Pet Issues

The old saying that good fences make good neighbors would certainly apply here. If you can you should erect one. The other option is to fling the mess back to their yard, sans baggie. It is rude and unfair to have to clean up poop when you don't even own a pet.

If you can, put up an electrical fence like the ones they have for dogs to stay in the yard you get it for them to stay out.

Great suggestions so far! I wouldn't be as kind as you are by putting it in a bag...I'd just scoop and throw as hard as I could in the hope it will splat their car or door!

Good luck.

L.,
WOW, You really struck a nerve on that one. I have 2 BIG dogs and I cannot walk them in the common areas of my neighborhood without dog poop every 2 feet. And yes I do mean every 2 feet!! We have new neighbors who have a boxer and mutt and walk their dogs at 6am and the boxer pees and poos in every yard. Pee is worse because it kills all the plants and grass!! My GOOD neighbors are on the watch now and when they are caught they are not going to find any friends in this neighborhood!! I pick-up my dog's poo everytime and I mean everytime!! I even pick it up if we are walking in big grassy fields with no homes around. I complained to the HOA, police and Animal Control. They said w/o pictures they cannot do anything.(Hey and guess what, the neighborhood cop doesn't pick up after his chocolate lab!!) So, I know you are busy but you need to get proof. Video is the best. If you are taking stills you need at least 10-15 to prove that they pooped and walked away and no one picked it up. Make sure the date is set correctly on your camera!! Sorry to ramble on but I am hoping that maybe the owners might read Mamasource too and start to pick-up. Good Luck with your ignorant neighbors.

i agree with teresa... call animal control. even if there arent leash laws enforced by your homeowners association, there are more than likely laws in your county/city, and if they are not abiding by those laws, they will get fine after fine after fine, until they either leash the dogs or put up a fence or CLEAN IT UP!! i applaude you for being so nice about it.... but i think its time to force them into dealing with their responsibilities as dog owners. you dont sh!t in their yard, why do they think their dogs can do it in yours?! GOOD LUCK TO YOU!!

I would contact your local animal control office and ask for their advice. I have dogs, and have since I was a child, and was always taught that you don't let your animals leave a mess in someones yard. It is against the law for animals to be off leash, at least it is in Va. I think that it is in WV also, especially in neighborhoods. But animal control, or even the police department can answer any questions that you have about leash laws.

Personally I'd get a BB gun and sting their dogs rears with it if they came on my property again. And if they had done that throwing the bag back in my yard business, I'd have wiped it on their front door handle. That's just me. I get very angry when my neighbors let their pets violate my property. I too have an HOA that doesn't enforce diddly (especially sounds ordinances, I have one neighbor that's trying to turn our cul-de-sac into a ghetto single handedly).

However, my little rant here doesn't do you much good. The only other things I can think of are to call animal control the next time you see the dogs loose and ask them to come pick the dogs up. You have the right to do this as per your HOA leash regulation. The reasoning is that if the dogs are not on a leash, then the owners must have no knowledge that they are out, or have abandoned them. The other thing you could try is calling the police and filing destruction of private property charges. Get an estimate of what it would cost to re-do your yard and eliminate the pet spots etc. and make sure that you tell the police that it's unsanitary and a health hazard for your children and the children you are also responsible for throughout the day.

Don't take this laying down. Stand up for yourself and fight back. It's your property and they have NO RIGHT to defile it.

There are so many irresponsable dog owners out there that make it really hard for dog owners that accually care. We have a dog and i get the mean looks from people even though i never let my dog pee in somebodys yard and i always pick up the poop. But your neighbors hit it big time. Unbelievable!!!. You said they run around outside without the owners watching them. I would have set but the poop by their front door but if they just through it back, than that won't help. So maybe an idea would be to try to get the dogs and bring them to the animal shelter. Do that a few times and maybe then they get the message. No dogs or even cats (we get that in our yard) are allowed to walk around off leash in a neighborhood. Just an idea!!!! Let us know what happened.

You can file a nuisance complaint. An official from the county will investigate the complaint. He finds your complaint is warrented he can issue them a ticket, if they don't correct the problem, they can and will be fined.

