How to respond to my neighbours snotty letter?

[Cloudygreydaysahead]

They got a puppy at the start of lockdown. The poor thing is out in the garden alone in all weathers with only a towel and some water until recently when they made a small kennel. It cries all hours of the day from 6-7am onwards. Our main concern is the puppies welfare as it’s clearly distressed. My husband went round the other morning as we wanted to be upfront and just asked to make sure they didn’t leave the dog out for extended periods of time and it is waking us and our children up. They apologised then this morning we received this. They clearly like letters as they also wrote us an anonymous letter about some of our recycling blowing onto the street but we have ring doorbell and saw it was them!
What do I do from here? Leave it? Reply via a letter seen as that’s the way he likes to speak clearly?

There seem to be some inconsistencies between your version and theirs. How long is the dog outside? You said it has a kennel? How much is the dog actually barking? Puppies do bark. What times is the puppy actually outside? Does it go inside at night? Does it bark inside at night?
The letter seems a bit intense but people who've been through bad experiences with court processes will often respond by obsessively letter writing to cover themselves.
Honestly, I'd be pissed off too if someone allowed their animal to shit on my property and then had the audacity to complain about my pet.
Please do not report them to the RSPCA - they're a very dangerous organisation and there's a good chance the dog will be put down. If you feel that you should report because you're concerned about the welfare of the dog then report to Dogs Trust or a local animal shelter.

So they bought a puppy at the beginning of lockdown but aren't actually at home? That's bonkers! How often are they out of the house for? What breed is it? Is it the kind of dog that is can be outside (like a working dog breed) or is it a lap-dog type? I wonder if the breeder knows that that is how one of their puppies is treated.
To be honest I think you might just have to leave it. They are obviously officious twats who will just do what they want anyway, and if you were able to get their dog removed, would just get another one.
Lots of dogs are being stolen at the moment so they are taking a chance leaving it in the garden all the time.

If the dog is being mistreated/neglected, report to the authorities.

Don't respond to the neighbour. They'll just come back with 'your cat shits in our garden' again, and make you feel even more angry.

If they were concerned about the welfare of the dog, this situation wouldn't have arisen in the first place, so repeatedly telling them they're mistreating it won't help. Send the recordings to the RSPCA. Ignore the letter completely.

They are bonkers . And I would avoid writing back if you own your own home because you will have to mention it if you sell .

Unfortunately the rspca won’t do anything as long as the dog has shelter and access to food and water ( I know ! It’s not fair on the dog)

So it the noise that is your main thing you might be able to do something about. I would keep a record and recordings as well because I do know of a case where the council did make an owner get rid of a dog that was constantly barking outside .

Our dogs are terrible if they think a cat is in the garden and we have to call them in if they make a noise . But now one of them is convinced every cat on the telly is actually live so we get the noise inside now.

@BustyBroke

I reported aN owner of a dog that was out in the freezing cold tied up for hours on end . The RSPCA would not do anything because there was access to shelter ( plastic shed ) food and water . I don’t think they would get involved tbh

Complete nutters ...in fact just reading the first paragraph was enough!! Bet they are fun at a dinner party 🥳 Seriously I would not bother replying and if the dog continues to sound distressed for a long period of time I would report to RSPCA .The fact he says it’s not a loud noise does not mean that the doggie is not distressed .

Sheesh - reading one paragraph shows what an utter tosser he is. I can imagine him writing it on his laptop thinking he is Rumpole of the Bailey and how scared you are going to be of all his "legalese". prick

It's not you. It's not you.

I'm with all the others saying report report and aviod all communication with the neighbours.

Sadly the RSPCA will not be interested. I reported my neighbour for leaving their dog in the garden all day but because he has shelter and water the RSPCA said he was not being illtreated or neglected.

Possibly it could be different if this is a puppy but I doubt it.

Neighbours' dog is put out in the morning and then taken in around 10pm or sometimes later. They will occasionally take him in if it really pours but he has been out in really cold weather even snow and baking hot weather.

He is not a breed suitable for being an outdoor dog. He is a lap dog breed.

If they go out though he is left indoors. So basically either indoors on his own when they are out or in bed or outside on his own. Makes me so angry. We did try and speak to them about it but she kept saying how much she loved her dog!

Quite why someone gets a dog then never spends any time with them I really don't know.

Poor puppy must be so distressed, why do people buy puppies when they haven’t a clue how to look after them? Such a selfish thing to do.

For fucks sake. People like this shouldn't have dogs. It's not 'whinging' it's whining because its neglected and they don't give a fuck. They both work out of the house all day and have a puppy? How cruel.
They think quoting council noise buzzwords is the point of this. What nasty people.
I would be tempted to dognap the poor thing and get it to a loving home but that's just me and if they have already had it chipped it's a problem.
Name and shame on nextfoor I say.

Nextdoor I mean!

@BustyBroke it’s usually outside from 6am-8pm. I think they shut it in either the garage or conservatory at night. They made a small kennel recently. There are loads of cats on this street so
I’m not entirely sure how they can pinpoint mine.. she doesn’t sign her turds! Cats are meant to wander or ‘wonder’ if you ask my neighbour, it’s in their nature but being alone all day isn’t in a dogs nature. I think he’s a mix breed, he’s cocker spaniel size.

Ignore the letter. Let them think they have shut you up and won the "argument". If the pup is outdoors all day in bad weather or distressed record it. Thats the evidence they dont think you have which the authorities can review

Good lord what prize Knobs your neighbours are 😂

Part of me would want to have the last word but dealing with someone like that is like trying to nail jelly to a wall; perhaps an alternative strategy to get the dog properly taken care of and a passive aggressive overly nice approach to them would work better!

Oh you must reply otherwise they will think they are really intelligent and their letter has 'done the trick'

Why don't you say something like- 'I find it bizarre that you would write to me although I only love next door and tried to have a chat with you about this.'

And 'I understand that animals 'do their own thing' but they do need to be looked after, too'

AND 'Sorry about the cat on the front lawn, I'll make sure he visits the back lawn too'

The other thing is if they are both out at the same time how do they know how long the puppy barks or cries?

If your cat does indeed foul in their garden, then you are reaping the seeds of poor neighbourly behaviour that you have sown.

Poor puppy.

What a “letter”.
Idiots getting a dog they don’t want to have around them. I can’t believe it was without shelter for so long in the first place. I hope they decide to rehome it.

That's a lot of words and the writer is clearly trying to intimidate you. Is he/she an attorney? Sounds like a pompous ass.
I think you all did the right thing.
Keep a record of everything, but I would not engage further.

Even with massively enlarged text and a magnifying glass I couldn't read the letter. Can someone please provide a precis in about 50 words?

@dadshere

If your cat does indeed foul in their garden, then you are reaping the seeds of poor neighbourly behaviour that you have sown.

Op is concerned about the welfare of the puppy not the noise it makes.

I think talk to the RSPCA.

Contact the dog warden at your local council.

My ex-H partner is a solicitor and this is the style of rubbish communication I receive from them. Email format, not letters but so similar. Underlying it is the most enormous sense of entitlement that they can do what they wish, regardless of others, and there is never any willingness to compromise. Sadly common sense and a willingness to live with others views will never darken their doorstep. I think your neighbour is similar. Poor puppy.

I would be so tempted to correct all spelling, punctuation and grammar mistakes in that letter (possibly in green ink, the mark of the true insufferable nutter) and return it.

However I do not really think you should do this.
I feel bad for you, living next to such an arsehole, and worse for the poor dog.