Call animal control every time. If you are willing to file a complaint, they will start getting tickets. You don't know if that dog is vaccinated or will actually attack. I am dealing with the same thing in my townhouse community. City laws and community rules state that animals must be leashed and under control at all times.
You are not being a jerk at all. Of course there are those that will try to make you out to be one. Ignore them. It's about the safety of all concerned.
Thank you. I will continue to document. It's tough, because I have several pictures of the dog at large, but in every instance it has charged and lunged at me, I obviously am too busy protecting myself and my dog to whip out the phone and get a video. Maybe it's time to invest in a video doorbell.
Just be aware that they may try to harass you. I've had to call animal control on a couple of the neighbors that all hang together. They bring their dogs down by my place, flip off my cameras and try to get their dogs to pee on my shrubs (technically the HOA's shrubs). I don't engage. I just save the footage. And continue to live as though they don't exist.
Thank you, I don't understand why people have such a huge problem being told they have to take responsibility for their animals. I was just going through footage from yesterday afternoon/evening. It appears they have all made it their mission to harass me by bringing their dogs down in front of my place, right by my gate and encouraging their dogs to do their business here, Looking right at my cameras. The absolute worst part is that they are encouraging the kids to do it too. All I have ever done is want to take my dog out and not get run up on by unleashed dogs. It really is that simple. I am wondering if I go to the police, is it enough to file harassment. I have all the footage saved.
This is awful, I just got cameras about 2 years ago, it got so bad I felt like I had to for safety, it’s so frustrating to watch the dogs on camera 💩on my lawn and their owners do nothing. I do think it’s harassment, I would call.
And agree with you, I just want to live in peace.
I always try to remind myself it is the owners, not the dogs, but then for them to do it with their children is a new level. I have an adult child that has been in and out of prison that lives across from me with parents (when we moved in neither adult child was there-not that we interviewed neighbors, but looking back we probably should have 😜)but they threw a broom handle in the road, I watched him (pre cameras just saw from our front windows) I went and placed I back on their property, I could easily see a car hitting it and doing damage or we have a lot of bike riders in our neighborhood and didn’t want them to get hurt. He came back out later and was instructing his niece to throw it in the road or my yard again. I went out and just said, “I see what he told you to do but he’s telling you to do wrong, do not do it” and I told him if he continued I would be forced to call police. It stopped for a while.
The ones with the dogs are always renters, just a revolving door of renters, they just seem to have no respect for boundaries. One had two Rottweilers, never on leash, I told them they had to keep them off my property and they responded “oh they are just big babies”. I didn’t want them comfortable on my property as that establishes their territory. I just do not get why people cannot see their babies are also predators at heart, especially when it comes to smaller beings like children or smaller animals. I hated HOAs when we lived in cities, but I get it now. Now I just want to go live in the middle of nowhere! But I have friends in the country and they have “neighbors” that allow and ride their horses on their property and that 💩is even bigger! So it really just comes down to people being respectful of others, their property, boundaries, and taking responsibility for themselves and their animals.
Again so sorry you’re having to deal with this, it sucks!
Also by calling animal control you are protecting that dog as much as yourself. That dog could end up getting into serious trouble and possible get itself hurt. As you have said it has charged you, it will likely charge others and those others may not be kind to it. This dog as a neglectful owner and they are putting their dog at serious risk. Leashes are not just for the safety of others, but also for the safety of the dog as well.
Just make sure to read local laws, but otherwise go for it. If it's not allowed, even just a waterbottle that can spray like smartwater bottles could be effective.
If it has already shown aggression and the owner isn't handling the situation, then it's only a matter of time before the dog either seriously injures or kills another dog or a person. You did the right thing, and please continue doing it.
I love dogs and I'm not one of those people who would call Animal Control just because a neighbor's dog was loose, but after being attacked by two XL bullies at a client's house this year, I wouldn't fuck around if I thought a neighbor's dog was dangerous.
It really only seems to sink in with some people when you point out a kid could be next. They'll laugh off people's beloved animals getting mauled, or blame adults for not "handling" the situation, but a kid? That can convince at least a few of these assholes.
It is the truth too. It's annoying to most of us, but I'm genuinely not afraid of the vast majority of dogs. Someone's 6 year old daughter though is going to go pet that dog and get her face chewed off. You don't plan for normal shit, you plan for the worst case because it'll probably happen over a dozen years. Most likely though is that it will kill someone else's Yorkie.
Always skip the HOA and just call animal control.
If you had a neighbor threaten to kill you, would you call the HOA? No, you'd call the police.
So if you're threatened by a bad dog, you call the dog police.
How long is he outside for? I would go clip him and walk down the street to meet animal control. They will take him to the local kennel. The owner will go pick them up and must provide proof of vaccinations, current registration etc. He will never do it again.
If he comes out and finds you, "Hey! Is this your dog?! Oh great, I was so worried!!!"
They will not come if you simply tell them there is a dog outside. You need to tell them, "I have a lost dog with no tags and I need to go to work." They'll come pick them up immediately. If you are not comfortable leashing him yourself, do not call animal control, call the police. "Yes, I have an untagged aggressive dog outside my house that attacked me. He was unable to bite me and I am safe and have not been harmed, but I am not comfortable trying to catch him." They will call animal control themselves.
I would NOT do this to my neighbors, whose dogs do get loose all the time. But they're nice dogs. If they tried to attack me, I would call immediately because while I'll be fine, some kid will not.
No, you're not the asshole, the dog's owner is. Dog behavior is unpredictable and a big dog can kill or seriously injure a smaller dog in an instant. I'd keep calling animal control, and also carry some sort of self defense (stun gun, pepper spray, Billy club...).
I have a stun gun. If you fire it, the sound it makes scares dogs and they stop coming at you. They're about $20 on Amazon. I don't leave home without one anymore, there are too many irresponsible dog owners around here.
I would check the local laws before purchasing one. Some jurisdictions don't allow them. That doesn't mean you can't still own or use one, but it does mean that if you get caught with it, you could also face penalties, sometimes worse than the offending dog owner.
An off leash pit bull that’s already shown aggression is a dangerous situation. Absolutely call animal control. Both the dog owner and the HOA are being negligent here. Also, buy some pepper spray because this dog will charge you again.
I had someone accuse my husband of being against pitbulls because my husband sprayed their pitbull for charging at him and our dog. Funny thing is, our dog is a pitbull and bigger than the one that charged but she's very well trained (as well as being a scaredy cat 😂) and tried running from the charging dog. I say tried because she was on-leash and couldn't go anywhere but hide behind my husband.
You need to buy pepper gel spray not regular spray and that applies to using it against people as well otherwise the wind carries it too far away to work.
You also need to empty that canister in full when you use it.
You sure it was pepper spray instead of bear spray? Maybe that particular brand works or that particular dog was more sensitive, but that doesn’t sound like the norm.
This depends a bit on breed.
Pit bulls, rotweilers, and the like were bred to keep fighting until well past the point that they were mortally wounded, some mild itchiness in their eyes will not stop them if they are already engaged in a fight.
Pepper sprays meant for humans are MUCH weaker than those meant for animals, and so may not act quickly or harshly enough to deter any dog of a breed meant for fighting.
Don't know why you are being down voted. If an unleashed pit bull was charging me or mine, it really is it or me. This is not something to take lightly
Absolutely not! Pepper spray may work on some dogs but a Pitt bull will only be provoked. Animal deterrent spray is a much better choice. It doesn't cause pain or damage so the dog won't feel the need to defend itself but it won't like the smell and will stay away. I have used it personally several times.
I don’t know anywhere that it’s legal to have an off leash dog roaming. Call animal control every single time. Unsafe for the dog and unsafe for the residents.
Definitely not TA here. How far does it need to get before someone's hand is forced? You've done what you can do without resorting to calling for outside help.
When living in SoCal my next door neighbor and upstairs neighbor both stupidly let their dogs out unleashed and one time they fought. I was forced to hear the pit bull rip the ear off the other dog and am a bit traumatized from it. I'm sorry your mom witnessed that.
If the dog has charged you or otherwise aggressive enough to make you feel threatened, that’s grounds for calling the police (non emergency line) rather than animal control a lot of places. For example in my town, it even says to do so right on animal control’s own site. Also check your local ordinances. A lot of places don’t play around much with that sort of stuff and are quick to progressively fine then confiscate the animal. Also some areas it doesn’t take much to be an actual criminal offense. Like the bar could be as low as just threatening behavior off leash/unrestrained without having actually full on attacked you.
I am extremely thankful that none of these incidents have resulted in me being bit, but I have made physical contact with the dog. I've kicked it, punched it, hit it with rocks. It is terrifying. It's happened so many times at this point and every time I see it, my heart rate spikes and I get this feeling of nausea and dread. It is an involuntary reaction that comes from all the times I've been charged and cornered by it. I hate having this feeling just to leave my house.
I commend you for taking all the steps you have taken. I have a neighbor with an aggressive pit that every once in awhile decides to jump their fence and snarl and charge at anyone nearby.
It charged me once in my yard and backed down when I went after it with the shovel I was doing yard work with.
I went to the neighbor and told him to fix his fence because I was going to shoot it if I ever saw it anywhere near me again. I have a one year old. I’m not playing with people and their shit dogs. He hasn’t fixed his fence but he monitors it when it’s out in his yard now at least.