Hello,

My neighbors right now are dealing with the same issue that is so funny, but these neighbors have the yappy dogs as I call them what my neihgbors do is pick it up and throw it right back in their yard, she has a young daughter who plays with both my boys and they are always outside it is a miracle that none of the kids have dragged in dog poop on their shoes yet.
The nerve of some people you know.
KRW

Do you have a fence around your property? Sorry to hear you are having a hard time with this. You can report it to the police or city councilman and they may be able to help. I know here, the police will go talk to the family. Even if the homkeowners assoc won't enforce, maybe the city can. That is if you want to go that route. I know it can be difficult when you are hesitant to start something.
My ornery side says shovel it right back into their yard every night, but I know that really wouldn't help....haha.

In most counties in the area it is illegal to allow a dog off of the owner's property without a leash. So if the dog comes over to your side without being on a leash you have every right to call your local police station (don't dial 911 - just call the line for the station) and report the loose dog. Dogs roaming a neighborhood without being on a leash, regardless of their size, can be a threat to small children if they decide to attack, which is the reason most counties have these laws. To be fair I would leave a note for the neighbors informing them that you will be calling the authorities to report the dog if you see the dog on your property. It sounds like they will never bother to clean up after their pet but at least this may convince them to keep them on their own property. Good luck!

We have a similar issue with finding dog messes in our front yard. With four kids, I'm constantly checking shoe bottoms and hands (because babies will pick up anything!) and picking up after people who are not responsible for their pets. My best solution: we purchased a pet deterent spray at a home improvement store. It was located with the pest deterrents and says that its not harmful to animals, they just don't want to do their business where it is sprayed. It has worked for us, but wears off after about 6 months or so, so we need to reapply it. It's a "load" off my mind, though. As for your neighbors, I'm sorry that I have no advice for that relationship. Some people are just difficult and you are wonderful for dealing with it with maturity and patience.

Although I completely and TOTALLY agree with you and even feel the anger that Dyreka feels, maybe you can try killing them with kindness. I mean invite them over for a cookout or lunch or something. Invite them to a neighborhood cookout. Something! And, if they show, talk so nicely about everything BUT poop and dogs. It may work, there have been weirder things!

I understand your not wanting any confrontations with these people. They seem like really selfish, rude losers anyway, but you must do something effective to stop this for the health of your children and the children in your daycare, as well as your own sanity. Why don't you put up a fence. If you can't do it or you don't have the money, ask one of your daycare parents to do it or get someone they know to do it. If there is no one who will do it as a safety measure for their own children for free, offer to let the fence stand for all or a portion of their cost for their child's daycare for one week or whatever. Check around for the cost of a suitable fence, the materials needed, and the cost of the labor involved and arrive at a reasonable price. If you are not sure what is reasonable, call a hardware store or a carpenter and get the info from him.
Also check with the neighborhood police department. You should be able to get them to do something because of the threat to your daycare( your livelihood, your main means of income), as well as the threat to the health of your own children. What these people are doing can be considered harrassment and public mischief, and their are laws against both of these. At any rate, you don't just have to endure it.

Hello, I suggest writing a letter and cc it to an attorny. I am not sure what county you live in..most leash laws can be found online..take pictures, video,...call animal control and report everytime they are loose, create a record. Ignorance, and avoidance will only make you postal and then you get punished....

L., the ideas about calling animal control are good and especially the lawyer's letter -- that alone could scare the neighbors into controlling the dogs, especially if the lawyer can cite specific laws and regulations that say they perhaps could lose the animals if they fail to control the animals--if that's true.

Your HOA may not be enforcing things now, but have you gone to them and kicked up a fuss about this? Looked for some anti-dog-mess allies there? If these dogs are dumping on your lawn they surely are messing up others' lawns too; you might find other neighbors are as ticked off as you are and could present a united front.

As for a fence: I know that a fence is expensive and puts the burden on you when the offense is truly the neighbors', and that's not fair, but if you're running a day care from your home, it could affect your business if kids are stepping in or even possibly playing in or falling down in dog messes. If the parents of your day care kids start seeing dog mess on your lawn as they come and go, and if the parents see their kids coming home with poop on their clothes or shoes, you could at a minimum have to answer some tough questions from them and at worst lose business. It's not your fault but affects your business. So you might consider a fence. But for now I'd start with the lawyer's letter--well worth the money and probably not outrageously expensive (I've asked our lawyer to write one for another reason recently and the price quoted was about $125.)

