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  1. #11
    citymama is offline Pink Diamond level (15,000+ posts)
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    I would totally do it. Yuck, the stink! We share a yard with neighbors, and their dog was pooping all over the place and no one picked it up. I wouldn't let DD even near the yard, which impaired our quality of life. It took me forever to muster up the courage, but when I did, they acted instantly. (They first denied it was their dog - they said our other neighbors' boyfriend brings his dog over - a dog we have never seen!) The next day the yard was cleaned up though. It is impairing your quality of life, and I think you should politely request it. It's *much* better than stirring up a battle by calling the city, or just accepting it and hating it so much.

  2. #12
    newg is offline Emerald level (3000+ posts)
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    Do you have any kind of home owner association or neighborhood group that regulates rules of the neighborhood? If you do you could ask them to kindly print up a letter to put in all mailboxes, reminding neighbors to clean up after their dogs (even in their own yards) because during the warm weather the smell tends to be amplified and spread across multiple yards.
    That way it's not coming from you, addressed directly to your neighbor and hopefully they'll get the hint and clean up their poo without realizing you were the one asking!
    We have two dogs ourselves, and have called the hoa on other people who do not clean up after their dogs when walking...our name is not attached to it and they just get a letter asking them to be responsible dog owners and pick up the poo...i
    We pick up our poo....not every day...but during the summer at least every week.

    DD1 2/08
    DD2 8/10

  3. #13
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    Oops. nevermind... I just realized they aren't pooping in your yard.
    Last edited by lkarp; 04-10-2009 at 05:15 PM.

  4. #14
    Clarity is offline Emerald level (3000+ posts)
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    Quote Originally Posted by justlearning View Post
    I know this question's going to sound really dumb, but can someone tell me what exactly the health concern is to us if we're not stepping in it or touching it? That is, just having it in the air could create what type of health problem for us?

    I'm asking because I think that might be one way to approach it with them. Considering my son has cancer and is immune compromised, I think it'd make it sound more reasonable if I expressed that I'm concerned that he is more susceptible to getting x if the poo continues to remain in their yard.

    I hate to call any officials on them because they'd know that it's us calling, considering that we're the only neighbors who go out in our backyard to see/smell it. It seems like that would strain our relationship if I did that.
    The general concern is that dog feces can spread parasites and contaminate the ground water. http://www.epa.gov/safewater/sourcew...p_petwaste.pdf
    and
    http://www.cdc.gov/healthypets/

    edited to add: do the neighbors have kids? My vet told me that it was important to keep my dog on anti-parasitic medicine to protect my children. This goes double if they're not keeping their yard cleaned of feces.
    Last edited by Clarity; 04-10-2009 at 05:40 PM.
    big girl 6/06
    little girl 9/08

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  5. #15
    JTsMom is offline Diamond level (5000+ posts)
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    It will also draw a lot of flies. Blech. Before we moved, we had major issues with dog poop. It made me crazy, so I feel for you! Even though it will be uncomfortable, I think your best option is to suck it up and nicely ask them to do something about it.
    Lori
    Mom to Jason 05/05
    and Zachary 05/10

  6. #16
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    Default Sorry so long!

    To be completely honest...and I'm not trying to be mean AT ALL...but I don't see the big deal. It's not your yard...so not really your business. The great outdoors doesn't always smell nice. Would you tell someone to clean up their cow mess if you lived next door to a farm? I can see your point some what with it really just starting to get nice out and lots of places are starting to get lots of rain....I can understand it not always being pleasant. My yard is currently a disaster...I'm not going to lie. I have a huge dog and a medium size dog...and this winter...well I wasn't the best at keeping up with the poo...There isn't much I can currently do until the ground in the back yard becomes more solid. We've had a lot of rain here...I plan to get out and get some crap done (hehe)...as soon as I can step on the ground and not sink a foot into the mud.

    I do think it would be ok to politely say something to your neighbor. Maybe say something about you've never had this problem with their yard before...kindof sweet talk them a little. If you've never mentioned it to them before, I DO NOT think it's fair to immediately go to the health department, neighborhood board, or any kindof of official. I think that would be pretty mean. I would hope if a neighbor of mine had a problem with my house, yard, dogs, children(future), whatever...they would come to me first and give me the chance to make things better before making things a million times worse for me. I mean you get a little stink...I would get lots of fines. Yes, people should be responsible...but sometimes life is busy and crazy and things have to get left off the to do list. Good luck though!

  7. #17
    niccig is online now Clean Sweep forum moderator
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    Quote Originally Posted by MistieandMichael View Post
    To be completely honest...and I'm not trying to be mean AT ALL...but I don't see the big deal. It's not your yard...so not really your business.
    The big deal is that it is stinky. I've got a dog, used to have two. And yes, it can get stinky. I get that as I OWN a dog. But to inflict it on someone else who doesn't have a dog...well that's just not being neighbourly.

