and discourage them from coming back!
I'd rather make a loud noise than kill them. At this point, I am not sure if we are training the dogs or the owners!
I think all the neighbors are going to meet and talk about several issues in the neighborhood. Perhaps that will restore some peace and harmony to an otherwise quiet neighborhood.
There are four sets of homeowners on our street. One of them is a conservationist and a very reasonable man. Another is a retired psychiatrist. Surely with people like that, we ought to be able to work this out!
Hugggggggggggggggggggz,
Taylor
I hate to say it but I would invest in a tall wire fence and then if there dogs on your properity you have a right to tranquilize them
My stepmother has this fence enclosure to leave her dogs out in. It's maybe 8'x10' she said it wasn't that expensive and it gives her peace of mind. The dogs can't get out to run the hood, and those dogs that do run the hood can't get at her dogs. It's sturdy enough to hold 2 large labrador retrievers why couldn't you use one for Swedie? It wouldn't enclose the whole yard, so you could feed the deer, and it would provide safety for your dog while he's out in the yard.
Sherry
The irony of a retired psychiatrist is not lost on me.
Huggggggggggggggggggz,
Taylor
We have been thinking that good fences make good neighbors too.
But then, we wouldn't be able to feed the deer anymore ...
Thanks for your comment. We are thinking in the same direction.
Hugggggggggggggggggz,
Taylor
Great minds are running in the same direction. I looked at some dog runs this weekend.
Huggggggggggggggggggggggz,
Taylor
I hope your neighbors come to their senses and take better precautions with their dogs or get rid of them..
Good luck with it all ..
God bless you Taylor
Keep praying with us that there will be a peaceful outcome in our future!
Huggggggggggggggggggz,
Taylor