How to deal with a phantom lawn pooper?

Cuilean

Nobody has fences around their front lawns in my little cul de sac. We have pavement, and each property has paving slabs leading from the pavement to front doors so you don't need to trudge across people's lawns. Where our and our neighbour's land meets the pavement, an old tree with a little flower bed has been planted. In the last couple of months, we've all noticed that there's been almost daily deposits of dog pooh in it. It's not from our dog, who has very distinctive pooh thanks to her raw food diet, or our neighbours immense large-breed cuddle fiend.

By chance today, I saw the lady who walks a small dog for a new couple across the road walking merrily across our front lawns with said small dog, who wasn't on a lead. There's now a fresh deposit of dog pooh in our flower bed. I didn't actually witness the dog leaving its little gift in the flower bed, but it seems a little too much of a coincidence since literally every other house is empty during working hours. Do I lie in wait tomorrow and see if I can catch the demon pooh depositor? What do I say if I do?

(BTW, do feel I should add that I'm more bemused and unimpressed than full-on "I'm calling the dog warden" fuming, but that never comes across very well in writing).

[Deleted User]

Are there any cats in the neighbourhood that may have left you the little gift? Could it have been a fox?

If I were you, I'd probably lie in wait to catch them in the act, but you do run the risk of looking like a mad person staring out of your window all day!:)

Cuilean

BirdNerdSophie wrote: »

Are there any cats in the neighbourhood that may have left you the little gift? Could it have been a fox?

This is definitely not cat pooh. I say this as I've been a cat owner before, and not because I'm some sort of animal pooh fetishist :rotfl:

BirdNerdSophie wrote: »

If I were you, I'd probably lie in wait to catch them in the act, but you do run the risk of looking like a mad person staring out of your window all day!:)

This was my main fear. There's a fine line between investigative Jessica Fletcher and curtain-twitching Hyacinth Boquet

fairy_lights

I would pin a notice to the tree kindly reminding any dog walkers to pick up after they've been (the dogs that is, not the owners). Hopefully the owner will see it and realise they've been caught and be shamed in to clearing up next time.

dandelionclock30

You have to catch the dog in the act and say to the woman please dont let your dog do his buisness on the lawn and tell her she needs to clear up after it.
If she continues to do it, put it in a bag and post through her letter box.

Johnny_Dangerously

fairy_lights wrote: »

I would pin a notice to the tree kindly reminding any dog walkers to pick up after they've been (the dogs that is, not the owners). Hopefully the owner will see it and realise they've been caught and be shamed in to clearing up next time.

I'd agree with that. Saves you having to wait around, and also makes it a bit less confrontational. leave it there for a week or so and it should stop then you can remove it. If it doesn't, then you need to try and eliminate the cat/fox option before you go out swinging:D

krlyr

I'd do the sign - maybe even attach a few empty poo bags to it too.

trolleyrun

I'd keep a lookout tomorrow and as and when it happens again, pop outside and say: "Excuse me, but could you pick up your dog's mess please?"
I couldn't be doing with hanging notices etc up.

One of my neighbours' dog did a big jobbie a while ago. I just asked her if her dog had done the mess. She apologised and cleared it up, and always has done since. Problem solved

KxMx

I'm a cat owner too, but take a large cat and a small dog and there isn't much difference!

Arthog

The lady with the dog shouldn't be walking across your private lawns!

calicocat

I have a phantom lawn pooper too.....

At first I thought it was a dog, but haven't seen anyone walking near my front lawn with a small dog in a year.

I have a sneaky feeling it is the mahoosive beast of a cat that lives opposite.....nothing I can do about it really as I never catch him at it.



And he is cute....:D.