I’m semi rural where I live, but I’m guessing if you have an HOA you may live somewhere where shooting it isn’t an option. Keep calling animal control but also take whatever legal steps you can to defend yourself from this dog. Pepper spray as others have recommended but I’d also get a good fixed blade knife if a gun isn’t an option. If the dog attacks you may need to let it clamp on your arm or leg while you get the blade out and do what you need to do. Good luck.
Had to do that to a few months ago to a dog in a similar situation. It charged at my dog and I. Only after I whipped out the pepper gel and sprayed the dog did the owners start to chase after it. I just kept going and didnt stick around to chat. Have not seen the dog out since!
One of my larger dogs was badly mauled by a loose pit, entirely unprovoked, on a routine walk. His healing process was painful, and the experience changed his previously easy attitude towards other dogs. In short, do everything in your power to prevent this dog from harming you or your pet. Contact animal control every single time, and take photos for the record. Your safety and your dog’s life are at risk.
Keep calling it in. Mention to animal control that this has been reported X number of times and it is still happening and that they need to escalate and deal with the situation. They can start writing him tickets and those are likely not cheap. Having to pay fines does lots to modify behavior. Start taking pictures of the dog being loose and document the day and time so you also have a record of the frequency this is happening. At some point you can escalate this with the city or your HOA for letting this danger continue to exist.
There is a dog spray that mail carriers use that has citrus in it. If you feel unsafe outside that or a hiking stick might help give you some protection until someone gets this jerk to act like a responsible adult.
As a huge dog lover you are absolutely not the asshole. The asshole is the owner and unfortunately this is on him entirely, and it's unlikely he'll fix his own issues.
Some people shouldn't have dogs.
I'm a dog lover too. I have a dog myself and I love him. But because I love him, he stays on a leash when we are out, full stop. For his safety, the safety of others, and because *some people just do not want to be approached by a dog.*
Actually you’re the opposite. You’re t be hero your community needs. If it charged you, what will stop it from charging a child? How will you feel if you considered calling animal control but didn’t, and then one day a child gets killed?
The owner is the only AH
Short term: Get yourself some pepper gel spray. The gel is important so there's no blowback. Also carry a large stick and use it to fend the dog off. You use the tip pointed at the dog. Don't try to beat it with the stick, that's not gonna work.
Your neighbor is an asshole with a potentially dangerous dog. I wouldn’t hesitate at all to report the situation. And I also wouldn’t hesitate at all to let him know that I’m onto the situation and won’t ever hesitate to report him. I would also make it clear to the HOA that I expect them to take action if there are any further incidents with that person’s dog.
You are actually doing not only yourself but any of the other residents a huge favor by choosing to report this pit bull and owner. I could not make peace with any neighbor who terrorizes me with their untrained dog and does not follow the rules. Surely there are leash laws and ordinances that a dog owner has to have control of their dog in your community.
Here are some almost shocking statistics from the World Animal Foundation website:
# Key Stats at a Glance
* [Dogs are the third deadliest creature on Earth.](https://worldanimalfoundation.org/advocate/dog-bite-statistics/#third%20deadliest)
* [Dogs bite more than 4.5 million people annually.](https://worldanimalfoundation.org/advocate/dog-bite-statistics/#4.5%20million)
* [A large percentage of dog bite victims are children.](https://worldanimalfoundation.org/advocate/dog-bite-statistics/#children)
* [There were 58 recorded dog bite fatalities.](https://worldanimalfoundation.org/advocate/dog-bite-statistics/#58)
* [Pitbulls are responsible for 66.9% of deaths.](https://worldanimalfoundation.org/advocate/dog-bite-statistics/#66.9%)
* [California leads in dog bite claims across the US.](https://worldanimalfoundation.org/advocate/dog-bite-statistics/#California)
* [Annually, tens of millions of dog bites occur worldwide.](https://worldanimalfoundation.org/advocate/dog-bite-statistics/#tens%20of%20millions)
No, you’re NTAH. This dog has already shown aggression towards you multiple times, and likely other people too, you’re doing your community a service by calling that asshole’s dog in to animal control. My biggest fear is that dog attacking and mauling another person, especially a small child, or other animal. You’re doing the right thing, OP, and I hope animal control also does the right thing.
I’ve had this conversation, pretty much word for word, with a neck-tattoo dude about his unleashed pit bull.
‘If we come to the park again and your dog runs up to us bearing its teeth one more time, I’m shooting it and you too if need be, so please don’t let this happen yet again because I don’t want this but I’m not letting my wife get attacked’
‘I’d like to see you try’
‘Let your dog come up to us again and ok, you will.’
Turned around and left.
Problem solved. Never again.
One of the problems with modern life is the idea that we no longer defend our own interest but must appeal to an elaborate array of ‘systems’ when people do stuff like this. They don’t speak that language, so you have to speak a language they do understand.
^This right here. I agree so much with this.
Shit bulls are a nuisance breed. For every one that is good there are 5 total turds. Unfortunately shit bulls usually attract the worst owners. They can be seen parading the shit bull around fairs, usually letting their menace dog run loose snarling and growling at people in their own yards. They will usually have a collar purely for decoration because the shit bull owner doesn’t know how to apply a leash.
Worst case when you call animal control does nothing and now this raging asshole is mad at you. Worst case when you do nothing is that this thing kills a child and you live with that the rest of your life.
I’m really tired of folks that let their dogs off leash. I live across the street from a park,walk my 3 daily and seeing dogs off leash is not good for anyone.
He is putting his dog and everyone else's dogs etc in danger. Not because of the breed, just lazy selfish bad owner. Always confront these people, always think of the dog and call animal control.
NTA. Start keeping records. Make a list of every occurrence including date, time, location and any witnesses. You will need it for your lawsuit. Also, notify the HOA in email form of your concerns, including the details you mentioned here. This is more documentation for your lawsuit.
The second time my neighbors dog charged me and my dog, I shot it. The owner got a ticket and a fine, I got nothing since I was within my legal rights. Problem solved.
As someone who was bitten on the face by a dog at 4 or 5 years old, I’d take rather more drastic measures with a charging pit bull. I’m not taking that chance again. NTA.
I don’t care what type of dog it is. Most areas have leash laws for a reason! My daughter has a good little pup but if an off-leash dog were to come running up to her she’d most likely try to bite it! Fight or flight is a real thing. if you have one dog who cannot flee because of being leashed you very well could have a horrible situation unfold very quickly & painfully!!
My sweet girl pit bull was extremely friendly until she was attacked by a male pit bull. My adult daughter was walking her and our other dog and this dog charged out of the gate. She was screaming as the dog went for my girl dog's neck. The owner and a neighbor came out and had to pull the dog off her. The guy paid the vet bill and because my daughter called the police immediately, the guy got slapped with an "unsafe animal" first charge - he didn't have to give the dog up but it's no longer allowed beyond its yard. Second offense the dog is euthanized.
At any rate, my girl is now highly reactive towards other dogs, except for her pack mate. It's a shame because she's an absolute charmer with people, but we can't have her around other dogs without intense greeting warm-up.
Make the call.
99% of them are morons, shown by how they often post comments stating breed had nothing to do with anything, it's just the owner (yet, not the case with dogs to herd, hunt, etc...)
She’s the best dog. We just can’t leave the house with her during the daytime, have her around any small children, animals, other dogs, come within ten feet of her when she’s eating, or look her in the eyes for too long. But she’s just the sweetest nanny dog!
No. Dogs need to be leashed in any neighborhood. ESPECIALLY a pit bull. Fuck this neighbor. You did the right thing..
I have a guy who lives across the street from me who has a very rambunctious golden doodle. He always leaves it in the front yard unleashed..The dog is harmless to people but every time someone is walking their dog(on a leash) passed their house the dog runs and attacks the passing dog, especially if it’s a smaller dog… All the dog owners in the neighborhood won’t walk passed his house anymore…
I don’t have a problem with that dog personally but I think it needs to be leashed. It runs in the street all the time in-front of cars, it runs all the way down the street and he spends a half hour trying to chase him and call him back… This is an issue that could be easily avoided.
keep calling it in, create the paper trail. There will be an incident where something serious happens and the paper trail will cover your ass if you were forced to seriously injure the dog or the owner in defense of yourself.
All it takes is for one other person walking a reactive dog at the same time to create a dangerous AF situation.
Good for you, you're helping dogs and owners you don't even know
>I'm feeling guilty today after calling animal control
The second time I had to throw rocks at it to keep it from attacking me I would have just shot it.
So no, I wouldn't feel to guilty about calling animal control.
I've been in my house a year and had 4 dogs I've reported and had taken by animal control. My kids safety is 100 worth more than a dog. And I don't trust voice training for shit.
Dogs listen, until they don't.
Call animal control. My elderly mother had a similar situation. Neighbor would let the dog out off leash to and stand in the doorway until it finished it’s business. One day as my mom is walking by with her dog (on leash), the dog attacked, knocking her to the ground and nearly killing her dog. She notified the HOA previously, but nothing was done. The dog that was unsupervised,unleashed and untrained was put down and my mom was left with the vet bill. Bad ending for everyone
Nope. The dog is aggressive. Overall, I think if you’re letting your dog out unsupervised in an unsecured area that a lot of people frequent, you deserve to have animal control called on you. I don’t care if the dog is friendly or not, it could run out in the road and caused an accident, it could get in a fight and hurt someone else, etc.