I am a responsible pet owner (who cleans up after her dog that is always on a leash outside our property) and this stuff makes me mad. The sad thing is - the dogs are probably doing their business in your yard because their yard is so full of their feces, they can't find a clear spot. While I think Dyreka's repsonse is funny, I would not advocate using a bb gun. You could really injure the dogs accidentally and then you're the aggressor, no longer the victim. Besides, what message are you sending to your kids - to shoot a dog that comes into your property? That will also only escalate the fughting between you. And you never know how people are going to retaliate when they are mad. You can try to chase the dogs away with a water hose when you see them. You don't have to hit them with the spray, just get it close enough to deter them. It wouldn't work for my dogs - they love the hose - but some dogs hate it. Definitely call your local government (city, township, county) and find out whether there are leash laws. Most places have them. Then call the animal control officer and make a report. Explain the problem and ask how they suggest you handle it. Do you know if the dogs are licensed? Most places require you register your dogs with the city and prove rabies innoculations. If they are not licensed, they could be subject to a fine, etc. If they are licensed, they should be wearing a tag that says so. I would also write a letter to your neighbors explaining the problem. Send it regular mail. Are they the home owners? You can find out by checkng your local tax rolls. If they are tenants, you can also contact their landlord. Don't forget to cc the animal control office, HOA, and anyone else you can think of. Start keeping records of the incidences. Good luck and let us know how it turns out. I'm curious.

Haha! I like Dyreka's response too! My first thought was to let them know that you're gonna shoot their dogs the next time you find them defecating on their property. You have children to look after, a job to do, and it's ridiculous that your irresponsible neighbors are negatively affecting your life this much. I'm sure there is some kind of law against it though. Maybe if you lived in Texas... :)
You've received a lot of good responses. Any number of them would be a good way to deal with this. It's obvious to me that nothing short of drastic measures will make your neighbors sit up and take attention. Why should they care that dog s**t is being dragged though your house? They don't have to clean it up. Why should they care if your kids get into it? It isn't their children. But they WILL care when they have to shell out money to reclaim their dogs from the local pound, or start cleaning up the messes that you shovel back over the fence (although I foresee that opening a whole other can of worms...). Until it is negatively affecting their lives as much as yours they simply won't care.
You cannot be passive-aggressive about this problem. You need to do something about it head on or it will never be resolved.

I know I'm late on this, but I have a different perspective. Maybe I watch too many CSI's or have heard too many horror stories, but my concern in this case (aside from the daycare kids) would be escalation.

It's a little scary when you have crazy people who know where you live. While "getting even" would feel really good, it's not worth the risk of them escalating things (flinging poo at your house). Leaving it on their lawn, getting other people involved, reporting them, sending anonymous letters--that might just make things worse for you and your family. Today it's poo thrown back in your yard, tomorrow it's a broken window, spray paint, or worse.

However, I also don't think you should ever try to reason with a crazy person. I think the idea of fencing in the yard (even a low wire fence) works to keep out the dogs, and help your daycare kids have a boundary as well. But you don't sound like you're going to go that route.

My other suggestion is to try plant catalogs and websites. I'm just starting to dabble in gardening and I get a bunch of catalogs. One of them sells repellents for deer, raccoons, etc. There are a few kinds. The one I remember is powdered wolf urine. The animals smell it and won't go near it, because it's their natural predator. But I think humans don't smell it or track it (it soaks into the ground) and then after a few applications, the animals just avoid it by habit. I don't know all the details, but I think it might be worth looking into. (Standing inside and blowing a dog whistle when they come over to poop, might work equally well.) If you could create an invisible barrier the dogs wouldn't cross, that will end this issue. I think it will be much easier to train the dogs than their owners.

It's not fair that you need to do anything. It's not fair that they don't follow the rules. Life's not fair. You can't change other people, unless they want to change. And I don't think these people want to change. So now it's all about changing your behavior so you can take care of your kids, daycare, and home without this bothering you.

L., it is too bad the current relationship with your neighbors is poor. It is also a shame they don't control the movements of thier pets and that your neighboorhood association does not enforce a leash law. With all this going against you, the best advice, in the words of Robert Frost is, "good fences make for good neighbors." Your neighbor will not put up a barrier to contain her pets but maybe you should install something to keep them out. Perhaps you can even use it as a business expense given you have the day care center at your home. It might actually be a draw to your center - safety and security. And one thing I know from being a dog owner: once an animal urinates or defecates someplace the scent attracts other animals to do the same. You could very well have other animals besides your neighbor's dogs soiling your property. At a minimum I would ask the president of your neighborhood association to talk to your neigbors about leashing their dogs as feces can carry parasites and this is not healthy for anyone. Good Luck! L.

