Tuesday, June 23, 2009

FEELING GUILTY

These are two pit bull puppies that live in my neighborhood and it looks like they have taken the throne of the neighborhood on a stump on a hill on my property.

Two months ago our neighbor got these puppies. One a female and one a male. The little girl, Maylee is the black and white puppy seen here in this picture. She is an adorable puppy and seems to be calmer than the black mal,e Yager. Since these two puppies came to live in my neighborhood they have dug up my flower bed numerous times, chewed up things on my porch, ruied a wooden flower pot my best friend gave me about 20 years ago and ran off with my dogs watering dish, terrorized my cat, barked and growled at me and Yager has been seen at least a mile up the road with a rope dragging behind him. The two of them poop all over my yard which I know puppies have to poop but mine have a certain place the go.

I have spoken to the young girl that is the owner of Maylee and ask her to keep an eye on her babies because they could get in to trouble or worse get hurt. She said she would but there had been no change in any of the previoiusly mentioned incidents.

I talked to another young girl at the same address who I think must be the owner of Yager. She seemed very uncaring and mumbled that her puppy was a dumb dog. I told her that she is that puppies mommy right now and she had better watch her baby or he was going to grow up and think that this neighborhood is his territory and then there would be trouble.

I tried to explain that pit bulls got a bad wrap from the people that raise them and that if she would keep an eye on him and train him he would probably grow up to be a pretty good dog but if not she was asking for trouble and fines and maybe even jail tiem depending on what her dog had done, I told her that I was not trying to be mean but that I was concerned about the puppies.

This was two weeks ago and nothing has changed. Yesterday Maylee ran off with my dogs watering bowl again which by the way is about $20.00 to replace because she not only ran off with the bowl but she broke the bottle that is part of the automatic watering system.

I hate to see these puppies get the same bad wrap that many pit bulls get but the way it is heading that is exactly what is going to happen. Not only that but if they do get territorial they just might fight with my dogs who are enclosed on our property with an Invisible Fence. Right now they play together but who knows what will happen to pit bulls that are allowed to run wild.

I called animal control to please come and talk to the owners about this. I feel guilty for doing this but I tried to handle it on my own and nothing happened.

These puppies are about 6 months old and not neutered ot spayed. Maylee has her tags but Yager does not. I have a feeling that the owner being so young does not have the money to get her dog vaccinated for rabies and get his tags. My feeling is that if she can't afford to take care of this puppy she does not deserve to keep him.

The bottom line is I already raised my puppies and went through the digging and chewing phase and I don't think I should have to go through this again with someone else's puppies.

I need some feed back on this. Let me know your feelings please.

10 comments:

the vintage vignette said...

I think you were absolutely in the right Patti! My husband and I had a similar situation a few years ago when our neighbors had two HUGE and vicious German Shepherds who were tearing apart their own fence daily to get at people walking down the sidewalk.

These dogs were so brutal that for months they tore away at solid pieces of wood calling for the 5 foot fence to be rebuilt twice! Everyone in the neighborhood complained to the owners, the homeowners association and also to animal control.

The owner tried once to walk one of the dogs and he had to literally throw his body on it to restrain it when someone casually walked by him! Everyone in the neighborhood was terrified of these two dogs and the owners responded by telling anyone who tried to reason with them about the danger to "just mind your own business!"

Well, sadly the day came when one of these beasts tore through the fence as a 9 year old boy from a different street rode his bike passed the fence unkowingly. The boy was attacked viciously and had to go to the hospital.

Finally, animal control came out and quarantined the dogs for two weeks and then made the owners get rid of them.

We in the neighborhood were so angry that this poor little boy had to be mauled and nearly killed first before anything was done so ABSOLUTELY you did the right thing by reporting these irresponsible owners! Just remember it is not the dogs that are the problem, it is the owners who are creating the situation by not responding to it.

If you see someone driving a car recklessly you report it. If you see someone neglecting a child you report it too. By the same token if you see someone neglecting their responsibility of managing a potentially dangerous animal then by all means REPORT IT! Who knows, you may end up saving some poor innocent child's life down the road.

Unknown said...

WOW !!! I had no idea that was going on. I surely think they need to be taken from the owners as being negligent to those poor naughty doggies. Good gravy... they are destroying your private property and could potentially hurt your dogs, cat or even you !!! Don't give up the fight on getting them kicked out.... they deserve better care than that.I truly would blame the owners... the dogs just haven't been cared for or taught any better.They sure look like cute dogs, what a shame. Love ya Mama....hang in there

Mica

mollye self said...