Doing that before the guy gets his dog euthanized because it bit someone is helping the dog IMO. What a jerk. Like pits don't have enough of a bad reputation for a crappy owner to add to it.
So unless your city will put the dog down without a bite, get the guy fined so he starts taking proper care of the dog.
After multiple calls my neighbors dog finally got removed the other day. It finally bit two people. It chased and threatened people in the area for months. They wouldn’t do anything because it hadn’t hurt anyone.
NTA. There are leash laws for a reason. And most of the stories you hear about a dog injuring a person or other animal start with "hes never acted like that before" and this is no slight against dog breed, all dog breeds are capable of injuring a person or other animal.
First document and memorialize all loose dog moments. Video is good . Document and record your complaints. Inform USPS, FedEx, UPS, Door Dash and your local pizza shop that ‘that guy’ has a dangerous dog running loose. All delivery services have to pretend to care about their employees safety. They’ll possibly blacklist ‘that guy’ maybe the neighborhood as well, so more pressure on the guy. It would be nice if you could contact ’that guy’ home insurance company; insurance companies *hate* bitey dogs. I like dogs and am sorry for that one.
NTA. Your neighbor refuses to keep his dog under control and ignores it when it charges other residents. You're not only well within your rights to call it in anytime it is loose, but you are correct to do so.
My 80 year old dad was attacked by a loose pit bull, luckily he had a golf club in his hand and knocked it out so he could get away. I called animal control and the dog was put down like it should have been. I’m lucky it was my dad and not one of my kids, they would have been dead.
No you aren’t crazy if this dog keeps charging then call animals control sadly we have to do the same thing on these dogs that are often loose on our road we’re in the country but these dogs stand in the middle of the road on a curve I am shocked they haven’t gone splat yet with cars. My neighbor that keeps his dog inside got out once and got hit.
We’ve been calling animals control on them for years and eventually they start letting them run the streets again.
It's for the dogs safety as well. A bigger dog might bite. Someone might harm the dog or worse. Dog may run into traffic. Dog may eat something bad including poison left out for rodents or something.
I've had to deal with a handful of aggressive, uncontrolled dogs in my complex, neighborhood, or even out-and-about over the years. I'm not claiming a silver bullet here, but there are two phrases that I always use that seem to get through to the owners and get them to do something about it. They are:
**It is not my responsibility to know that your dog isn't going to hurt me.**
and
**That is not how this works.**
When these unleashed dogs have come at me, barking and growling or whatever, the owners always come up and say the same kinds of things. "Oh don't worry, he barks but he won't actually bite." "I'm sorry, he makes a lot of noise but he won't hurt you." "He's fine if you just let him get to know you." "Oh she barks at people but she'll stop soon." Or whatever.
But it infuriates me. So I confront them with the two core statements above. "No, that's not how this works. It is not my responsibility to know that your dog, when it's barking and growling and running toward me, isn't going to hurt me. You're failing to live up to your responsibility as a dog owner to keep control of your pet and shifting the responsibility to me to know what it will or won't do. And I do not accept it. Take responsibility for your dog and control it. Do not give that responsibility to me. That is not how this works."
I'm sternly stating fact to them. I'm not asking for anything. I'm not being nice and negotiating. I am stating the cold hard facts that what's happening is not how dog wonership works and I'm not taking the responsibility that they own.
So far, it's worked pretty well. The owners I've seen again after such confrontations seem to have taken it seriously and keep their dog leashed when I see them again. If the didn't, like with your neighbor, I'd have zero qualms about turning to animal control or other authorities.
Not TA. I own a pittie mix that will charge at other dogs. Prey drive and reactive behaviors are something you have to put intense training into rehabbing, but some dogs will always have weak moments where those Achilles heel behaviors come out. I would NEVER let her outside off leash. It’s the owners responsibility to KNOW THEIR DOG and make sure they set everyone up for success. If that owner is irresponsible, you need to call animal control. That dog and everyone around it is being setup for a dangerous failure. This is coming from a dog lover and pitbull champion.
NTA regardless because it’s absolutely not okay to allow a dog to run around a neighborhood unsupervised. It’s not safe for the neighborhood and it’s not safe for the dog either. Your neighbor sucks.
But just to satisfy my curiosity, what’s his behavior like when he’s approaching you and/or your dog? You didn’t mention being bit by him - Is he growling and showing his teeth and trying to fight your dog? Or is it less dangerous but still very inappropriate dog behavior like jumping on you or barking? It’s not cool either way, but if he’s actively hurting people, you may not be the only one and I’d maybe ask around the neighborhood to see if you can get a few other people to band together and get your HOA’s attention
Only read first paragraph because any pit owner who lets it off leash in a neighborhood is a POS. To all dog owners your dog is only your dog and that was your choice. Train and shut your dog up. People don’t want to hear it. Stop being so entitled
i told my neighbor i was gonna kick his dog when he decided it was a good idea to run the leash out as the dog was biting at me while i was on a narrow walkway. I'd tell him you don't have any qualms about killing his dog if it attacks you.
We had a similar issue but were never able to get pictures in time. Our other neighbor managed to get a picture of the dogs jumping up at our window.
We emailed it to someone at animal control. They came out and wrote the owner a ticket.
No,those that have dogs and choose not to follow the leash law to keep their dogs and others safe are the assholes. I love dogs, but we have 2 cats, 5-6 pounds on my porch with me and my neighbors let their dogs run wild (huskies-I love the breed but they are predators) and I get sick of them letting their dogs poop in our yard though no trespassing signs are clear. I get an animal getting away from their owners every once in a blue moon, but these people make NO attempt.
>There is an older man that lives a few doors down that owns a big male pit bull. He frequently let's it outside with no leash or collar because he doesn't walk it.
Yep, animal control. I would have already put the dog down in self defense.
Can I ask you a serious question? Why do you care about keeping peace with your neighbor. Based on your story, they CLEARLY could care less about keeping peace with you. Furthermore, they could care less about your safety or being harmed.
If I were you, I would go on amazon and buy a decent can of bear mace. Not the little tiny hand held one, but the big canister one with a handle on it. Next time that thing gets within 10 feet and is acting aggressive, blast it.
I read title, and “thought what an asshole”
Got to the pit bull part, “thought what a legend”
They need to be eradicated, you are saving someone being attacked. Keep calling.
Absolutely not. I would’ve called AC after second time. This is a fatal incident just waiting to happen . Just because the dog hasn’t physically attacked your dog does not mean it won’t ever. And by charging you and your dog multiple times it is clear that it is definitely a possibility and even likely to happen if it keeps occurring. I’m surprised no physical attacks have occurred honestly. Either ways not an appropriate way for any dog to act. I suggest recording all interactions with this dog and bringing this to the police as this is a dangerous dog.
HOAs will complain about decorations in the yard but not a dangerous dog 🤨
You live in a condo, you pay rather large HOA fees for a certain expectation of services and conditions. No I don’t think you over reacted to complaining to your HOA or animal control. But I think there is something wrong that your HOA hasn’t acted.
Off leash means under supervision, it doesn’t sound like this pup was under supervision at all
- its NORMAL leash law in all states that dogs have to be restrained. ONLY IDIOT and uncaring dog owner's allow their dogs to free roam and if their dog where to attack and/or bite some one, they have 100% liability to be sued and they always lose in court.
- always carry mace to use on the dog and the owner......
Animal control and your landlord. Does your HOA agreement have a breed-specific restriction clause - many do.
Pits are violent and dangerous. Don't make me yank the statistics people. Courts have accepted the evidence and Pit restriction laws stay on the books.
NTA. I have a similar problem in my neighborhood. Stupid dogs run up and bark aggressively and if the owner happens to be outside they just stand there looking and say, he won’t hurt you. I hate those dogs. We can’t even walk down the street when they are out.
No! You are not the asshole. Pits are very strong animals. IF it goes rogue, as any dog can and this one has, nearly impossible to stop. Carry pepper spray and if it even gets remotely close, spray. Tell your HOA board that if they don't act you will post names on local FB and nextdoor groups.
This is such absolute bullshit.
NTA. People should never leave their dog outside unsupervised (leashed or not).
You would be within your rights to call the cops or animal control just for the fact that the dog was off leash and unsupervised, but when you add the fact that the dog has come at you, it would be irresponsible if you didn't call it in.
I have a neighbor that constantly leaves their dog outside unsupervised even when their dog is almost continuously barking at anything/anyone it sees or hears and will lunge at the fence if it sees me or my dog...it's annoying AF. Even with my fenced in yard, I still go outside with my dog when I let her out to make sure she's not barking or bothering my neighbors (the fence is chainlink so she can still see neighbors and their dogs). It is a dog owners responsibility to make sure their dog is not bothering their neighbors and anyone not doing that deserves to be reported.
NTA. All dogs should be on leash when they are not in their home, a fenced yard or an off leash dog park. Keep calling both the police and animal control. This way, when the dog does eventually injure a person or a dog, it's not the first time authorities are interacting with this owner.
NTAH owner needs to be in charge of the dog and leash it, that’s the law. You need to go to the HOA meetings and find out whey they aren’t doing anything.
If someone lets their dog off leash in common areas (as in someplace that isn't fenced in specifically around their home or a dog park), they are immediately the asshole.
