Neighbours painted our dog

Weidii

Hi everyone, I recently moved into a house and my new housemates have two dogs. We live in a kind of cul-de-sac of 4 houses, us being the end house (none of the neighbours have children). The walls in the back gardens are about 5ft high, not really high enough to keep the dogs in (they're a rotty/lab and a mini lab/wymrainer)

The dogs aren't allowed in the garden except while supervised to go to the toilet, so they get their daily exercise in a nearby forest and they regularly go dog training. Basically they're very well tempered, well looked after mutts.

A few weeks ago the wymerainer cross escaped the house and went into the garden of one of the neighbours. We went looking for him but we couldn't find him as they had let him into their house. Later on the dog turned up back at our house and he'd been painted (possibly with spray paint) green! He also had sellotape around his midriff with a note attached saying "This is last time" (they're polish and their english isn't very good yet)

I was very annoyed at this as it took us ages to wash the paint off the poor dog and they didn't even bother to warn us or even to take the dog back to us, they took him into their house and just let him loose again. I know the dog shouldn't have been allowed into their garden, but it was the first time it happened and we went looking for him straight away.

I'm just looking for some advice really, who's in the wrong in this situation, what do you think we should do about it? We've tried talking to them but they have never had any time for us, they won't (can't?) even say hello.

stevoman

Im sorry, any advice i would offer on these scumbags would get me banned for suggesting vigilante tactics, but i know what i would do!!

tenandtracer

Report this to the Gardai - this is blatant cruelty to animals. Take photos if this kind of thing happens again, hopefully it does not.

Clare Bear

Would the Gardai do anything if you did report them though? Even a simple knock on the door by them might cop them on to not do something like that again.

I know if I say on here what I'd like to do I'd probably get banned so I won't.

SCI

I'd report it to the the police,take photo's and maybe get
a local newspaper involved.

KhuntChops

Firstly you are to blame and dont take that the wrong way but as the owner/owners you should no were your dog is at all times! However your only human like the majority of us!

These things do happen and im appalled at what they did to the poor dog,what I would have done if the shoe was on the other foot would firstly take pictures of the way the dog came back to you as evidence because no human can paint a dog espeically with household or even canned paint,what if the dog had of had a reaction to the paint which it could very well have and it had to be taken to the vets!!!!
They should not of let the dog into there house,they obviously took it in to do that on purpose which shows they had bad intentions! What if it happens again,im sorry but they dont seem like friendly people,I would fear for the dogs life in that case but I would make sure that your dogs arent able to escape you again!
I would of went up to there door and let rip but I understand some of these people can be very frightening and nobody wants war with there neighbours!
Id contact the local garda and let them no what has happened just incase something else happens but if anything I would just make sure the dogs are secure in the house garden,id spend whatever needed to be spent to do so aswell.

Weidii

Yeah, we didn't report it to the gards as we werent really sure who was in the wrong. The dog was outside without a lead on and he went onto their property, I doubted we'd get very far. I'd like to have a conversation with them about it myself, but they're very unapproachable people.

Also because all of our neighbours are polish and they didn't deiver the dog to the door we're not sure exactly which house did it. We think it was the end house, but there's no way of proving that.

Weidii

KhuntChops wrote: »

Firstly you are to blame and dont take that the wrong way but as the owner/owners you should no were your dog is at all times!

Yeah, we accept that it's our fault that the dog got out. He is actually able to open a sliding door, so we've bought small side lock things for it since.

KhuntChops wrote: »

I would of went up to there door and let rip but I understand some of these people can be very frightening and nobody wants war with there neighbours!

Yeah, we find our neighbours fairly intimidating since they're all polish and they don't (can't?) communicate with us. There have been times when I've been sitting at home alone and they've come over and stared in the window at me. I think it's just a culture clash really. I don't know what's socially acceptable poland and they apparently don't know what's acceptable in Ireland.

whitser

if someone did that to one of my dogs,i'd kick him and and down that cul de sac of yours. regardless of wether or not i was in the wrong cos my dog was at large.

randombar

Ya I'd go over and basically explain to them that if they did that again they'd get deported, that you have reported this to the gardai with photographic evidence (i.e. bluff) and there would be legal action if this happens again!

or . . . . . .

get a bigger dog

whitser

maybe your not in a position to crack their jaws so i would defo get the cops. if you let this go who knows what will happen next time. cant be seen to be a soft touch on this issue.

kerrysgold

That's awful, the dog could have been allergic to it, anything could have happened. What idiots. I'm not sure where you stand legally but what I'd do personally would be to make the garden more secure for the dog's own safety, you could get something like privacy fencing and nail it to your current wall to bring the height up a few feet.

