I really need to figure this out. I’m really trying to get along with my neighbors. I’m ignoring a lot of stuff that truth be told is annoying, but I’m far enough away that its a mild annoyance. Some of the way those kids scream though scares me because it sounds as if they are killing each other. But their parents are there, so I stay on my side of the road and pray for the best.
But the dogs. What am I going to do about the dogs?
Neighbor one has a pit bull looking dog that they allow to roam loose. They open the door and out comes the dog to wander at will, where ever he will. This dog has tried to come over my fence after my dogs. I got my son to help me install a second, higher fence inside the first that prevents my dogs from getting close to the dirt road.
That doesn’t stop brown dog from wandering across a small portion of my yard that isn’t fenced or my parent’s yard. I’ve contacted the company that owns the apartments because of this and basically got blown off and told if it bothered me call animal control. My fear, is that would leave my dogs in danger of retaliation.
But now, now there is a second dog. Second neighbor has this dog that the kids cannot control. This dog is still a puppy. A large puppy, but a puppy. This large puppy comes all the way down my driveway to the gate into my yard. Puppy wants to play, my dogs want to eat said puppy. Its a nightmare trying to get my dogs inside and away from the pup. I also don’t want my two to get so frustrated at not getting to the puppy that they start fighting each other. That has happened. Owners of said puppy take their sweet time in coming after their dog. This morning puppy came running down my driveway and got right up against the fence. I’m trying to get my two under control when the brown dog from neighbor one comes running over. If I had not gotten my dogs under control it would have gotten very ugly. I finally had them both and neighbor two came after their dog. Finally.
I’m responsible. I have my yard fenced. Yes, my dogs have gotten out in the past, but its accident and not an every day, every time I turn around thing. There is a leash law in the county. My parents have a small dog, when they walk this dog she is on a leash, even when they don’t leave their yard. I worry about the big dogs going after their small dog. My parents would do everything they could to protect their baby and probably get hurt in the process.
What am I going to do?
This whole thing has me considering other things.
When my husband died I was at a loss. Between the shock and the grief and the frustration of trying to get his body home, it felt as if I were being attacked from all sides. It was similar to me trying to grab two dogs who were determined not to be stopped as they tried to get to the dogs on the other side of the fence. I was trying to get him home, I was trying to find a funeral home, I was trying to pay bills, I was trying to grab those dandelion seeds after they had been blown. Dancing in all directions and moving farther and farther away. I made untold lists. I had the things I needed to do about getting him home and his celebration of life ceremony.. I had the bills that needed to be paid. I had the the accounts that needed to be changed. Pages of lists. I still run across one every once in a while.
At the time, it was nearly overwhelming. It felts as if I were under attack by some unseen enemy. No matter how hard I fought, it kept coming at me from different angles. Eventually though, with the help of friends, things began to fall into place. Eventually, I began to find my path and my peace.
It was the same when I was so far from home and drifting so far from my faith. It seemed as if I were under attack from every side. I was sliding down this very steep, very slippery slope into a darkness that frightened me. My mistakes, my sins, my struggles all were threatening to drag me down into a pit from which I may not have escaped. With the strength that is born of faith, trust and the Spirit within, I not only escaped, but have moved forward. The fall was to the point that it has taken me quite a while to reach where I am now. Now, I am much stronger and gaining strength every day. I know too, that there is a large support group out there also, waiting to be brought into the opportunity to assist. To be asked, and to be given the opportunity to pray for another, is a gift and a blessing.
Which brings me back to the neighbor’s dogs. I can’t really talk to them, they aren’t the friendly sort. I could contact the apartment owners again, but I doubt it would do any good. I guess it can’t hurt though. I seriously do not want to call animal control, I don’t want to risk my dogs. But I don’t want my parents getting hurt. There has to be an answer outside this crazy circle of confusion. Just because they let the dogs out…again.
Words from The Dirt Road 
I believe you can report to Animal Control, anonymously. Or, if you have other neighbors being affected; start a petition to show your Manager.
Part of the issues is I live across from them, the four apartments are the only rentals on this road. Everything else, like my home, is privately owned. The managers of the apartments last time I contacted them even told me to contact animal control. I could, but the dog owners would know as they know my thoughts especially on the brown dog.
So annoying
And frightening.