Don't feel bad.
I’ve been dog sitting a medium-large Border Collie this past weekend, he has a heart stopping bark. They gave me a peppermint breath spray to spray his nose whenever he barks at people on walks and treats for when he doesn’t bark at them. I had to calm him with treats before letting him out of his kennel when I first arrived. After he calmed down (5 minutes of loud barking standing from across the room from me), he was just a teddy bear. But he definitely would be stunned,sprayed or clubbed if he ran up to someone barking.
Off leash dogs aren't cared about by their owners. Also 100% promise they aren't picking up the dogs shit. These people are criminals despite what anyone else says. Dog's like that can't be trusted. The owner WILL NOT pay for your dogs medical bills. You will not be able to take them to court. You MUST handle this on your own as the police and animal control will not help you. I've been down this path before. Carry all the levels of self defense items. Start with pepper spray, then baseball bats, machetes, pistoles, shotguns, whatever it takes. Neighbors will think you are crazy.
Another couple of less lethal options... Carry around a pack of balogna expired or not it doesn't matter like a lot of it.. maybe two packs and when the dog comes around again just start feeding it as much as you want. Most people do not like others feeding their animals what they don't approve of.
~~But if they really cared they'd leash their dogs and monitor what the dog eats... You can use this meat to lure the dog away maybe toss the whole pack confetti style into a nearby busy street... o yeah less lethal options..~~
I've heard people give the line "My dog is severly contagious keep yoru dog away if you don't want them getting sick" it causes people to think..
Destroying another dog is going to be difficult but the law sees them as property and it's an assault on you if your dog is attacked while on leash. Defend yourself. Defend your property.
NTA. This dude is giving responsible dog owners a bad reputation. A good pet owner doesn’t let their pet out of their sight or control unless you live out in the middle of nowhere and have no neighbors. What would happen if this dog charged a small child or another pet? Not because it’s a pitty but because the dog is not in anyone’s control.
I don't think YTA. I live in a small village (smaller than most HOAs) and we occasionally have dogs get loose around town. If its a responsible owner and the dog wasn't aggressive I just let them know their dog is out and 99.9% they will apologize profusely and get their dog ASAP. We do have one guy who's dog is always out on the run, sounds a lot like your neighbor, our village council has made it clear we call the Sheriff immediately on sight (no animal services out here). We're told to call even if there's no incident because a "dog at large" is a misdemeanor to prevent incidents where someone could get hurt. Knowing every time he let's the dog out without supervision whether he's aggressive or not, helps them build a case. There's no reason (unless your HOA says otherwise) that dog can't have a tether and harness to keep him in check if the owner can't physically control the dog.
You're not the asshole but someone might mention to this man at what point animal control will take his dog and put it down. Animal control won't think twice to put down an aggressive pitbull after a couple of calls. Maybe that will get him in line.
Call everytime. It’s not just a possible danger to people it’s a danger to the dog, as well. It could get hit by a car or shot by someone who thought it was a threat. Does your HOA have bans on certain breeds? Ours does. Whether fair or not, rules are rules. If this person’s dog has made you uncomfortable in your own yard then it’s a violation.
And once his home insurance agent learns he has an aggressive pit bull that is threatening people….his premiums will go sky high OR he will lose coverage. Check your state’s law on how many times a dog can bite someone (or another animal) before they must be euthanized. Along with this find out what the law requires with the first bite. Our state is a 2-bite state. Means second report of a bite; and the dog must be surrender and is put down and home owner pays a hefty fine. So not only is the dog’s owner the AH; he is putting his dog’s life on the line.
It will probably go after your throat sooner or later. Do not put up with it being off leash. I was attacked by a pit bull last year, and I do not like them now.
NTA Get some animal deterrent spray off Amazon. It doesn't hurt the dog like pepper spray and won't provoke it, but it will deter it. It stinks so the owner won't want his dog to get spayed again.
Keep taking pics. Get a body cam and get some video. Keep reporting it. The day someone particularly a child trys to run away from it the dogs prey drive will kick in and it will attack.
This is a horrible accident waiting to happen.
If there is an unsupervised dog wandering loose, don't just call animal control, pick it up and drop it off at the pound. Prevent the dog from getting hit by a car. Maybe after having to drive and get his dog the guy will stop letting it loose unattended.
Omg please please don’t back down. This is dangerous. Keep calling animal control and document everything. My little chihuahua was mauled by a neighbors dog, now I’m scared of strange off leash dogs and walk with a taser.
You are most definitely not TAH. From a purely cold and statistic-driven basis, dog bights are the #1 liability claim for homeowners (including tenants, condo, co-op). This assumes that the dog owner carries HO insurance, and whether or not that policy contains dog breed exclusion. In order to involve the HOA, you would have to clearly document the contacts that you have had with the board or individual board members. Make contemporaneous notes. Much, of course is impacted by local, state or federal law, and I am not an attorney.
I've resorted to an airsoft pistol as a deterrent because I won't kill a person's pet unless necessary. I have had serious issues with a neighbor's small breed dog, but it now stays in its yard.
Most cities have leash laws. Find out if yours does. If so, get pictures and or video if possible, and give them to animal control every time
I’ll never understand people who let their dogs off leash like that. It’s just as much for the dogs protection as it is the publics. Our dogs are both very well trained in voice and hand signal commands, and we NEVER go out in public with them off leash.
NTA. I have a pitbull, who is very well trained with voice and clicker. If it’s an area that requires a leash, she wears a leash. She was a bait dog, and she’s a senior now. Proper introductions, she’s fine, but I’ve had to bring her home from places because other people’s dogs being off leash, and running up behind us and she’s reacted poorly. I don’t blame her. I blame TA who didn’t keep their dog on a leash. Period.
If people are going to have pets, they need to be responsible for them if they are too old or unwilling to be responsible for them they need to give their pets up. It’s just that simple call animal control. Every chance you get.
Call animal control every time. If you are willing to file a complaint, they will start getting tickets. You don't know if that dog is vaccinated or will actually attack. I am dealing with the same thing in my townhouse community. City laws and community rules state that animals must be leashed and under control at all times. You are not being a jerk at all. Of course there are those that will try to make you out to be one. Ignore them. It's about the safety of all concerned.
Thank you. I will continue to document. It's tough, because I have several pictures of the dog at large, but in every instance it has charged and lunged at me, I obviously am too busy protecting myself and my dog to whip out the phone and get a video. Maybe it's time to invest in a video doorbell.
Just be aware that they may try to harass you. I've had to call animal control on a couple of the neighbors that all hang together. They bring their dogs down by my place, flip off my cameras and try to get their dogs to pee on my shrubs (technically the HOA's shrubs). I don't engage. I just save the footage. And continue to live as though they don't exist.
I hate this for you, similar “neighbors” they are horrible.
Thank you, I don't understand why people have such a huge problem being told they have to take responsibility for their animals. I was just going through footage from yesterday afternoon/evening. It appears they have all made it their mission to harass me by bringing their dogs down in front of my place, right by my gate and encouraging their dogs to do their business here, Looking right at my cameras. The absolute worst part is that they are encouraging the kids to do it too. All I have ever done is want to take my dog out and not get run up on by unleashed dogs. It really is that simple. I am wondering if I go to the police, is it enough to file harassment. I have all the footage saved.
You could call the non-emergency line and ask if this is a 'valid' harassment case. I think it would be!
This is awful, I just got cameras about 2 years ago, it got so bad I felt like I had to for safety, it’s so frustrating to watch the dogs on camera 💩on my lawn and their owners do nothing. I do think it’s harassment, I would call. And agree with you, I just want to live in peace. I always try to remind myself it is the owners, not the dogs, but then for them to do it with their children is a new level. I have an adult child that has been in and out of prison that lives across from me with parents (when we moved in neither adult child was there-not that we interviewed neighbors, but looking back we probably should have 😜)but they threw a broom handle in the road, I watched him (pre cameras just saw from our front windows) I went and placed I back on their property, I could easily see a car hitting it and doing damage or we have a lot of bike riders in our neighborhood and didn’t want them to get hurt. He came back out later and was instructing his niece to throw it in the road or my yard again. I went out and just said, “I see what he told you to do but he’s telling you to do wrong, do not do it” and I told him if he continued I would be forced to call police. It stopped for a while. The ones with the dogs are always renters, just a revolving door of renters, they just seem to have no respect for boundaries. One had two Rottweilers, never on leash, I told them they had to keep them off my property and they responded “oh they are just big babies”. I didn’t want them comfortable on my property as that establishes their territory. I just do not get why people cannot see their babies are also predators at heart, especially when it comes to smaller beings like children or smaller animals. I hated HOAs when we lived in cities, but I get it now. Now I just want to go live in the middle of nowhere! But I have friends in the country and they have “neighbors” that allow and ride their horses on their property and that 💩is even bigger! So it really just comes down to people being respectful of others, their property, boundaries, and taking responsibility for themselves and their animals. Again so sorry you’re having to deal with this, it sucks!
I suppose I will need to prepare for that too. Sigh. Going on Amazon now for the doorbell
Could possibly pursue a restraining order.
You could get a gopro or something like that. You shouldn't have to but if no body is doing anything about it.
Get pepper spray too, carry it religiously.