Hey Patti girl, You go girl. Yep anyone who says "my dog won't bite" must have had their teeth extracted, cause it it has toofies it will use them! I've always had dogs but have cared for them at our home and not let them terrorize the neighborhood. I've
loved some more than others, but I can tell you that business is intollerable as far as I am concerned. Better to have them removed from that home where they stand a fighting chance of being adopted out while they're still young and cute, because it is rare that someone will be able to re-home a full grown pitt. Such a pity. Keep on until something happens.

Lori Garbarino said...

I can't beleive they are still doing this, We talked about this weeks ago! I say call animal control, Let those stupid girls have to pay to get them out, or let a family adopt them, Pit bulls are really in right now, someone will wan them. or you could paintball them! J/K Moving Target practice, oooo I am bad haha, You know I mean the owners right, HAHA

you and Allan can be Ma and Pa Kettle!

Just go country on them!

Love ya, your super spunky daughter

Lori

Lydia said...

Patti, you did the right thing. I can imagine how you feel, as I would also, but....

I used to be in a playgroup. Linda lived in a big beautiful house, in a gorgeous neighborhood, next door to 2 pit bull pups.

The parents went away for the weekend, and left a 16yr. old to watch the 2 kids, and 2 dogs. The little one left the gate open, right when Linda's 2 yr. old son, was walking on the long driveway.

He had short, jerky, little 2 yr. old movements, which were threatening to the pups. They mauled him, and he had to be airlifted to Johns Hopkins in Baltimore.

He had around 60 stitches. Miraculously, his face was untouched. It was very traumatic.

My bro-in-law was a police officer/special assignments... and he witnessed a child's face ripped off, and a friend attacked(while watching the friendly dog-but when the friends went away, the dog attacked to protect his home, and didn't let the good friend even feed him.) It was awful. He knew them for years.

I also had 2 dogs who initially had a few dog fights. It was horrible. Luckily, they grew to love one another famously, and lived long , happy lives. But those dog fights were unbelievable to witness- and they were just mutts-

Protect your family, and maybe get a dog zapper stick to break up fights, should God forgive, anything happen. Better to get the stick and never use it, then to not have it to protect your dogs and kitty.

I'll say a prayer. Just ask for the situation to be remedied quickly and simply for the good for all involved.xo

Lydia

Lydia said...

ps- sorry- not meaning to scare- just that when you've seen these things, it is very hard.(My dogs initially fought over my cat of 18 yrs.' grave- then when under stress for a move).

Anonymous said...

Hey Patti, sounds like you did the right thing for SURE!! All you can do now is hope for the best of those dogs. :( Sad to say...like some owners should never be owners of dogs. Hope the Animal Control will take over, so the stress doesn't have to be on you, your dogs and your property anymore....

Praying for the situation. (keep us posted...)

XO Jeannene

Susan @ Blackberry Creek said...

I love dogs, all dogs. It's because of people like your neighbor that some dogs and some breeds get a bad rep. You did the right thing, Patti. People who are unable to take care of pets shouldn't have them.

Judi said...

Hi Patti
I agree with everything you've said. First off NO dogs should be allowed to run around free. No one should have a dog unless they are responsible enough to care for them. No dog should be allowed to poop all over people's yards, or terrorize or cause havic. This type of dog has shown their bad sides and if they are not controlled and disciplined and held accountable for I hate to think what will happen.

These 2 are just puppies for heaven's sake! Their owners are very irresponsible. They will end up getting lost or being hit or someone is going to have them picked up and taken away. I would hate to have dogs of this or any nature running around my neigbourhood and for the sake of the dogs I would have made that first call too. It'll be interesting to see what happens next.

A few years ago down the road from us lived a younger person with a pitbull. I heard horrible dog noises from behind my fence and I am in an apartment. From my balcony I as well as other people were terrified at the horrible vicious sounds and dog yelpings...when it ended with the owner freeing 2dogs I heard a young man holding his dog sobbing and crying "your dog killed my dog"...and his was just a little dog.

Dogs are now allowed to be free and these dogs aren't even fixed. What trouble lies ahead. Keep us posted.

I would not feel at ease walking around my own yard with them there...

hope you are having a nice day
Judi

Anonymous said...

Don't feel guilty. The owners are being irresponsible. And yes, this breed has a normal vicious instinct. I would be especially concerned that they are not spayed or neutered.

Our papillion was attacked and killed by a neighborhood pit bull that broke free from his owner's leash this past year. The pit bull had never behaved this way before.

Even beyond your property being destroyed, these dogs should not be able to run free. You are right about the territorial instinct.