I believe your neighbors are violating legitimate pooper scooper laws. You can check with your local police station. They may serve them a citation. That might make your neighbors take the situation more seriously. It is a health hazard for the children and you should not tolerate it.

Since you can't talk to them directly, how about mailing them a letter outlining your concerns about the health risk to your children and those in your care. If that doesn't work, send a more strongly worded letter referencing leash laws and penalties and send a copy to the HOA president and board. Even if the HOA doesn't enforce leash rules, maybe your neighbors would be embarassed enough by the complaint to stop their behavior. Keep copies for yourself of course and records of your actions in case you end up in some sort of civil court.

They are breaking laws concerning pet waste. I would either: 1. build a fence 2. threaten to turn them into the proper authorities if it doesn't stop 3. Both of the above. 1st though I would find out the exact laws plus you mamasource note and mail both to their house by certified mail so you have proof of your due diligence. If things don't change then I would call alllllll the proper authorities and start saving for a fence.

This is one of the hardest neighbor problems to solve. My suggestion is that when you clean up the dog messes from your yard, you don't bag them, just pick them up with a shovel and put them on their lawn. If you county has leash laws, maybe talking to the county animal control agency can tell you your options. Another recourse would be to put up a fence, and if your homeowner's association complains, then tell them that they have not been enforcing their rules on leashes, so they should not try to enforce a fence ban. Because this effects your business ( I hope you are licensed if it is required), maybe it would be worth the money for you to pay for an attorney to write a letter to them. Be advised, anything you do except the fence will probably cause them to retaliate, based on their reaction to you putting the bag on their driveway, so be prepared for this to escalate. It will probably only be setted if one of you moves, maybe they will get fed up and move out. There's always hope.

///hug////, I feel for you.

I feel for you. Unfortunately there are people in our world who are very selfish and unthoughtful, and you can't reason with them. You said the Homeowners won't help. is there a city or county ordinance that could be enforced by Animal Control or the Police? I see the only other option is building a fence between your yard and theirs. This could be expensive but bring you peace. AF

How about simply printing out this note that you posted to Mamasource, placing it neatly in an envelope, and taping it to their front door? All the relevant information is included right there. Your frustration is justified, especially with so many children around, because it is unsanitary to have children exposed to the dog feces. I think a note on their door would have been a better first step than placing dog poop on their driveway, because -- whether you intended it or not -- that was a pretty passive, aggressive move. Hope the problem is resolved soon.

If I told you the problems we have with our neighbors, it would be a novel. This one issue was resolved when my husband consistently scooped up the poop with a shovel and threw it over the fence into their backyard. When she saw it flying over the fence, she got the hint. By the way, I'm pretty sure they can be fined for this, if you call the city pound, they'll be able to give you advice.

Hi L.,

Great responses. We had an issue with a neighborhood dog tearing up everyone's trash. In Prince William County, animal control will come and put up a trap for the animals that are "wandering" into your yard (no charge) and place a warning on the dog owners property telling them that there is a trap on the property etc etc etc. The dogs magically stopped tearing up our trash. (BTW, the only dog caught in the trap was our dog LOL) Oh, the trap is just a crate with food at the back and a latch that automatically shuts, trapping the dogs inside.

Our animal control guy came out, took my report, information etc. He was very nice and understanding. However, I love Dyrekas response!!!! Stand up for your rights!! Don't take this lying down. I think that is the theme for all the responses here. You can do this!!

Congratulations on wanting to be nice about it. The friendly way is probably the best way to go. My Mom had a very hard time with dog owners in her neighborhood. They'd be walking their pooches on leashes down the street and actually cross over a deep ditch onto her property to do their business. Nothing she did would get the message across to these people till she was in the yard with a hose and soaked both people and dogs. Ooops! She was just watering her lawn! So sorry but you shouldn't be trespassing. Finally they stopped.

