To interrupt a first birthday party to complain about dog poo?

[muggglewump]

My neighbour (not one of the family if you have read other posts from me), has a dog.
Nice friendly dog, sort of lab size, but who is never walked, just let into the garden.
For the last 2-3 weeks, he's taken to shitting in my garden, pretty much daily. The owner knows and does come and clean up, but only if I ask.

She knows he can jump the fences (they are barely waist height), and I'm fed up with it.

Yes, she cleans up, but sometimes they are (sorry) runny ones that leave smears on the grass, and I've just had ebloodynough.

She's in he middle of a party for her youngest's first birthday.

Should I go over and ask her to clear up the huge turd in my garden?

Yes.

Maybe it'll embarrass her into doing something about it.

Go and ask her to clear it up. She needs to control where her dog goes.

yes, do it
make sure you say ' sorry to disturb you but your dog has poo'd in my garden AGAIN, please could you come and clean it up so we can get in the garden?'

Yes, definitely. Really shouldn't have to deal with other people's crap on your own front lawn....

Clearly the neighbour doesn't much care about engendering bad feeling.

Go round and tell her to come and remove it, party or no party. The birthday child will be oblivious anyway.

...can you bear to pick it up yourself and then take it round saying you have 'a little present' for the party.

lol nancy, trust you to go one better

Don't do it- you will lose moral high ground. It sounds revolting and she should be made aware, but think how much better you will look if rather than storming round, you wait until the party is over.

What?
Moral high ground over dog shit? Nah...barge in and ruin the party.

Agree with barbigirl.

Or you could pick it up yourself (double- or triple-bag if necessary ) and then take it round to her after the party and explain what's in the bag ...

God Nancy I'm tempted.
She knows her dog does this, I've had to go over almost every day for the last three weeks, and still she lets the dog jump the fence and do it.

I don't need to be in the garden, in fact I doubt I'll go in the garden today but that's hardly the point.

I don't want to create bad feeling, and I'm a total wimp, but I'm sick of opening my back door to be greeted with the smell of shit and the sight of flies all over a huge log or three.

have you got any little party bags handy?

YANBU

Although it will probably cause some friction. Personally, if possible I would wait until the party is over but then I am a bit of a coward!

Allowing your dog to crap in someone else's garden is totally unacceptable. I'd tell her that if she doesn't do something to stop it (perhaps WALK the poor bloody dog for instance, like a responsible owner should!), then you'll be contacting Environmental Health.

I'd probably wait until after the party though.

I've just been over.
She pulled a cats(or dogs?)arse face but cleaned it.
She said she'd been over earlier to clean up, but must have missed that one

I also had to tell her that some had fallen off the trowel.

Ugh. I'm pissed off with it.
She needs to build her fence up or stop letting the dog in the garden on it's own.

Cleaned up shit still means there is shit on my grass and it's gross.

Next time I'll bake it into some chocolate fairy cakes for her party

YANBU gross! It's bad enough picking up my own dogs poo from my own garden! How come she never walks the poor thing anyway? You definitely need to address this as seeing as you're on mumsnet i take it you have kids? I have decking as grass is almost impossible to completely remove dog poo from and your kids will almost certainly step in it. Not fair on you. Her dog her garden her poo. Not your dog not your choice to have to clear up poo!

how utterly manky. can YOU erect a higher fence? even some sort of netting on top of what you have? i know it shouln't have to be you that does it at all but would make a point?

Isn't there someone you can complain to? Environmental health? There is a £1000 fine for letting dogs foul in public place- surely someone else's garden is even worse- what if you had a crawler and a toddler?

It is disgracefully bad behaviour to let your dog crap in someone else's garden repeatedly.

However, I don't think you will do yourself any favours interrupting the party - you want her to cooperate with you shouldn't get her back up otherwise she will be less likely to do so. You still have to live next door to her so you need to try and maintain some sort of relationshiop. I think that she has behaved badly, but you will also be behaving badly by interrupting the party.

Who does the fence belong to? Or is it shared. If it was me, I'd be getting a quote for a higher fence and giving it to her so she can ring up and get it done (presuming it is her fence).

I have a child, but she doesn't really use the garden for playing, she plays out the front. I use it to hang the washing out, and since the weather has been nice, to lie out and read.
We've had a few barbecues too.

Still though, even if I never used it, I shouldn't have to put up with shit in it.

I can't afford to do anything with the fence, I'm currently on benefits (have a job interview on Saturday), but it shouldn't be me who has to pay, it should be her.

I don't feel I could complain, she'd know it was me, and she is good at picking it up, but I'm still really angry as it shouldn't be happenning.

I think you are being unbelievably supremely understanding about this.

The fact that she cleans it up (if asked) is beside the point. The dog shouldn't be in your garden in the first place surely??

Sod worrying about interrupting the party, being nice or getting along with someone who deliberately behaves like that.

Maybe a swift email to your councillor to find out what steps can be taken to stop her? I think they all have email these days...

At the end of the day whosever fence it is- her dog should never be in your garden, pooing or otherwise!

What if you had a phobia?

You say you can't complain... do you think she'd retaliate in some way? She is clearly in the wrong. This must be very depressing for you

Put slug pellets down.

YANBU i would insist they build up there fence that is disgusting and you are being very understanding. If she doesn't save up a weeks worth of dogpoo and put it on her step.