My neighbor has two pit bulls. They are kept outside in the back yard 24 hours a day. I've never seen (well, heard, as we're separated by pic related) the neighbor interact with them beyond the occasional yell to stop barking. When he got dog number two a few months ago, the pooch cried all day and night for weeks. I was tempted to call animal control just to check on them. But I moved here only a year ago to the warm Southwest, from the often cold Midwest, and I figured that keeping dogs outside was just a part of the culture here that I didn't understand.
Today that changed. From inside my house I suddenly heard horrible, LOUD noises of the dogs fighting. My husband and I ran out to our back yard, stood on a bench, and peered over the fence into the neighbors' yard. One dog had the other pinned on its back, biting at everything, while the pinned one remained still. We yelled and tried to get the aggressor's attention to break it up, but he was deaf to us. Of course the owner wasn't home to do anything, he rarely is. After a minute or two, the attack was over, and the pinned dog continued to lay still. He eventually got up five minutes later, with blood visible on his face.
I called animal control and gave them the neighbor's address. The officer was very kind but explained that animal control was not legally allowed to go in the neighbor's yard. Even if an animal is abandoned in a yard when the owners move, all they can do is toss food and water over the fence for 10 days, when the law finally lets them intervene. Ten days! All they can do is swing by the house tomorrow and talk to my neighbor if he's there. If they have shelter and water in the yard, then there's nothing illegal going on.
(con't)
>>2113568
(con't)
Did I overreact? Did I not do enough? I desperately wanted to help the injured dog, but if ANIMAL
CONTROL would have been considered trespassers on the property then I sure as hell would have. The officer also explained that dogs are considered property in my county. So if I were to whisk the dog away to get him medical treatment, I would be a theif as well as a trespasser. I highly doubt the neighbor will care that his dog is injured, might not even notice. I don't want the pooch to be in pain, get an infection, lose an eye, on top of his already obvious loneliness (the aforementioned crying for weeks). I doubt the neighbor will be home when animal control swings by there tomorrow, and they already told me they can't go into the yard without permission. The fuck do I do, /an/?
You didn't over react and unfortunately you can't really do anything further. Even if you were to steal the dogs, they would just get more.
Call animal control and say the yard next to you has pitbulls that are fighting constantly and you're worried for your own safety.
>>2113575
Unfortunately, that would not change a thing. See: Animal Control cannot go into the neighbor's yard. I'm not concerned about my safety or my dogs' safety due to the giant brick fence, but I sure am concerned about the safety of the pit bulls.
>>2113579
I know, but nothing rouses animal control into action like the buzzwords "pit bulls", "fighting", and "public safety".
Otherwise theres nothing you can do aside from either stealing the dogs, killing them, or letting them loose, all of which are varying levels of immoral/illegal.
>>2113568
Why cant you just go talk to your neighbour?
>>2113596
He's a cranky redneck. Can't tell if drunk or thick accent. Maybe I'm assuming too much, but I doubt he'd care about anything I'd have to say. Remember that this is a dude who keeps 'tough' dogs as props in his yard, not a nurturing pet owner. I'm hoping a little scare from the law will get him to rethink his ways.
I have neighbors that neglect their dogs too, I've never seen them go outside to play or even talk to the dogs. I feel so bad for them. I really wish pets didn't simply count as property.
You will get more direct and helpful advice on /r/legaladvice than you will here.
Reporting animal abuse is something that pops up all the time there. They will step you through how to get the fucker and get the dogs to a happy home
>>2113568
lmao where the fuck do you live?
I had a neighbor literally chain his dog to a post in the middle of his yard and he just left it there for days without food or water, when it was literally howling we tossed it food and water and called the humane shelter and they literally just hopped the guys fence and took the dog away, no fucks given.
This was in Cali.
>>2113600
Be nice to your neighbor for a while so he doesn't suspect you.
Poison all his dogs, even the new ones he gets. Never let him have a dog. Problem solved.
call the police and tell them that you think your neighbors are fighting dogs
Open the fence to the backyard. Use bolt cutters if you have to. The dogs get out, probably attack a few people, but the NOW Animal Control will get them without hesitation. Loose pit bulls? LOL. They'll have a chopper in the air looking for them.
Shoot both dogs, then the neighbour.
How tall is your brick wall?
>>2113654
The issue here is OP actually cares about the doggos.
Poisoning would be akin to PETA "rescuing" animals only to put them down.
>>2113664
This is probably the most realistic option that might yield results.
>>2114007
I agree
>>2113830
>Kind of difficult to use bolt cutters on a solid brick fence with a wooden door.
If you can't force open a wood door, then you really have no grounds to be snarky.