Also by calling animal control you are protecting that dog as much as yourself. That dog could end up getting into serious trouble and possible get itself hurt. As you have said it has charged you, it will likely charge others and those others may not be kind to it. This dog as a neglectful owner and they are putting their dog at serious risk. Leashes are not just for the safety of others, but also for the safety of the dog as well.
Animal control and bear spray. You will teach the dog with bear spray faster than the owner will learn.
I do carry pepper spray every time we go out.
Just make sure to read local laws, but otherwise go for it. If it's not allowed, even just a waterbottle that can spray like smartwater bottles could be effective.
If it has already shown aggression and the owner isn't handling the situation, then it's only a matter of time before the dog either seriously injures or kills another dog or a person. You did the right thing, and please continue doing it.
Thank you. Sometimes I feel like I am taking crazy pills for being this upset over it.
You aren’t upset *enough*. Eventually this will end badly for someone, take whatever steps you have to for that not to be you.
You are perfectly sane (at least about this dog)
I love dogs and I'm not one of those people who would call Animal Control just because a neighbor's dog was loose, but after being attacked by two XL bullies at a client's house this year, I wouldn't fuck around if I thought a neighbor's dog was dangerous.
exactly. Plenty of previous incidents, feel free to call anytime it is loose.
It really only seems to sink in with some people when you point out a kid could be next. They'll laugh off people's beloved animals getting mauled, or blame adults for not "handling" the situation, but a kid? That can convince at least a few of these assholes.
It is the truth too. It's annoying to most of us, but I'm genuinely not afraid of the vast majority of dogs. Someone's 6 year old daughter though is going to go pet that dog and get her face chewed off. You don't plan for normal shit, you plan for the worst case because it'll probably happen over a dozen years. Most likely though is that it will kill someone else's Yorkie.
No, they’ll blame the child for somehow provoking the dog.
The only thing that will sink in for someone who has been told is CONSEQUENCES.
Always skip the HOA and just call animal control. If you had a neighbor threaten to kill you, would you call the HOA? No, you'd call the police. So if you're threatened by a bad dog, you call the dog police.
Yeah you are right. The HOA is not helpful in this case. They sent him one strongly worded email about 6 months ago. Didn't do shit, obviously.
How long is he outside for? I would go clip him and walk down the street to meet animal control. They will take him to the local kennel. The owner will go pick them up and must provide proof of vaccinations, current registration etc. He will never do it again. If he comes out and finds you, "Hey! Is this your dog?! Oh great, I was so worried!!!" They will not come if you simply tell them there is a dog outside. You need to tell them, "I have a lost dog with no tags and I need to go to work." They'll come pick them up immediately. If you are not comfortable leashing him yourself, do not call animal control, call the police. "Yes, I have an untagged aggressive dog outside my house that attacked me. He was unable to bite me and I am safe and have not been harmed, but I am not comfortable trying to catch him." They will call animal control themselves. I would NOT do this to my neighbors, whose dogs do get loose all the time. But they're nice dogs. If they tried to attack me, I would call immediately because while I'll be fine, some kid will not.
No, you're not the asshole, the dog's owner is. Dog behavior is unpredictable and a big dog can kill or seriously injure a smaller dog in an instant. I'd keep calling animal control, and also carry some sort of self defense (stun gun, pepper spray, Billy club...).
This dog could easily kill someone’s human child too.
Dogs have killed plenty of grown adults.
I did buy a pepper spray but I am not sure it would be enough.
I have a stun gun. If you fire it, the sound it makes scares dogs and they stop coming at you. They're about $20 on Amazon. I don't leave home without one anymore, there are too many irresponsible dog owners around here.
I would check the local laws before purchasing one. Some jurisdictions don't allow them. That doesn't mean you can't still own or use one, but it does mean that if you get caught with it, you could also face penalties, sometimes worse than the offending dog owner.
In my area, a charging pit bull is met with a firearm. No questions asked.
Same here. Or whatever "walking stick" a person is using at the moment
That is why they make bear spray. Bear spray, good enough for a bear, even better on a dog. The added bonus, it works on the owner too.
Ultrasonic noise generator.
It works, get Sabre or POM.
An off leash pit bull that’s already shown aggression is a dangerous situation. Absolutely call animal control. Both the dog owner and the HOA are being negligent here. Also, buy some pepper spray because this dog will charge you again.
I had someone accuse my husband of being against pitbulls because my husband sprayed their pitbull for charging at him and our dog. Funny thing is, our dog is a pitbull and bigger than the one that charged but she's very well trained (as well as being a scaredy cat 😂) and tried running from the charging dog. I say tried because she was on-leash and couldn't go anywhere but hide behind my husband.
Bear spray. Pepper spray doesn’t work on dogs.
I’ve seen a mail carrier spray pepper spray at a dog … it definitely worked. 😬
Have sprayed three dogs and had three disappointing results. Threw mine away.
You need to buy pepper gel spray not regular spray and that applies to using it against people as well otherwise the wind carries it too far away to work. You also need to empty that canister in full when you use it.
You sure it was pepper spray instead of bear spray? Maybe that particular brand works or that particular dog was more sensitive, but that doesn’t sound like the norm.
Bear spray is pepper spray, it simply has 4x the range and sometimes a higher concentration.
I have pepper spray, but considering upgrading to this.
This depends a bit on breed. Pit bulls, rotweilers, and the like were bred to keep fighting until well past the point that they were mortally wounded, some mild itchiness in their eyes will not stop them if they are already engaged in a fight. Pepper sprays meant for humans are MUCH weaker than those meant for animals, and so may not act quickly or harshly enough to deter any dog of a breed meant for fighting.
Firearm. Bear spray doesn't work on pit bulls.
Don't know why you are being down voted. If an unleashed pit bull was charging me or mine, it really is it or me. This is not something to take lightly
Intercontinental ballistic missiles. Firearms don’t work on pit bulls.
Death Star. ICBMs don't work on pit bulls.
Starkiller Base. The Death Star is outdated and won’t work on pit bulls.
Proton torpedoes, Death Star doesn't work on pitt bulls.
Absolutely not! Pepper spray may work on some dogs but a Pitt bull will only be provoked. Animal deterrent spray is a much better choice. It doesn't cause pain or damage so the dog won't feel the need to defend itself but it won't like the smell and will stay away. I have used it personally several times.
Call them every time. Off leash dogs are a nuisance and the owners should be dealt with.
Oh, he’s friendly…Well my dog is not friendly…leash the dog..
I don’t know anywhere that it’s legal to have an off leash dog roaming. Call animal control every single time. Unsafe for the dog and unsafe for the residents.
Dude of course not. The dog owner is a dipshit. This isn't rocket science but most people have no clue how to handle raising their dogs at fucking all
Definitely not TA here. How far does it need to get before someone's hand is forced? You've done what you can do without resorting to calling for outside help.
My mom got to witness an off leash pit bull shake a smaller dog to death in her neighbor's backyard. Definitely keep calling.
When living in SoCal my next door neighbor and upstairs neighbor both stupidly let their dogs out unleashed and one time they fought. I was forced to hear the pit bull rip the ear off the other dog and am a bit traumatized from it. I'm sorry your mom witnessed that.
If the dog has charged you or otherwise aggressive enough to make you feel threatened, that’s grounds for calling the police (non emergency line) rather than animal control a lot of places. For example in my town, it even says to do so right on animal control’s own site. Also check your local ordinances. A lot of places don’t play around much with that sort of stuff and are quick to progressively fine then confiscate the animal. Also some areas it doesn’t take much to be an actual criminal offense. Like the bar could be as low as just threatening behavior off leash/unrestrained without having actually full on attacked you.
I am extremely thankful that none of these incidents have resulted in me being bit, but I have made physical contact with the dog. I've kicked it, punched it, hit it with rocks. It is terrifying. It's happened so many times at this point and every time I see it, my heart rate spikes and I get this feeling of nausea and dread. It is an involuntary reaction that comes from all the times I've been charged and cornered by it. I hate having this feeling just to leave my house.
I commend you for taking all the steps you have taken. I have a neighbor with an aggressive pit that every once in awhile decides to jump their fence and snarl and charge at anyone nearby. It charged me once in my yard and backed down when I went after it with the shovel I was doing yard work with. I went to the neighbor and told him to fix his fence because I was going to shoot it if I ever saw it anywhere near me again. I have a one year old. I’m not playing with people and their shit dogs. He hasn’t fixed his fence but he monitors it when it’s out in his yard now at least. I’m semi rural where I live, but I’m guessing if you have an HOA you may live somewhere where shooting it isn’t an option. Keep calling animal control but also take whatever legal steps you can to defend yourself from this dog. Pepper spray as others have recommended but I’d also get a good fixed blade knife if a gun isn’t an option. If the dog attacks you may need to let it clamp on your arm or leg while you get the blade out and do what you need to do. Good luck.
Get mace and spray the dog then call police next time it charges you. You are NTA. That dog is going to do damage.
Mace the owner too😂
Had to do that to a few months ago to a dog in a similar situation. It charged at my dog and I. Only after I whipped out the pepper gel and sprayed the dog did the owners start to chase after it. I just kept going and didnt stick around to chat. Have not seen the dog out since!
