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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

To give a child a bag of dog shit?

69 replies

HDee · 06/01/2013 09:44

For months now we have had to deal with some shitty dog crapping outside our front door. Our door goes directly onto pavement but we've never managed to catch the culprit. Each morning we need to check the street outside our house before we can let the children make their way to the car because more often than not he is a steaming pile ready for us to walk in.

This morning we saw the person responsible. It's a girl walking her ratty little terrier, aged about 12. Upon seeing the dog squat I ran and got my boots on but they had disappeared before I could get out there. Low and behold, there are about 5 little lumps of poo scattered across the path, right outside.

I've bagged it up and am waiting for her to walk back again, but wibu to hand her the shit and tell her if it happens again I will be following her home and posting it through her letterbox? She might only be 12, but my 11 year old is expected to poo-pick when he walks our dog so the is no reason why she shouldn't be either.

Am fuming. We've had months of this. Why couldn't it have just been an adult and I'd have told them exactly what I think.

OP posts:
HDee · 06/01/2013 09:57

I was being unpleasant to Zachary, you are right. I wasn't in the finest of humour, and thought her 'joke' was inappropriate. I apologise.

OP posts:
pictish · 06/01/2013 09:57

In fact, maybe you had better not approach the girl if that is the mood you are in OP.
It's entirely possible that her parents don't pick up shit either. She may not know any better.

Of you can't resolve this without being aggressive, then don't.

Selks · 06/01/2013 09:58

She is a child, not an adult. First off you need to speak to her pleasantly as inform her that it's not ok for her dog to crap there and why, and say next time she needs to pick it up and bin it; she must bring a bag for that purpose. children need an opportunity to correct their behaviour before you get shirty with them.
If it carries on go and have a word with the parents.
It's probably not the child's fault. She's probably been told by her parents to walk the dog with no mention of poo picking.
Then I

HDee · 06/01/2013 09:58

atacareer, it is wet out. She was outside my kitchen window, and house is oval shaped. Difficult to explain, but wouldn't have seen her from front door.

OP posts:
Selks · 06/01/2013 09:58

Whoops ignore last two words

SPBInDisguise · 06/01/2013 10:00

Orphans admitted she was wrong and apologised

HDee · 06/01/2013 10:01

Sells, I shall follow your advice to the letter. As I said, finally seeing the culprit after all this time made my piss boil over. I'm back to being sane and rational again now, and will obviously just explain to her when I see her.

OP posts:
ZacharyQuack · 06/01/2013 10:01

I was making a joke, sorry I misjudged your mood.

MatureUniStudent · 06/01/2013 10:02

Don't speak to her, instead report it to the council, to the dog warden. Give all the details you have time, date etc and let them deal with it. Leaving dog poo is a fine able offence of £60 (?). So you have seen it happen, can provide details, let them do their job.

Also YABU about the terrier. (biased here)

TwigsWithStupidLittleLightsOn · 06/01/2013 10:05

I also thought this was a party bag thread. I am not stupid.

OP, YANBU to be pissed off. I hate dog shit.

LouisWalshsChristmasCloset · 06/01/2013 10:08

YANBU. At 12 she's old enough to know she shouldn't be letting her dog crap anywhere without picking it up. You wouldn't let an adult get away with it so why is it any different?

Feelingood · 06/01/2013 10:09

I dont think OP should be got at for saying to that to zachary I didn't ge the joke, this isk one them times that if you're made to feel if you not on here all the time knowing everything all the in jokes.....

As I didn't know the 'joke' or that there was a joke related to party bags Zachary's post isn't helpful at all and look like they are taking the piss.

theoriginalandbestrookie · 06/01/2013 10:11

I like matureunistudents idea.

It's absolutely disgusting to leave your dog shit on the road. I would suggest that as the girl is a child she will have learned this behaviour from her parents, therefore going and having a quiet word is unlikely to stop a recurrence and may in fact escalate the situation.

OP make sure you know the address and details and report to the council. Perhaps the family may carry out their responsibilities more adequately once they have had to pay a fine.

strumpetpumpkin · 06/01/2013 10:15

i would confront her. yanbu.

why shouldnt a 12 year old be confronted. Theyre not the untouchables. It takes a village to raise a child.

ginmakesitallok · 06/01/2013 10:18

YANBU - I see nothing wrong with handing her the full bag when you next see her, and maybe a few empty ones for picking up the next lot.

DeafLeopard · 06/01/2013 10:19

What strumpet said. I can totally understand your anger we have the same thing here and if I caught the owner I'd have to be restrained from rubbing his nose in it.

NC78 · 06/01/2013 10:21

If you confront her in an agressive way, then you only have yourself to blame if it all blows out of proportion.

I think you should either hand her an empty bag and ask her to clear it up, or have a word with her parents. Don't hand her a bag of shit. It's agressive.

ILoveTIFFANY · 06/01/2013 10:22

Your house is oval op??

Sounds interesting

HDee · 06/01/2013 10:23

It's aggressive to ask her to dispose of her own dog's shit? I don't agree, sorry.

OP posts:
HDee · 06/01/2013 10:25

Well it's called 'the round house' but it isn't round at all. Taylor-wimpey's idea of originality seven years ago I think ;)

OP posts:
Shelby2010 · 06/01/2013 10:26

As this is a child you dont know & have never spoken to, then handing her a bag of shit would be quite confrontational & aggressive. Much better to give her a pack of empty bags & explain that you saw she wasn't cleaning up after her dog & was she aware that it was illegal & she could be fined? If no improvement, then report to council/dog warden.

SarahWarahWoo · 06/01/2013 10:31

I would ask her to clean up and remind her that there is a fine (is it £50?) For dog fouling, how do you know that it is always her dog that fouls there? Don't be aggressed otherwise you might be on the receiving end of a bag of dogg poo.......

HDee · 06/01/2013 10:37

I know it's her dog because its always the same poo. I have become a poo examining expert. Size, colour, texture always matches.

OP posts:
EuroShagmore · 06/01/2013 11:16

I think speaking to her (rationally, not overly aggressively) or following her home so you can speak to her parents is sensible.

BTW, OP, do you smother the area in bleach after picking up? We have an occasional shitter right outside our front gate. We pick up and then heavily bleach the area to take away the smell. Oh, and if I do catch whoever it is (assuming it is an adult) I will be delivering their unwelcome dog shit right back to them.

CaptChaos · 06/01/2013 11:24

Are children that age allowed to be in sole charge of a dog in the UK? Maybe just quietly hand her an empty bag and make out you think she might have forgotten hers. Suggest she doesn't forget again, if she does, talk to the parents.