AIBU not to take in my neighbours' dog?

[PrincessFiorimonde]

DP and I live in a flat with no outside space. It's part of a house that's been converted into 2 flats. The flat downstairs has a garden that we have no access to.

Three times when the downstairs neighbours have been out, their dog has escaped from their garden. The dog has an address tag on its collar, and people have brought it back here.

However, when they've rung the bell downstairs and no one's been in, they've then rung our bell and said 'Is this your dog?' Each time I've said no; it belongs to the flat downstairs - which has a separate entrance/door/doorbell, and indeed a different house number (think 12 and 12A Acacia Avenue).

I won't take the dog in because we have no outside space to put him in and I don't want him in our flat. Last time this happened (yesterday) the people who brought him back said I was horrible for not taking the dog in and effectively leaving him to roam the streets.

I just said we have no outside space and I don't want the dog in our flat. I suggested they take him home with them and leave a note for the neighbours saying where he is.

This earned me a volley of abuse.

AIBU over this?

What

Surely though if you have an escape artist dog you don't leave it in the garden all day when you go to work? And as you did you make changes and more changes till the dog cannot get out, be that bigger fences and mesh underground, a dog run, tie out leads.. You don't just kick it outside to do what it wants

Tallalime, no they aren't just putting the dog back in the garden, because there is no access to the garden except via the neighbours' flat.

Neighbours do know the dog can get out, as on a couple of occasions I've seen the children go looking for him down the street when he's got out and they have realised he's gone.

But I also think whatsagoodusername is right in the sense that I don't believe they're negligent or they don't care - I think they have tried to reinforce the fence, but he is a pretty good escape artist.

Perhaps if you can't secure an area, then it's the wrong dog for you. Or you should try another animal, a gerbil perhaps?
Or a run with a roof on it.
I'd love a leopard myself, but my circumstances just aren't suited to owning one.

Just for you, Silver

My rule is I'll return it to you once, after that I call the ranger. I seem to be the magnet around here for every stray dog, and I do have crates and kennels, so can house the dog securely away from my own animals, but I have no patience or sympathy for those who let their dog escape multiple times. Everyone else's pets are not my responsibility. I keep mine secure as required by law, and everyone else can do the same, or cop the fine. I wouldn't take in a neighbours dog if someone else found it, they can ring the council and get it collected, or try and contact the owners directly if they so desire. Keep your pets secure and you won't have a problem.

SilverApples, personally I've always longed for an ocelot.

But it's not your dog!
Why should you have it in your flat.

The problem is that the dogs owners aren't dog lovers, not that the OP is or isn't.

I personally hate that people buzz my doorbell to gain access to someone else in the building. We also live in an apartment and I'm not responsible for anyone else in the building, same as if all the neighbours were arranged horizontally along the road. I never let anyone else in as I don't know if my neighbours are in, and if they're not answering their bell, it's for a reason.

OP imho you did the right thing to offer that they could take the dog and call the owners. Don't feel obliged to bring someone else's animal into your flat.
What if you had a baby or a cat?

Yes!
I am a child of the 60s, I blame this film, Daktari and others in a similar vein for my unrealistic expectations in the pet department. Bet she's love a little yappy terrier stray...

"Not your dog not your problem"

What a lovely attitude. Does that apply to everything that goes wrong that isn't your problem or just dogs?

I would bring it in but that's just me, the dog dislike on MN always really surprises me to be honest.

I am NOT a dog lover and might just have taken the dog in, the first time that this happened. No chance would I be doing so every time it escaped. If the OP did do this then why would the neighbours have to do anything about their fence? - after all, it doesn't matter if dog escapes as kind OP will sort it out for us. If the dog escapes again I would ring the RSPCA/ dog warden, take it to the police station or something but make it very clear to the neighbours that I was not responsible for it - THEY are!

yanbu, their dog is their responsibility, anyone else who wants to take that on for them is entitled to, they are not entitled to foist him on you. Three times is taking the piss, keep saying no or you'll never get rid of him.

Don't get into a discussion with the next person who comes to your door, 'not mine' and close it. Don't give them a chance to guilt trip you.

"Not your dog not your problem"

What a lovely attitude. Does that apply to everything that goes wrong that isn't your problem or just dogs?

Um well yeah, something that goes wrong that isn't my problem well quite frankly isn't my problem. Life is stressful enough without being responsible for things that "aren't my problem"

Sparklysilversequins - why does the dog dislike on here surprise you so much? Not everyone likes dogs and for many people there is a good reason - shoes covered in dog poo, dogs chasing their children, not being able to play ball in the park with their children due to dogs wanting the balls, people who say'oh he won't bite' whilst the dog is barking wildly and jumping up and refusing to go away, people who have previously been bitten by dogs, dogs who invade other people's gardens, dogs who attack other people's dogs, allergies or just a general dislike of dogs.

People need to realise that just because they like dogs other people might not. The OP hasn't said that she doesn't like dogs, but even if she is a dog lover it still isn't a good enough reason to take in a dog that she knows nothing about and could cause all manner of problems.

SilverApples
Yes, a boss-eyed lion might have a chance with me.
Are you a Yeats fan, by the way?

I am a fan of poetry in general, and Irish mythology. And cats of all shapes and sizes.

Yanbu. You have no obligation to allow a dirty animal into your flat. Just say no and don't feel guilty.

Plus why risk gettin g your sofa or shoes chewed?

YAssssooooNBU.

I adore dogs and I still wouldn't take in a random stranger's dog. I know my neighbours and their lovely puppy, so if - for some reason - that happened, I would take in their dog but one I don't know...? No way, that's just asking for trouble especially if you've got pets, kids, property you don't want destroyed etc.