I would seriously try to talk to them about this, or send them a letter through the mail about it if they are seriously that immature about taking care of their pets. Or else, (sadly, this is probably what I would end up doing), so going out with a baggie, and picking up the poop...just to toss it in their own yard. Not sure that would help in any way really...MAYBE they would get the clue...but I almost doubt it. This siutation would make me very upset, as I don't have a dog, and would hate to be cleaning up someone else's dog mess. I once opened my front door to find poo right there. Yuck! I have even had neighborhood little dogs sneak under our fence, and poo in our fenced in yard. I can completely understand how frusterating this would be...but if these people are so rude about shirking their responsibilites onto others....I really don't know what else you can do.
K.

I would call the animal control people/humane society people whenever their dogs are loose - those organizations do not mess around. My neighbor called them on another neighbor whose dogs would not stop barking and they came out immediately and talked to the annoying neighbors and their dogs never barked outside again. Apparently they can be charged with animal neglect or whatever and have their dogs taken away. So, I would try to leave a nice note in their side mailbox and just ask them to kindly pick up after their dogs because you are planning on having kids around, etc...and if they still continue to disregard your concern, call the animal control people and get them involved. If all else fails, I would invest in a fence. Good fences make good neighbors (or at least help with bad ones!). :)

Have you thought of putting up a small fence between your properties? Or perhaps a dog whistle (the noise maker that only dogs can hear) to deter the dogs from coming into your yard. It looks like a lost cause unless you can somehow create a barrier so that the dogs can't or won't come on your property. Good luck!

Hi, there,
I have 2 big dogs and I know your pain,when other people are not being responsible after their pets. I think I pick up a lot of poop after strange dogs every day, instead of stepping in it. However, would it be possible to put up a fence for your yard? I think that might be the best solution for you. Have a great day,
A.

I would talk to the Home Owner's association in my community and ask them to send a letter to your neighbors, if the behavior doesn't stop, then I would call Animal Control and report them. They are not supposed to let their animals run free without supervision.

I, too, vote for fence. But I might also do my final pooper scoopin and deliver it to their doorstep - this time with a note that "they forgot something in your yard, please make sure it doesn't happen again" Citing the children/daycare reasons and include a bill for pet waste cleanup sevices as you're no longer cleaning up THEIR mess in YOUR yard for free ever again. You could also tell a fib and say you have treated your yard with a chemical to make grass grow that is toxic to dogs so they may wish to keep their animals safely out of your yard. You've been forced to do this because the feces and urine are harming your lawn. Go out on occasion and sprinkle baking soda everywhere that has been concealed in a container with "TOXIC" written all over it. Figure out how to get them to "volunteer" to keep their pets away for their own safety. Hmm - might work.

Maybe you should write them a letter explaining how rude it is that they allow their dogs to go to the bathroom on your lawn where if effects your family and the business you run from your home. You could also clean up the mess and dump the bag out on their lawn, that way they can't just bring the bag back to you, they would actually have to pick it up. Or you could always get a fence, I know that would cost money, but would definately put an end to it.

I'm sorry if this sounds mean-- but..it is not confrontational... I would scoop up the poop with a shovel and just quietly toss it on THEIR side of the property line-- no bag..maybe do it when they aren't home or aren't watching..like they let the dogs do..

That must be so frustrating! maybe you can spray something around your yard to repel the dogs from coming into your area, a smell that they dont like.

I would just put up a fence between the two yards and leave it at that. It's an expensive proposition for you, but it will solve this and any other problems that might come up. Make sure you have a survey so you know exactly where your property line is and then put the fence 1 foot off of it on your side. Then there will be no issues.
YMMV
LBC

Dear L. M:

I really can understand what you are going through. Minus the not so nice neighbor. My husband and I went through this with my own homewowners. Letting particular dogs run around in the neighborhood. They would chew up my children's toys etc. If you haven't tried or if you are comfortable with documenting proof of the dog defecating in your property by taking a picture also as proof.

I have 2 dogs and get very annoyed with other peoples poop in my front yard.(90x90x90 fenced back yard for kids and dogs) I like the front poop free for snow days and sprinkler stuff. Building a fence is really expensive and is not your resposibility. I would call the SPCA and ask for advice and then call everytime they are out. Loose dogs are a hazard to everyone and most fines are high.
I have also used water pistols to shoe animals away. There is also repelents you can get to deter them.
Good Luck.
L. S

Wow........actually you have to go to the animal control agency for your area. They will enforce the leash law and possibly fine them. It's unfortunate but that is your only recourse for these immature and inconsiderate neighbors.
Good Luck!!
J.

