AIBU to say something to mum’s neighbour

[Whenisithometime]

Hi all,

My elderly mother who is in her 80’s lives in a terraced house and the guy that lives next door to her (must be in his late 30s / early 40s) has a dog and it goes to the toilet in the front garden.

There is always dog waste lying in the front garden, he never picks it up. It can be lying there for days if not weeks before he actually removes it.

I know it is not my mum’s property so we maybe can’t force him to pick it up, but my mum, me and my entire family find it disgusting that each time we come to her house all we can see is his dog’s waste lying on the ground. It’s vile.

I worry about when it comes to the summer it will start to smell and there it will be infested with bluebottles and flies.

We don’t know him, he only moved in about 8 months ago but this has been an ongoing issue.

AIBU to say something to him? Or should I just leave it? We have been talking about selling mum’s house and I’m sure this will put off potential buyers if we do go through with the sale

I would have a word with him. He shouldn’t have a dog if he can’t pick up after it. Does it get walked or just let out into the garden to do its business?

Is it in his front garden or hers?
It's reasonable to complain either way, it's going to really smell and attract flies as it warms up. I'd also think about throwing it over to his side if it's in your mother's front garden.

@PinkiOcelot I’ve never seen him walking it before in my life. I’m imagining it doesn’t get walked the poor thing.

@CrotchetyQuaver it’s his garden. But we can see it when we walk up to her door

Check your local council page or contact environmental health.

https://www.coventry.gov.uk/info/64/animalsanddpests/447/dogfouling/2

I don’t think you can do anything if it’s his own garden

I have an open front garden with a shared path and have had this problem. I've blocked access to my front garden as I trod in it in the dark one morning putting out the rubbish. My advice to you is to gather photographic evidence, look up dog fouling on your council's website, and contact the dog warden. I understand from my council that they will look at uncleared faeces on open ground, bags of dog poo are double bagged. It's a health hazard so they will take it seriously.

I was throwing it over their front garden but was advised to be careful about doing that as I was depositing faeces. Hence I blocked access.

You could contact the RSPCA and ask them to do a visit? They'd check on the health of the dog and its environment.

@itgetsthehoseagain I’d love to but I honestly think he’d know it was us who reported him. My mum is very vulnerable and frail and my dad died a couple of years ago so she lives alone and whilst I’d love to do that, I’d be wary that’d he’d do something in revenge

I would put a fence up, then at least you can't see it (even if you can still smell it)

I forgot to say on my OP. I had words with him about 4 months ago about this and asked him nicely if he could clean it up regularly. Obviously that hasn’t worked as he has ignored my simple ask

If it is smelling and causing flys or vermin you can contact environmental health

Does he seem like the type to try and get revenge? If so I'd be wary of doing anything apart from putting some bushes up between the properties if possible. If you can't I'm not sure what to suggest.
What did he actually say last time?

As he obviously doesn't want to pick it up, can you find out if there are any poop picking businesses in your mums area you can recommend to him, it doesn't cost a great deal, its £7 a week in my area

Yep - fence so you don't have to see/smell it.