Sigma Force

Are you 100% sure the dog hasn't gotten out at any time before this. If so and this was the first time then baffles me why they would threaten you with that note. Only thing you can do is ensure your dogs are safe and never leave them unsupervised for a minute, these sound like the kind of people that would almost go out of their way to torment your dog.

It's not like you are letting the dog run around the cul de sac all the time so they don't stand a chance with a half decent dog warden if you explain things if a warden calls. However by doing what they did to the dog I would be less worried about a dog warden calling and more worried about that they would take matters into their own hands.

Just keep your eyes peeled. It shouldn't happen again but if they start threatening you or anything like that then find out who their landlord is and make an official complaint.

chickenhawk

That's crazy that someone would do that to your dog! Like everyone else here I can't describe what I would like to do.

But if I was you I would report it to the police. They probably won't do anything but at least it will be on record. I would also go to them and tell them what will happen if anything like that happens again.

Best of luck because it won't be easy.

deisebabe

that is seriously nuts. I'd tread carefully around people like that....maybe put a call into the dspca to ask for advice? I'd be worried about them hounding my dog to be honest....

Weidii

Guineapigrescue wrote: »

Are you 100% sure the dog hasn't gotten out at any time before this.

Well as I said, I only moved in a while ago, but while I've been living here it hasn't happened. I used to live in the house next door (moved out as all my housemates were moving away) and while I was there the dog never came into our garden, so I trust my housemates on that matter.

peasant

Get a higher fence !

I don't condone what these people did ...but consider yourself lucky.

Your dog could have "objected" to being treated this way and bitten one or several of your neighbours during this ordeal.

In that case you would be looking at a dead dog now ...put down by the dog warden.

bigpinkelephant

The fumes from the paint could have harmed your dog, or he could have had a reaction.

Trust me if they get their hands on the dog again he will be poisoned, I have seen it done to animals and let me tell you it is a horrible death. I found one of the strays that used to hang around our house in the garden once, foaming at the mouth, having fits and making a horrible howling noise. She had been poisoned and the vet put her down straight away as she was so bad.

Those people are plain scary.

luckat

Leaving aside all the 'could-haves', maybe it's time to go and talk to your neighbours, introduce yourself, get to know them.

I'd say someone was drunk and thought this was funny. Once they know you, they'll probably be fine.

jaffa20

luckat wrote: »

Leaving aside all the 'could-haves', maybe it's time to go and talk to your neighbours, introduce yourself, get to know them.

I'd say someone was drunk and thought this was funny. Once they know you, they'll probably be fine.

I wouldn't want to get to know people who do that do animals

Weidii

luckat wrote: »

Leaving aside all the 'could-haves', maybe it's time to go and talk to your neighbours, introduce yourself, get to know them.

I'd say someone was drunk and thought this was funny. Once they know you, they'll probably be fine.

That's out of the question at this stage. I purposefully approached my newest neighbours (the ones who moved into the house I used to live in) and said hello to them and tried to get a conversation going. They actually just stared at me as though I had two heads. There's no being friendly with these people, they just aren't up for it. Also I don't think they were drunk at the time as it was the afternoon when it happened.

We'll have to ask the landlord if we can put up a high fence, that's probably the best idea. Thanks for all the advice, I'll update this thread if anything else happens.

doctor evil

Get a higher fence (which you have had a few weeks to do), perhaps leave some wine/sick pack with the neighbours.

Perhaps put a higher fence up yourself to get it done quicker and give landlord the receipt for a refund, if your on good terms with him or her. Stress safety for the dog.

As regards to the spray paint I don't think it should have had a serious effect on the dog as it would have tested (on you know what) before being sold.

Anti

See, if i was you i would go round to their house and curl one out on their doorstep

No, dont do that at all. I think a higher fence is the best solution. Also give the DSCPA a shout and let them know what they did to the dog, the garda will probably do nowt, but the DSCPA probably will/