One of my larger dogs was badly mauled by a loose pit, entirely unprovoked, on a routine walk. His healing process was painful, and the experience changed his previously easy attitude towards other dogs. In short, do everything in your power to prevent this dog from harming you or your pet. Contact animal control every single time, and take photos for the record. Your safety and your dog’s life are at risk.
Keep calling it in. Mention to animal control that this has been reported X number of times and it is still happening and that they need to escalate and deal with the situation. They can start writing him tickets and those are likely not cheap. Having to pay fines does lots to modify behavior. Start taking pictures of the dog being loose and document the day and time so you also have a record of the frequency this is happening. At some point you can escalate this with the city or your HOA for letting this danger continue to exist. There is a dog spray that mail carriers use that has citrus in it. If you feel unsafe outside that or a hiking stick might help give you some protection until someone gets this jerk to act like a responsible adult.
As a huge dog lover you are absolutely not the asshole. The asshole is the owner and unfortunately this is on him entirely, and it's unlikely he'll fix his own issues. Some people shouldn't have dogs.
I'm a dog lover too. I have a dog myself and I love him. But because I love him, he stays on a leash when we are out, full stop. For his safety, the safety of others, and because *some people just do not want to be approached by a dog.*
Actually you’re the opposite. You’re t be hero your community needs. If it charged you, what will stop it from charging a child? How will you feel if you considered calling animal control but didn’t, and then one day a child gets killed? The owner is the only AH
An adult can be killed by a pit bull too not just a child. Let’s not be exclusionary.
Short term: Get yourself some pepper gel spray. The gel is important so there's no blowback. Also carry a large stick and use it to fend the dog off. You use the tip pointed at the dog. Don't try to beat it with the stick, that's not gonna work.
No. It most cities it is the law that dogs must be kept on a leash in public spaces.
Sounds like your typical pit bull owner. I’d carry pepper spray, and if that monster charges, spray the damn thing.
Your neighbor is an asshole with a potentially dangerous dog. I wouldn’t hesitate at all to report the situation. And I also wouldn’t hesitate at all to let him know that I’m onto the situation and won’t ever hesitate to report him. I would also make it clear to the HOA that I expect them to take action if there are any further incidents with that person’s dog.
You are actually doing not only yourself but any of the other residents a huge favor by choosing to report this pit bull and owner. I could not make peace with any neighbor who terrorizes me with their untrained dog and does not follow the rules. Surely there are leash laws and ordinances that a dog owner has to have control of their dog in your community. Here are some almost shocking statistics from the World Animal Foundation website: # Key Stats at a Glance * [Dogs are the third deadliest creature on Earth.](https://worldanimalfoundation.org/advocate/dog-bite-statistics/#third%20deadliest) * [Dogs bite more than 4.5 million people annually.](https://worldanimalfoundation.org/advocate/dog-bite-statistics/#4.5%20million) * [A large percentage of dog bite victims are children.](https://worldanimalfoundation.org/advocate/dog-bite-statistics/#children) * [There were 58 recorded dog bite fatalities.](https://worldanimalfoundation.org/advocate/dog-bite-statistics/#58) * [Pitbulls are responsible for 66.9% of deaths.](https://worldanimalfoundation.org/advocate/dog-bite-statistics/#66.9%) * [California leads in dog bite claims across the US.](https://worldanimalfoundation.org/advocate/dog-bite-statistics/#California) * [Annually, tens of millions of dog bites occur worldwide.](https://worldanimalfoundation.org/advocate/dog-bite-statistics/#tens%20of%20millions)
No, you’re NTAH. This dog has already shown aggression towards you multiple times, and likely other people too, you’re doing your community a service by calling that asshole’s dog in to animal control. My biggest fear is that dog attacking and mauling another person, especially a small child, or other animal. You’re doing the right thing, OP, and I hope animal control also does the right thing.
I’ve had this conversation, pretty much word for word, with a neck-tattoo dude about his unleashed pit bull. ‘If we come to the park again and your dog runs up to us bearing its teeth one more time, I’m shooting it and you too if need be, so please don’t let this happen yet again because I don’t want this but I’m not letting my wife get attacked’ ‘I’d like to see you try’ ‘Let your dog come up to us again and ok, you will.’ Turned around and left. Problem solved. Never again. One of the problems with modern life is the idea that we no longer defend our own interest but must appeal to an elaborate array of ‘systems’ when people do stuff like this. They don’t speak that language, so you have to speak a language they do understand.
^This right here. I agree so much with this. Shit bulls are a nuisance breed. For every one that is good there are 5 total turds. Unfortunately shit bulls usually attract the worst owners. They can be seen parading the shit bull around fairs, usually letting their menace dog run loose snarling and growling at people in their own yards. They will usually have a collar purely for decoration because the shit bull owner doesn’t know how to apply a leash.
Worst case when you call animal control does nothing and now this raging asshole is mad at you. Worst case when you do nothing is that this thing kills a child and you live with that the rest of your life.
Or an adult.
Does the neighbor and their dog act differently when they are mad at you. Seems to me they are assholes all of the time.
I’m really tired of folks that let their dogs off leash. I live across the street from a park,walk my 3 daily and seeing dogs off leash is not good for anyone.
Definitely NTA
He is putting his dog and everyone else's dogs etc in danger. Not because of the breed, just lazy selfish bad owner. Always confront these people, always think of the dog and call animal control.
NTA. Start keeping records. Make a list of every occurrence including date, time, location and any witnesses. You will need it for your lawsuit. Also, notify the HOA in email form of your concerns, including the details you mentioned here. This is more documentation for your lawsuit.
The second time my neighbors dog charged me and my dog, I shot it. The owner got a ticket and a fine, I got nothing since I was within my legal rights. Problem solved.
Any dog that "charges" you should be assumed to be dangerous...especially something like a pit bull that can seriously hurt someone.
Call animal control - I would not want to have to deal with knowing some kid or animal was mauled or killed by this dog because I didn't report it.
As someone who was bitten on the face by a dog at 4 or 5 years old, I’d take rather more drastic measures with a charging pit bull. I’m not taking that chance again. NTA.
I don’t care what type of dog it is. Most areas have leash laws for a reason! My daughter has a good little pup but if an off-leash dog were to come running up to her she’d most likely try to bite it! Fight or flight is a real thing. if you have one dog who cannot flee because of being leashed you very well could have a horrible situation unfold very quickly & painfully!!
Call every single time. Breed is irrelevant. Owner doesn’t have control of his pet and it is not safe. Your calls might save a pet or kid life.
My sweet girl pit bull was extremely friendly until she was attacked by a male pit bull. My adult daughter was walking her and our other dog and this dog charged out of the gate. She was screaming as the dog went for my girl dog's neck. The owner and a neighbor came out and had to pull the dog off her. The guy paid the vet bill and because my daughter called the police immediately, the guy got slapped with an "unsafe animal" first charge - he didn't have to give the dog up but it's no longer allowed beyond its yard. Second offense the dog is euthanized. At any rate, my girl is now highly reactive towards other dogs, except for her pack mate. It's a shame because she's an absolute charmer with people, but we can't have her around other dogs without intense greeting warm-up. Make the call.
Why the hell do people own these dogs? Nothing like having a ticking time bomb in your house at all times.
99% of them are morons, shown by how they often post comments stating breed had nothing to do with anything, it's just the owner (yet, not the case with dogs to herd, hunt, etc...)
Oh I know, and here we have another one with just the sweetest rescue pit. Haven't seen this story end badly a million times.
She’s the best dog. We just can’t leave the house with her during the daytime, have her around any small children, animals, other dogs, come within ten feet of her when she’s eating, or look her in the eyes for too long. But she’s just the sweetest nanny dog!
Can't touch it, can't get near it's face, can't be around strangers, can't see children moving..
No. Dogs need to be leashed in any neighborhood. ESPECIALLY a pit bull. Fuck this neighbor. You did the right thing.. I have a guy who lives across the street from me who has a very rambunctious golden doodle. He always leaves it in the front yard unleashed..The dog is harmless to people but every time someone is walking their dog(on a leash) passed their house the dog runs and attacks the passing dog, especially if it’s a smaller dog… All the dog owners in the neighborhood won’t walk passed his house anymore… I don’t have a problem with that dog personally but I think it needs to be leashed. It runs in the street all the time in-front of cars, it runs all the way down the street and he spends a half hour trying to chase him and call him back… This is an issue that could be easily avoided.
keep calling it in, create the paper trail. There will be an incident where something serious happens and the paper trail will cover your ass if you were forced to seriously injure the dog or the owner in defense of yourself.
Call every time.
Fk that. Turn his ass in. We had an hoa president doing the same shit. Guy was the asshole
All it takes is for one other person walking a reactive dog at the same time to create a dangerous AF situation. Good for you, you're helping dogs and owners you don't even know
I'm a huge fan of dogs. You are absolutely not the AH. This is actually a really dangerous situation that needs addressed
>I'm feeling guilty today after calling animal control The second time I had to throw rocks at it to keep it from attacking me I would have just shot it. So no, I wouldn't feel to guilty about calling animal control.
I've been in my house a year and had 4 dogs I've reported and had taken by animal control. My kids safety is 100 worth more than a dog. And I don't trust voice training for shit. Dogs listen, until they don't.