I can relate...you don't need the home owners association to enforce the law. Your neighbor is required to pick up after their dogs.

www.fairfaxcounty.gov/police/animalservices/legal.htm

Listed under ANIMAL CREATING NUISANCE/ANIMAL WASTE(SCOOPING) "County Code concerning dog poop, pet waste: The owner or custodian of any dog shall be responsible for the removal of excreta deposited by such dog on the property of another, including public areas"
County Code Section 41-1-2, Section 108-5-2 and Section 41-2-6)"

Instead of confronting your neighbor you could print out the website and mail an anonymous letter. When they receive the letter it could become a "heads-up" to follow the law.

This worked for us, and I hope it does the same for you. Good Luck!

I'm a month behind, but I recently saw an ad in skymall for some bricks you can place in your yard that attract dogs to want to poop around the bricks. I will look for the magazine when I get home this evening as I could not find it online. I kept it because my neighbor's dogs love to poop at the corner of our drive way where the paper is delivered. My neighbors pick it up, just not right away. Fortunately, the paper comes in a plastic bag and the kids have not brought any inside on shoes. I was considering "gifting" a set to them. You could put them just along the property line. At least it would potentially isolate it to one area. They were about $40. Good Luck!

We have a similar situation with our neighbors, but with their cats. We have dogs ourselves but we have a fence around our backyard, however they let their cats(all 5 of them) roam around the neighborhood and for some reason they love my front yard and my flower beds. So I am constantly picking up "messes". We don't have a homeowners association, but if the dogs are walking around in your property without collars and nametags, that is illegal and you can always call the local "dog catcher". We threatened to do that one day and got into an ugly confrontation, but I don't see their cats on my front yard or flower beds anymore!! You also have to think of the safety of your kids, you are not sure if these dogs are vaccinated and the kids can bring some type of disease on thier shoe. You have to nip this in the bud SOON or it will keep happening and it seems that they don't care. Hope this helps!

I suggest videotaping/phone taping their dogs doing their stuff on your lawn. give them the tape. Get as up close and personal to the dogs as you can doing their stuff. If they are not convinced, you can take them to small claims court for the harassment, cost of clean up, and emotional stress of the pooing dogs. the tapes are your evidence.

The more expensive -but permanent answer is to put a lovely white picket fence around your yard the dogs cannot permeate. These are ready made at Home Depot. deduct it as a business expense. Certainly if your home association rules allow dogs to run freely, they wouldn't bar a lovely fenced in yard of daycare kiddies!

Unfortunately the only way talking to them will work is if you just be yourself and be kind. I know it sucks and being nice is the last thing you want to do but if you want it to stop without a fight or argument then you have to do it the nice way and be the better person even though you know they are crappy people. Just know if you do it nice you will win in the end and you will earn their respect (which I know who cares but still you want this to stop right?)

So here is what you should say and do:
Bake them some cookies, go over to their house with the cookies (wishing you could shove it in their face for being such a holes) put a smile on your face and just be real with them. Get your feelings across to them but in a positive way, make them feel sorry for you, make them want to help you.
So anyway walk over there with the cookies and say something like
"I know we have gotten off to the wrong start, it's just that I am so tired all the time and I wish I had time during the day to do and say all the right things but, I am only human, being a mom and having to work is really hard, (throw in some major personal problems here to gain their sympathy) , I am glad I have neighbors to be able to come to like you for help (that sentence is reverse psychology, use it) I have little kids to look after during the day and although I totally love your dogs, I have noticed some poop in the yard, I would love to have a good relationship with you guys because you seem so nice (ugg finger down throat I know but again reverse psychology) could you help me pick it up? And if there is anything I can do for you let me know and we can work something out. I know we have had problems in the past but neighbors are so valuable I would love to repair our relationship." Then leave it in their ball park to say something, be quite after your speech then wait for them to say something. If they are nice and offer help you win. However they must live up to it. After your speech because you were so nice you have the upper hand at this point and if they don’t live up to picking up the poop then you can say, “I have been really kind to you and yet you still have not picked up after your dogs, may I ask why.” If they are snotty and rude still after all of this then you have the right to take it up with authorities and get mean.” On a more positive note you may actually become good neighbors to each other, which would actually be really helpful to both of you.