    We try to pick up after a dog once a week, maybe once every 2 weeks. I see it the same as neighbours having a barking dog..yep, dogs bark but if you're keeping your dog outside all day and all night and it's barking constantly, then yes, it's a problem for your neighbours. The poo is the same. If it's bad enough for someone next door to smell it and not USE their yard because of the smell, well then that's impacting on their life.

    I would say something nicely to them. Along the lines of elektra's neighbours. Tell them that it's now getting warmer and the smell from the dog poop is wafting over your yard. And ask if they could clean it up.
    Last edited by niccig; 04-10-2009 at 07:25 PM.

  8. #18
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    Quote Originally Posted by MistieandMichael View Post
    To be completely honest...and I'm not trying to be mean AT ALL...but I don't see the big deal. It's not your yard...so not really your business. The great outdoors doesn't always smell nice. Would you tell someone to clean up their cow mess if you lived next door to a farm? I can see your point some what with it really just starting to get nice out and lots of places are starting to get lots of rain....I can understand it not always being pleasant. My yard is currently a disaster...I'm not going to lie. I have a huge dog and a medium size dog...and this winter...well I wasn't the best at keeping up with the poo...There isn't much I can currently do until the ground in the back yard becomes more solid. We've had a lot of rain here...I plan to get out and get some crap done (hehe)...as soon as I can step on the ground and not sink a foot into the mud.

    I do think it would be ok to politely say something to your neighbor. Maybe say something about you've never had this problem with their yard before...kindof sweet talk them a little. If you've never mentioned it to them before, I DO NOT think it's fair to immediately go to the health department, neighborhood board, or any kindof of official. I think that would be pretty mean. I would hope if a neighbor of mine had a problem with my house, yard, dogs, children(future), whatever...they would come to me first and give me the chance to make things better before making things a million times worse for me. I mean you get a little stink...I would get lots of fines. Yes, people should be responsible...but sometimes life is busy and crazy and things have to get left off the to do list. Good luck though!
    There are actually some pretty strict regulations on farms and disposal of animal waste. Yes, you might smell a cow but farms have to be in areas zoned for them and even farms get in trouble when neighborhoods encroach. But a dog is a pet, something that is allowed in single family homes. The neighbor should not have to deal with the actual health concerns of having piles of FECES next door to them. Dog poop is gross, it smells gross and is nothing a neighbor should impose on their neighbors. It very much is the neighbor's business since it can impact their health, the very health of the community they live in, etc. It isn't like the neighbor has ugly yard furniture or has done something in their yard you don't like - dog poop is disgusting. I have two dogs, one a super pooper (she is a poop machine) and we pick up their poop on walks and in the yard (mostly they poop on walks) right away. When it snowed, we had a few days go by but picked up the gross poop as soon as we could and in our rainy climate, it can be gross. The fact it is rainy where you live is an additional reason you SHOULD be picking up your poop. Helpful link here: http://www.nashville.gov/stormwater/..._poop_2004.pdf

    Maybe you really don't know how harmful it is, but I think it would be fair to call the health dept. or animal control to ask who to call. The health dept. would be a neutral party who could educate the neighbors and I bet would be happy to not fine them as long as the poop was picked up and continued being picked up. The problem is if she talks to her neighbors and they think it isn't her business and there is a confrontation. If she knows her neighbors and feels she can say something without it causing them to get defensive, then by all means she should. But it isn't mean to call the proper authorities when someone is doing something that impacts your rights and health. If people cannot take care of their dogs more than sticking them in a yard to poop everywhere and have to live in it (dogs don't like it either!), they should not have dogs. Spoken by a dog owner and dog lover who does not enjoy picking up poop, but does it. The kids help point it out, a true family activity!

  9. #19
    tmarie is offline Platinum level (1000+ posts)
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    I would absolutely try calling the health department, and if that doesn't work, approach your neighbor. If the smell is so bad that it is impacting your enjoyment of your own property, you have every right to request them to address the situation. What someone does on their own property IS your business if it affects your property.

    So sorry you have to deal with this. Good luck!

    tmarie

  10. #20
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    Quote Originally Posted by MistieandMichael View Post
    To be completely honest...and I'm not trying to be mean AT ALL...but I don't see the big deal. It's not your yard...so not really your business. The great outdoors doesn't always smell nice. Would you tell someone to clean up their cow mess if you lived next door to a farm?
    Not the OP, but I do think it is her business if she can't even take her children outside because the smell of dog poop is so overwhelming. Just my opinion. When you move in near a farm, you're going to expect smells. Also, don't dairy farms have certain regulations for controlling odor and pests? We have a dairy farm a few miles away and the only time we smell it is if the wind is just right, maybe 3-4 times a year.

    I think I would wimp out and not say anything, or maybe just politely mention it in passing, something like, "Now that the weather is getting nice we've been outside more and we've noticed the dog poop is smelling pretty strong. Give me a holler if you need some help with spring cleaning the back yard." Maybe throw in something about how much you appreciate their help with the snow in the winter and you'd like to return the favor?

    That is a tricky situation! Hoping the air clears soon!
    Lisa
    Emma 11/02
    Adam 2/07
    Their hands may be small but their feelings are just as big as ours.

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