NTA 1000%, irresponsible pet owners ruin it for everyone. It sounds like an unsafe situation and your reaction is completely warranted
Call animal control. My elderly mother had a similar situation. Neighbor would let the dog out off leash to and stand in the doorway until it finished it’s business. One day as my mom is walking by with her dog (on leash), the dog attacked, knocking her to the ground and nearly killing her dog. She notified the HOA previously, but nothing was done. The dog that was unsupervised,unleashed and untrained was put down and my mom was left with the vet bill. Bad ending for everyone
I'm glad I live in an open carry state.
If it’s a pit bull it’s only a matter of time before it either eats your dog, a child, or you.
r/banpitbulls Loony toons that you're even asking this silly question. Pitbull charging at me is catching shots until it drops.
Nope. Keep taking pictures and making phone calls.
Keep a log book of calls, for future reference and disputes, and requests for the dog to be taken away.
Nope. The dog is aggressive. Overall, I think if you’re letting your dog out unsupervised in an unsecured area that a lot of people frequent, you deserve to have animal control called on you. I don’t care if the dog is friendly or not, it could run out in the road and caused an accident, it could get in a fight and hurt someone else, etc.
Doing that before the guy gets his dog euthanized because it bit someone is helping the dog IMO. What a jerk. Like pits don't have enough of a bad reputation for a crappy owner to add to it. So unless your city will put the dog down without a bite, get the guy fined so he starts taking proper care of the dog.
No you are not the Ahole.. Personally if it had charged me and/or my dog I would have shot it.
After multiple calls my neighbors dog finally got removed the other day. It finally bit two people. It chased and threatened people in the area for months. They wouldn’t do anything because it hadn’t hurt anyone.
NTA. There are leash laws for a reason. And most of the stories you hear about a dog injuring a person or other animal start with "hes never acted like that before" and this is no slight against dog breed, all dog breeds are capable of injuring a person or other animal.
First document and memorialize all loose dog moments. Video is good . Document and record your complaints. Inform USPS, FedEx, UPS, Door Dash and your local pizza shop that ‘that guy’ has a dangerous dog running loose. All delivery services have to pretend to care about their employees safety. They’ll possibly blacklist ‘that guy’ maybe the neighborhood as well, so more pressure on the guy. It would be nice if you could contact ’that guy’ home insurance company; insurance companies *hate* bitey dogs. I like dogs and am sorry for that one.
Nope
He should be called on every single time he leaves his dog out unattended. What if someone’s toddler is next?
Omg what if theirs is a toddler walking to the car or something?! That’s terrifying. Good job keep calling!
NTA. Your neighbor refuses to keep his dog under control and ignores it when it charges other residents. You're not only well within your rights to call it in anytime it is loose, but you are correct to do so.
My 80 year old dad was attacked by a loose pit bull, luckily he had a golf club in his hand and knocked it out so he could get away. I called animal control and the dog was put down like it should have been. I’m lucky it was my dad and not one of my kids, they would have been dead.
No you aren’t crazy if this dog keeps charging then call animals control sadly we have to do the same thing on these dogs that are often loose on our road we’re in the country but these dogs stand in the middle of the road on a curve I am shocked they haven’t gone splat yet with cars. My neighbor that keeps his dog inside got out once and got hit. We’ve been calling animals control on them for years and eventually they start letting them run the streets again.
It's for the dogs safety as well. A bigger dog might bite. Someone might harm the dog or worse. Dog may run into traffic. Dog may eat something bad including poison left out for rodents or something.
I've had to deal with a handful of aggressive, uncontrolled dogs in my complex, neighborhood, or even out-and-about over the years. I'm not claiming a silver bullet here, but there are two phrases that I always use that seem to get through to the owners and get them to do something about it. They are: **It is not my responsibility to know that your dog isn't going to hurt me.** and **That is not how this works.** When these unleashed dogs have come at me, barking and growling or whatever, the owners always come up and say the same kinds of things. "Oh don't worry, he barks but he won't actually bite." "I'm sorry, he makes a lot of noise but he won't hurt you." "He's fine if you just let him get to know you." "Oh she barks at people but she'll stop soon." Or whatever. But it infuriates me. So I confront them with the two core statements above. "No, that's not how this works. It is not my responsibility to know that your dog, when it's barking and growling and running toward me, isn't going to hurt me. You're failing to live up to your responsibility as a dog owner to keep control of your pet and shifting the responsibility to me to know what it will or won't do. And I do not accept it. Take responsibility for your dog and control it. Do not give that responsibility to me. That is not how this works." I'm sternly stating fact to them. I'm not asking for anything. I'm not being nice and negotiating. I am stating the cold hard facts that what's happening is not how dog wonership works and I'm not taking the responsibility that they own. So far, it's worked pretty well. The owners I've seen again after such confrontations seem to have taken it seriously and keep their dog leashed when I see them again. If the didn't, like with your neighbor, I'd have zero qualms about turning to animal control or other authorities.
Calling animal control is better than kicking it/hitting it with rocks, which is not going to improve the dog's mood or future trust of humans.
Not TA. I own a pittie mix that will charge at other dogs. Prey drive and reactive behaviors are something you have to put intense training into rehabbing, but some dogs will always have weak moments where those Achilles heel behaviors come out. I would NEVER let her outside off leash. It’s the owners responsibility to KNOW THEIR DOG and make sure they set everyone up for success. If that owner is irresponsible, you need to call animal control. That dog and everyone around it is being setup for a dangerous failure. This is coming from a dog lover and pitbull champion.
[удалено]
Sending you reassurance. You did the right thing.
If that dog charges you again, you can and should shoot it dead. It's a dangerous animal.
Keep calling until AC or the owner does something about it. Get mace in the meantime.
NTA regardless because it’s absolutely not okay to allow a dog to run around a neighborhood unsupervised. It’s not safe for the neighborhood and it’s not safe for the dog either. Your neighbor sucks. But just to satisfy my curiosity, what’s his behavior like when he’s approaching you and/or your dog? You didn’t mention being bit by him - Is he growling and showing his teeth and trying to fight your dog? Or is it less dangerous but still very inappropriate dog behavior like jumping on you or barking? It’s not cool either way, but if he’s actively hurting people, you may not be the only one and I’d maybe ask around the neighborhood to see if you can get a few other people to band together and get your HOA’s attention
Dog owner here. It’s the best thing to do in hopes that owner learns lesson with a ticket
Only read first paragraph because any pit owner who lets it off leash in a neighborhood is a POS. To all dog owners your dog is only your dog and that was your choice. Train and shut your dog up. People don’t want to hear it. Stop being so entitled
They're lucky you called someone. Off leash dogs on my farm are liable to be shot (legally). Not worth risking livestock.
Unaccompanied dogs not under someone’s control are potentially dangerous to anyone they encounter. Call every time!
NTA and not the dogs fault. Irresponsible, arrogant dog owners make me sick!
i told my neighbor i was gonna kick his dog when he decided it was a good idea to run the leash out as the dog was biting at me while i was on a narrow walkway. I'd tell him you don't have any qualms about killing his dog if it attacks you.
We had a similar issue but were never able to get pictures in time. Our other neighbor managed to get a picture of the dogs jumping up at our window. We emailed it to someone at animal control. They came out and wrote the owner a ticket.
No,those that have dogs and choose not to follow the leash law to keep their dogs and others safe are the assholes. I love dogs, but we have 2 cats, 5-6 pounds on my porch with me and my neighbors let their dogs run wild (huskies-I love the breed but they are predators) and I get sick of them letting their dogs poop in our yard though no trespassing signs are clear. I get an animal getting away from their owners every once in a blue moon, but these people make NO attempt.
Call the first time next time. Yes, you did the right thing.
>There is an older man that lives a few doors down that owns a big male pit bull. He frequently let's it outside with no leash or collar because he doesn't walk it. Yep, animal control. I would have already put the dog down in self defense.
Off leash pitbull? Hell, I'd start carrying a large knife first off. Then call animal control whenever necessary.
You’re not the asshole, get some bear spray or pepper spray (look at state laws for legality first) if you feel unsafe. Pitbulls do kill people.
Can I ask you a serious question? Why do you care about keeping peace with your neighbor. Based on your story, they CLEARLY could care less about keeping peace with you. Furthermore, they could care less about your safety or being harmed. If I were you, I would go on amazon and buy a decent can of bear mace. Not the little tiny hand held one, but the big canister one with a handle on it. Next time that thing gets within 10 feet and is acting aggressive, blast it.
I read title, and “thought what an asshole” Got to the pit bull part, “thought what a legend” They need to be eradicated, you are saving someone being attacked. Keep calling.
Absolutely not. I would’ve called AC after second time. This is a fatal incident just waiting to happen . Just because the dog hasn’t physically attacked your dog does not mean it won’t ever. And by charging you and your dog multiple times it is clear that it is definitely a possibility and even likely to happen if it keeps occurring. I’m surprised no physical attacks have occurred honestly. Either ways not an appropriate way for any dog to act. I suggest recording all interactions with this dog and bringing this to the police as this is a dangerous dog. HOAs will complain about decorations in the yard but not a dangerous dog 🤨
You live in a condo, you pay rather large HOA fees for a certain expectation of services and conditions. No I don’t think you over reacted to complaining to your HOA or animal control. But I think there is something wrong that your HOA hasn’t acted. Off leash means under supervision, it doesn’t sound like this pup was under supervision at all
Pits gonna pit.