That is how you deal with those kinds of people, get them on your side, let them know the truth about who you are and let them in on some personal problems you have been having, let them see you as a nice caring person who just needs help (not weak but just human). Reverse psychology works really well with these types of people, let them know that you think they are really nice (even though you want to clobber them on the head) because when you do that they immediately want to live up to your "standard" of them and then they will want to please you. Anyway I know that doing this will be hard and you want to really tell them off, bad idea, things will never get resolved and you will just end up in the end being just like them. Sorry but truth hurts.

just read the below responses, seriously try mine first, because if you write a letter (intended or not inteded to be nasty) they will take whatever you say or write the wrong way and it will all go downhill from there, you really want to try and be nice first then do what others are saying on here after if being nice doesn't work. You want to protect your family and going to authorities is just going to piss them off. Go to them with an open mind and heart and some tiny bit of understanding after all they are people to with problems and issues as well, life is tuff and hard and everyone even the good people always look at others with a raised eyebrow, give them a chance, who knows they may just be sombody just like you and feel they don't know how to handle the situations. However if they are nasty drunks and their lawn is always a mess and they are just beer drinking nasty human beings then, there really isn't anything you can do if they are that far down the hole but go to the authorities like the people below have said.

I vote for putting up a fence.
These people sound crazy (and gross).
There are plenty of things you could do to set off a war with them (animal control, BB guns, poop on the door handle), but this will just make them feel justified in acting more crazy, and a fence around your yard would just fix the problem.

If a fence isn't possible, what about picking up every piece of poop in individual bags-- to make the pile look huge-- and ringing their doorbell and putting on your cheeriest face: "hi, I believe your dogs left these in my yard!"
(You might have to stake them out a bit to catch them! The neighbors, that is)
It sounds like they're more scared of you than you are of them and that they know they should be embarrassed, since they scurry away from you and avoid you, so a little face-to-face shaming might work.

video tape the insidents. call the police. see what they say because one, dogs are to be on a leash by law. two, messes are to be picked up by law.

Hi. You sound like a really great person! I can empathize with not wanting confrontation. I am exactly the same. In this case though, with a daycare, I would think the dog feces could be unhealthy for the children. Do you think getting the health department involved is a possibility? Perhaps they could alert your homeowners association and then something could be done. If not, you could write them a letter with copies to the health department, homeowners association, even the police or sheriff's department, because there must be some kind of lease law.
Good luck!

If it were me (and it's not, I understand it's easy for me to sit here in the comfort of my own home and make suggestions), I would wait until one of their precious little dogs were in my yard or running the neighborhood, and snatch it up. They would have to either talk to you or the humane society when they came to collect the animal. There are laws that protect your property from other people's messes. Take some pictures of the messes and your kid's shoes covered in it, very unsanitary. It may even become a domestic matter and then you'll at least have evidence to back it up. Make sure you're documenting everything such as them throwing the poop bag back in your yard. How infuriating!

hello,

Wow! That is crazy what they are doing!!!I would be frustrated also...I understand accidents happen but this seems to be happening all the time...Im trying to think,well someone told me once that where a dog messes thats where they doing over and over SO MAYBE what you should do is when they mess in ur yard and of course it seems like ur mad busy but you should shovel their messes and put in back in their yard(not trying to be ugly but maybe oddly close to their door)so then maybe when the dogs go back out to mess they will smell their odor and do it in their yard(the same spot where you layed it). It maybe that their upset at other thing like you said they were about other things and just trying to get on your nerves. Hope this idea works, let me know...good luck
B.

I have this issue, too, and have not been able to resolve it, mostly because there are so many dogs in the neighborhood who pass by and defacate, it's impossible to assign responsibility. You can call animal control, as suggested, and all the other suggestions are good, but the only sure way to keep your yard dog free is to put up a fence. I hope you won't have to do that. Good Luck!! You have my sympathies.

This kind of situation is ridiculous.The home owners association does not have to enforce the leash law.This is a state law.I would try to talk to them 1 more time.If you are ignored or they walk away, I would tape a note to their door stating the problem and that it is a law that they keep their dogs on leashes when not in a fenced yard at all times.I would also state that since you have small children and a daycare that for the health and safety of your children as well as that of your daycare children if they can not keep their dogs in their yard or clean up after them you will be forced to report them to animal control.This is a health and safety concern for all involved.This is absolutely something you should not have to put up with.