Don't want to fall out with neighbours!

Muppet81

Could I ask for views on this ... I don't want to say anything if I am being unreasonable. Apologies that it is war and peace ....

OH and I live in a lovely little cottage in the country. I have been here for 29 years and it has been a joy, peaceful and the few neighbours have also been great friends.
We now have new neighbours next door and they are really pleasant and friendly people, we have had them round for a meal twice and got on fine, but now I don't think they are being fair.
Our garden is our life and we spend every minute of any nice day out there, as our neighbours know. We have a stone dining table where we eat ALL our meals on a nice day and sit round till bedtime and we are forced to go in.
Our new neighbours are athletes and are very rarely in at the weekend and work during the day. 6 months ago they bought a dog, largish pointer type and are getting another one soon.
In addition to the small garden they have adjoining ours, they have 1/4 acre of land at the back. When they bought the dog, they built a very substantial shed and cage for the dog to stay in during the day. I could hear her crying from up there but it was distant enough to be able to blank it out and not bother too much.
Someone has told them that she could be stolen as she is valuable.
They have now built a dog pound in their small back garden, right up against our picket fence and stone dining table, 2 feet from the table. They made a big thing of the fact that it would look tidy, and it does, but what bothers me is the smell. One and soon two dogs in a pound all day will obviously smell, especially in the summer. We have told them we are not happy about it but they say "it is the only place it can go".
They said they will keep it clean and buy a jet wash. I feel though that just in a day, it will smell. Plus if they blast it with a jet wash, they will blast it all into our garden through the picket fence.
Today, is my day off and I settled down to cleaning the kitchen and opened the top of my stable door to enjoy the fresh air whilst I cleaned. The dog is crying constantly 4 feet from my back door, probably because she can hear me moving about. I keep shutting the door and then opening it a bit later to see if she has quietened down but each time, she is still going strong. She is not barking or even howling but just a constant moaning cry.
I am possibly over reacting but today I feel as though my little house has been ruined for me and that the whole world is out to get me. I am sitting here crying over the loss of our lovely evenings round the stone table with friends and the peace and quiet which has probably gone for good.
OH and I have already discussed trying to re-locate the table, but this would involve moving our shed and probably having to buy another and employing 6 strong men to move the table top. Those of you who have read Peter Mayle's A Year in Provence will know what I mean about a stone table!

Add to this the fact that the farm round the corner has let its cottage to 2 idiot boy racers who speed up the narrow cobbled lane at mad speeds and nearly hit me on Saturday. I called the Police to ask them to try to get them to slow down then heard that the local jungle drums are saying that they are dealing drugs and were allegedly responsible for an incident last monday where a man was dowsed in petrol and set alight just down the road. Nice!!!

No, this is not inner city London, this is a previously quiet Yorkshire hamlet.
The druggie thing is a whole other issue but I would love to hear any ideas you have on the dog problem. Am I being an unreasonable neighbour, if not is there anything you could suggest.

Sorry about the whinge but I need it

Sola

From my perspective as an animal-lover, why on earth do they want dogs if they're never there?

You have various options:

- You can say nothing and wait to see if the smell problem materialises; in the meantime you've got the poor dog whining (particularly if it can see you through a picket fence)

- You can discuss it with them again; maybe try the tack that you're concerned about the dog. If not, you might have to be harder and say that the smell IS causing a problem (obviously wait to see if it does or not)

- You can discuss it directly with someone like the RSPCA

Tough call, really. I don't know which I'd recommend; a lot depends on what kind of people you all are, how friendly you are etc. Can you put up a higher fence so at least the dog can't see you?

Bennifred

Hi Muppet81! Sorry to hear that your peaceful life is being disturbed by your selfish neighbours. It's a difficult situation, especially as you are friendly with the neighbours otherwise. I think if it was me in this position, I would speak to them again about just how much this is affecting you, and emphasise that the dog is crying for hours and is obviously unhappy (you are upset for the dog etc). If they refuse to address the situation then I think you would be justified in contacting the Environmental Health Office at the council - they will address the noise problem at the very least. I know you don't want to fall out with the neighbours, but you can't just let them walk all over you, either.
Good luck, and let us know how it goes.

ckerrd

I think the only realistic tack to take is on the welfare of the dog(s).

I am not clued up on this sort of thing but I would have thought that if not rules then there must be guidelines about keeping animals.

Neighbours - no matter where you are there is always someone who will mess up your life

cheepskate_2

ckerrd wrote: »

I think the only realistic tack to take is on the welfare of the dog(s).

I am not clued up on this sort of thing but I would have thought that if not rules then there must be guidelines about keeping animals.
There is no legeslation for this kind onf thing re : the welfare of the dog. As long as the dog is properly cared for nothing can be done.
I once reported a neighbour for leaving their dog out all day/ night in all weather and the RSPCS said nothing could be done if dog fed and watered with a shelter.

hard_working_mum_3

Try speaking to the local dog warden. They should be able to have a chat with the neighbours. I have nothing against dogs being left on their own but this dog is obviosly unhappy if it's constantly crying. As for the smell, if they do regularly clean the kennel then it shouldn't be a problem.

Muppet81

Thanks all of you. Some company helped.

I certainly would not say that the dog was being treated cruelly. I know they think a lot of her. She has adequete shelter, food and water and gets walked at least twice a day.

Our neighbour views her as a working dog so believes she should live out. She only actually works as a pointer about once every two months but that is by the by, it is how they see her.

As has been suggested, I can only wait and see what happens but one thing is for sure, I won't be eating my meals next summer in a dog toilet!

Life can sure change fast!

RadoJo

Just so I can get this clear in my head - does this enclosure actually smell, or are you just expecting it to?

Muppet81

Fair point ... today is the first day she has been left in it. I can only assume that when a dog is left in a small pound all day with a concrete surface and does what a dog has to do, it will smell. We sit literally 2 feet from where the concrete ends with a picket fence which has lots of gaps in it. I hope I am proved wrong and that there isn't a problem with smell, but there is one with the crying.

She always cryed when i the larger pound they built her accross the lane so I don't think it is just that it is her first day in it.

belfastgirl23

Could you offer to keep an eye on the dog if they move it back to the old enclosure? If you're outside a lot anyway then you'd probably know if something untoward was up? It might be a solution that would suit you both...

Muppet81

Not really an option as I do work part time and am not always there. Also, the original pound is hidden from view. Thanks though