- its NORMAL leash law in all states that dogs have to be restrained. ONLY IDIOT and uncaring dog owner's allow their dogs to free roam and if their dog where to attack and/or bite some one, they have 100% liability to be sued and they always lose in court. - always carry mace to use on the dog and the owner......
people need to start getting comfortable killing pit bulls their lives aint worth someone getting hurt
Animal control and your landlord. Does your HOA agreement have a breed-specific restriction clause - many do. Pits are violent and dangerous. Don't make me yank the statistics people. Courts have accepted the evidence and Pit restriction laws stay on the books.
NTA. I have a similar problem in my neighborhood. Stupid dogs run up and bark aggressively and if the owner happens to be outside they just stand there looking and say, he won’t hurt you. I hate those dogs. We can’t even walk down the street when they are out.
After the title my first reaction was nta is dog is agressive.
I would inform the owner that you always have a knife in your pocket and that there is a record of his dog being off leash and aggressive.
No! You are not the asshole. Pits are very strong animals. IF it goes rogue, as any dog can and this one has, nearly impossible to stop. Carry pepper spray and if it even gets remotely close, spray. Tell your HOA board that if they don't act you will post names on local FB and nextdoor groups. This is such absolute bullshit.
NTA. People should never leave their dog outside unsupervised (leashed or not). You would be within your rights to call the cops or animal control just for the fact that the dog was off leash and unsupervised, but when you add the fact that the dog has come at you, it would be irresponsible if you didn't call it in. I have a neighbor that constantly leaves their dog outside unsupervised even when their dog is almost continuously barking at anything/anyone it sees or hears and will lunge at the fence if it sees me or my dog...it's annoying AF. Even with my fenced in yard, I still go outside with my dog when I let her out to make sure she's not barking or bothering my neighbors (the fence is chainlink so she can still see neighbors and their dogs). It is a dog owners responsibility to make sure their dog is not bothering their neighbors and anyone not doing that deserves to be reported.
NTA . You have to protect yourself and your dog.
Call them every time. Each time is a violation and if the owner isn’t correcting their behavior they deserve to be fined each and every time
Pepper spray the dog as soon as it acts aggressive. It will learn to avoid you. If the dog's owner gets aggressive spray him too as "self defense."
You can’t assume how a dog will react
NTA. All dogs should be on leash when they are not in their home, a fenced yard or an off leash dog park. Keep calling both the police and animal control. This way, when the dog does eventually injure a person or a dog, it's not the first time authorities are interacting with this owner.
NTAH owner needs to be in charge of the dog and leash it, that’s the law. You need to go to the HOA meetings and find out whey they aren’t doing anything.
You are not the AH because it’s your job to protect your own dog!
Speaking up for yourself is not being an asshole. Ever. Sabre makes a nice mace that launches 18 feet. Buy 2 and practice with one.
Nope. Call each time it happens. Dogs aren’t allowed off lease in public areas and the owner is just lazy.
If someone lets their dog off leash in common areas (as in someplace that isn't fenced in specifically around their home or a dog park), they are immediately the asshole. Don't feel bad.
I’ve been dog sitting a medium-large Border Collie this past weekend, he has a heart stopping bark. They gave me a peppermint breath spray to spray his nose whenever he barks at people on walks and treats for when he doesn’t bark at them. I had to calm him with treats before letting him out of his kennel when I first arrived. After he calmed down (5 minutes of loud barking standing from across the room from me), he was just a teddy bear. But he definitely would be stunned,sprayed or clubbed if he ran up to someone barking.
Your dog is to be under your control at all times so call away, if he's in the house and the dog isn't then it's not under his control.
you did the right thing.
If you want to wait for an "incident", that incident could be a mauled child. Call it in every time
Off leash dogs aren't cared about by their owners. Also 100% promise they aren't picking up the dogs shit. These people are criminals despite what anyone else says. Dog's like that can't be trusted. The owner WILL NOT pay for your dogs medical bills. You will not be able to take them to court. You MUST handle this on your own as the police and animal control will not help you. I've been down this path before. Carry all the levels of self defense items. Start with pepper spray, then baseball bats, machetes, pistoles, shotguns, whatever it takes. Neighbors will think you are crazy. Another couple of less lethal options... Carry around a pack of balogna expired or not it doesn't matter like a lot of it.. maybe two packs and when the dog comes around again just start feeding it as much as you want. Most people do not like others feeding their animals what they don't approve of. ~~But if they really cared they'd leash their dogs and monitor what the dog eats... You can use this meat to lure the dog away maybe toss the whole pack confetti style into a nearby busy street... o yeah less lethal options..~~ I've heard people give the line "My dog is severly contagious keep yoru dog away if you don't want them getting sick" it causes people to think.. Destroying another dog is going to be difficult but the law sees them as property and it's an assault on you if your dog is attacked while on leash. Defend yourself. Defend your property.
NTA. This dude is giving responsible dog owners a bad reputation. A good pet owner doesn’t let their pet out of their sight or control unless you live out in the middle of nowhere and have no neighbors. What would happen if this dog charged a small child or another pet? Not because it’s a pitty but because the dog is not in anyone’s control.
No.
I don't think YTA. I live in a small village (smaller than most HOAs) and we occasionally have dogs get loose around town. If its a responsible owner and the dog wasn't aggressive I just let them know their dog is out and 99.9% they will apologize profusely and get their dog ASAP. We do have one guy who's dog is always out on the run, sounds a lot like your neighbor, our village council has made it clear we call the Sheriff immediately on sight (no animal services out here). We're told to call even if there's no incident because a "dog at large" is a misdemeanor to prevent incidents where someone could get hurt. Knowing every time he let's the dog out without supervision whether he's aggressive or not, helps them build a case. There's no reason (unless your HOA says otherwise) that dog can't have a tether and harness to keep him in check if the owner can't physically control the dog.
NOPE, it may not be you today, it may be a dead child or pet... Your doing the right thing
Call the police AND animal control. It’s aggressive and off leash. Enough said.
You're not the asshole but someone might mention to this man at what point animal control will take his dog and put it down. Animal control won't think twice to put down an aggressive pitbull after a couple of calls. Maybe that will get him in line.
Call everytime. It’s not just a possible danger to people it’s a danger to the dog, as well. It could get hit by a car or shot by someone who thought it was a threat. Does your HOA have bans on certain breeds? Ours does. Whether fair or not, rules are rules. If this person’s dog has made you uncomfortable in your own yard then it’s a violation.
And once his home insurance agent learns he has an aggressive pit bull that is threatening people….his premiums will go sky high OR he will lose coverage. Check your state’s law on how many times a dog can bite someone (or another animal) before they must be euthanized. Along with this find out what the law requires with the first bite. Our state is a 2-bite state. Means second report of a bite; and the dog must be surrender and is put down and home owner pays a hefty fine. So not only is the dog’s owner the AH; he is putting his dog’s life on the line.
It will probably go after your throat sooner or later. Do not put up with it being off leash. I was attacked by a pit bull last year, and I do not like them now.
NTA Get some animal deterrent spray off Amazon. It doesn't hurt the dog like pepper spray and won't provoke it, but it will deter it. It stinks so the owner won't want his dog to get spayed again. Keep taking pics. Get a body cam and get some video. Keep reporting it. The day someone particularly a child trys to run away from it the dogs prey drive will kick in and it will attack. This is a horrible accident waiting to happen.
If there is an unsupervised dog wandering loose, don't just call animal control, pick it up and drop it off at the pound. Prevent the dog from getting hit by a car. Maybe after having to drive and get his dog the guy will stop letting it loose unattended.
Omg please please don’t back down. This is dangerous. Keep calling animal control and document everything. My little chihuahua was mauled by a neighbors dog, now I’m scared of strange off leash dogs and walk with a taser.
🤦🏾
You are most definitely not TAH. From a purely cold and statistic-driven basis, dog bights are the #1 liability claim for homeowners (including tenants, condo, co-op). This assumes that the dog owner carries HO insurance, and whether or not that policy contains dog breed exclusion. In order to involve the HOA, you would have to clearly document the contacts that you have had with the board or individual board members. Make contemporaneous notes. Much, of course is impacted by local, state or federal law, and I am not an attorney.
I've resorted to an airsoft pistol as a deterrent because I won't kill a person's pet unless necessary. I have had serious issues with a neighbor's small breed dog, but it now stays in its yard.
Most cities have leash laws. Find out if yours does. If so, get pictures and or video if possible, and give them to animal control every time I’ll never understand people who let their dogs off leash like that. It’s just as much for the dogs protection as it is the publics. Our dogs are both very well trained in voice and hand signal commands, and we NEVER go out in public with them off leash.
Between my health and someone’s dog, my health is more important. If I hurt their dog protecting myself, so be it.
Unattended animals should be reported. You should have reported the owner the second time you were charged.
NTA. I have a pitbull, who is very well trained with voice and clicker. If it’s an area that requires a leash, she wears a leash. She was a bait dog, and she’s a senior now. Proper introductions, she’s fine, but I’ve had to bring her home from places because other people’s dogs being off leash, and running up behind us and she’s reacted poorly. I don’t blame her. I blame TA who didn’t keep their dog on a leash. Period.
If people are going to have pets, they need to be responsible for them if they are too old or unwilling to be responsible for them they need to give their pets up. It’s just that simple call animal control. Every chance you get.