Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. A phone that grows with your child.

Meet the Other Phone.
A phone that grows with your child.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

SHould I report neighbours dog for this?

242 replies

tundrah · 03/09/2015 16:46

On sunday my little boy (2) sneaked in to the neighbours garden. The neighbour let his 5 dogs out and they surrounded my boy barking, snapping and snarling at him. The dogs are not very well trained but usually the neighbour would call them back. This time he made no attempt to call them back, I had to grab my boy who was bawling and shaking like a leaf. The neighbour jsut gave me a foul look.

I am constantly telling my boy not to go in there, he is well aware he shouldn't. THE only good thing is he might not try to get in There again. I am absolutely livid that the neighbour seemed to be letting his dogs scare my child like that!

Should I report it?

there is more to the story, too. We are farmers and our fields surround these neighbours, I have also had 3 sheep killed and 7 aborted since these neighbours moved in. I have reported the worrying to the police (you should always do that) but I don't know for certain it was them. Judging by Sunday I have suspicions now that it was them.

OP posts:
spanisharmada · 03/09/2015 17:20

Yes report it, its always best to have things on record incase of escalation. The local policing team may or may not on this occasion speak to the neighbour, but it would still be beneficial for them to be aware, particularly in light of previous reports re the sheep worrying.
I've never heard of a 2 yr old being reported for trespassing!

RealityCheque · 03/09/2015 17:21

They were NOT out of control. They didn't bite him.

Your quote from the DDA is irrelevant. Nothing those dogs did would make them fit within the terms if the act.

Report if you want. You will just piss off your neighbour and fuck all will be done. Maybe he will report you to social services for not supervising your child?

TenForward82 · 03/09/2015 17:22

No one said anything about the kid being reported for trespassing. Fact is though he was trespassing.

LoveChickens · 03/09/2015 17:23

I'm concerned for your sons safety.

lorelei9 · 03/09/2015 17:24

either I've misinterpreted this or possibly other posters have.

OP, are you saying your son went in the neighbour's garden and the neighbour's response was to send his 5 dogs into the garden - they weren't already there?

That is such a mean and nasty thing to do, I consider it worth reporting. This should not be anyone's reaction if a 2 year old appears in their garden. It's not on.

NotMeNotYouNotAnyone · 03/09/2015 17:24

The sheep worrying yanbu

Your two year old in your neighbours garden yabu.

sanfairyanne · 03/09/2015 17:24

What an unusual farmer you sound

RealityCheque · 03/09/2015 17:24

Out of interest, if your son had wandered into his garden and cut his finger off with a set of secateurs or drank some weedkiller or drowned in a pond - would that have been the neighbours fault? Or the person supposed to be looking after him?

ceyes03 · 03/09/2015 17:25

Nobody can report your kid for trespassing, but they should probably report you, for neglecting him to the degree he can wander off on a farm into the next door property. And I bloody well hope they do. Shocking.

Original poster
tundrah · 03/09/2015 17:25

well what about putting this another way

My neighbours child came into my garden on his own so I let my five dogs surround him snapping, snarling and growling at him and I watched from the doorstep.
Does that sound OK?

OP posts:
Chelsielouise · 03/09/2015 17:25

YABU and irresponsible imo. If my dog was out in my garden and barked at your child I would be sorry for scaring your child but I would be very angry if you reported me as it was your fault.

ItsAllGoingToBeFine · 03/09/2015 17:26

I'm surprised that, especially as you live on a farm, your two year old seems to have so little supervision.

SideOrderofChips · 03/09/2015 17:27

A) You need to sort out your own parenting first

B) you managed to do an awful lot whilst talking

C) are you sure he let his dogs out or were they already out

D) Sort out your own shit parenting. I don't tie my kids up but if my 2 year old were the wandering off sort i would be using a sling or having a wrist strap on him.

Original poster
tundrah · 03/09/2015 17:28

lorelei9 thank you - finally someone has read what I have posted!

No the dogs were not in the garden at all. When the neighbour saw what was going on he let the pack of dogs out who just went for my son

OP posts:
PolterGoose · 03/09/2015 17:28

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Chattymummyhere · 03/09/2015 17:28

Trundah

You saying the dog owner knew the child was in their garden.. I'm sorry but I don't inspect my garden for stray children before letting my dogs out.. I have fences all around and a locked gate. I also wouldn't expect a 2 year old to be out wondering off alone as the dog owner I would personally be calling SS to report a neglected child roaming freely.

MuttsNutts · 03/09/2015 17:28

You need to keep a closer eye on your two year old.

To allow him to wander off into a neighbouring property is irresponsible and neglectful, dogs or no dogs.

It is your responsibility to keep him safe.

StillStayingClassySanDiego · 03/09/2015 17:28

STOP BEING A TIT!

Are you sticking your fingers in your ears and singing lalalalalala I can't hear you? because you're ignoring what the majority are seeing as a parental fail on your part.

Tiggeryoubastard · 03/09/2015 17:29

This can't be true. No idiot would treat a 2 year old like that be specially on a farm. 'Ive told him' bollocks.

Barbadosgirl · 03/09/2015 17:32

I am with you, Tundrah. I have a "bolter" and a I think the accusations of shit parenting on this thread are harsh. Everyone drops the ball, it is not the case she was letting him run around unattended, it only takes a momentary lapse or letting go of the hand.

The idea that it is ok to set dogs on a toddler is mind boggling and to get technical, trespass requires an intent to possess which a two year old does not have so even if it is ok to set a pack of snarling mutts on a trespasser, this certainly does not apply to a two year old. What happened to intelligent conversation, are we saying the neighbour cannot have a rational chat with the op to ask her if there is a way to prevent him going into the garden? No? The answer is to set a bunch of dogs on him? Right.

Original poster
tundrah · 03/09/2015 17:33

yes I am ignoring the majority of muppets who can't read or won't read

OP posts:
LilRedWG · 03/09/2015 17:33

Regardless of what he did (which sounds horrible), YOU need to supervise your son and keep him safe.

As I said, report the incident with named officer.

WeirdCatLadySaysFuckOffJeffrey · 03/09/2015 17:33

I can see the headline now OP. 'Man lets dogs out into his own garden and they bark at trespassing child'. Shocking. Quickly, call the police!

spanisharmada · 03/09/2015 17:33

'Your neighbour could report you!' Hmm
OP just ring 101 and report it, there's no point arguing about it on MN because really it doesn't matter if MN think YABU, nothing they can do about it anyway! If the police think you are, I'm sure they'll let you know.

insanityscatching · 03/09/2015 17:33

Your child is two so you should be watching him and if you can't control him at two you'll have fun when he is seven Hmm. Most likely the dogs saw your child and wanted to go out. I'd imagine that your neighbour let out the dogs without checking his garden first as he wouldn't have expected an unaccompanied toddler to be there. I certainly don't check my garden when I let my dog out purely because I wouldn't expect there to be someone there. You want to blame your neighbour for your lax parenting as far as I can see. As for the sheep if you didn't see what is there to report?