I (30F) have been dealing with this for months now. My neighbor has a little Yorkshire Terrier that is honestly adorable, but they let it use my lawn as its bathroom almost every single day. Because it’s a small dog, the piles aren’t huge, but they’re constant. And the neighbor never picks it up.
I’ve asked them twice, very politely, if they could please clean up after their Yorkie. Both times they kind of brushed me off with a “yeah, sure” but nothing changed. At this point, my grass smells, I’ve had to throw out a pair of my kid’s shoes after they stepped in it, and it’s just gross.
Yesterday morning I walked outside and found a fresh little pile right near my porch steps. I was already irritated and in a rush, so I grabbed a kitchen spoon, scooped it up, and walked it right over to their house. I set it on their porch with a short note asking them again to please pick up after their dog.
Later, the neighbor came storming over, furious, saying I was “childish” and “gross” for doing that. They told me I should’ve just called them. A couple of friends have said I went too far, while a few told me it was probably the only way to get the message across.
I feel a little silly for using a kitchen spoon, but I honestly don’t know what else would’ve gotten through to them.
So… AITAH?
Comments
Repeat this behavior until they learn their lesson. You asked nicely. They deserve this
Start pooping on their lawn.
Do you have an HOA or landlord? That’s the person to contact.
Also don’t use kitchen utensils. That can never be used in the kitchen again
NTA. You were nice and they brushed it off. Now let’s see if they actually clean up after their dog now.
Tell them to then stop their dog or train him properly if they don’t want a repeat
Put every single pile on their grass. As in, throw it like a whiffle ball. Fafo.
Nta. You already asked nicely. Twice. They don’t get a 3rd opportunity to ignore it. I’d definitely let them know they’re on notice. “If I have to pick it up, it’s going right up on your porch. If you don’t like that then pick up your dog’s shit yourself and it won’t happen. The future is entirely up to you.”
You have rude neighbors. NTA
You asked nicely and they didn’t care. Now they have to deal with their dog poo as they had always but refused
I will keep doing it….or, every time you find one, ring on their door to pick it up. I don’t know what’s most annoying
NTA they would have continued to let it go. Good for you. They now know you mean business. Your friends haven’t been dealing with this but you have. I wouldn’t have used a kitchen spoon but otherwise Good job!
“You could’ve just called.”
“After asking repeatedly and nothing changing, what would calling you have accomplished? If you refuse to learn after being asked nicely, I’m going to stop asking nicely, and you have no one but yourself to blame.”
NTA.
Film them, then legally trespass them from your property. Also that is the poop spoon it is used for nothing else and it goes in the trash when the neighbor no longer has this issue.
WTF would use a kitchen spoon?!
NTA. You were nice. I’d have thrown it at the door.
Keep doing it. Over and over. They don’t do anything because it’s not inconveniencing them.
Next time use a spoon and flick it at their porch or door. Leave the shit stains everywhere. And if they continue to say that you’re disgusting to do that, tell them it’s even more disgusting and disrespectful to use your yard as a toilet and not clean up especially that you have kids.
NTA
Grim. I’d be tossing it all into their garden. Dog poop isn’t environmentally friendly as it breaks down into parts which our ecosystems aren’t built for since dogs aren’t taking in their nutrition from the ecosystem they’re pooping in so it’s not a ‘circle of life’ situation, plus they can carry harmful bacteria for humans.
If your neighbour thinks it’s fine to leave it on your lawn then surely they won’t mind it on theirs!
I literally scoop my neighbors dog crap and throw it over the fence back onto their property.
Nice move and consider a motion detector sprinkler for the future. A few soakings will deter pup and his stupid parents.
Keep doing it until they start making their dog 💩 in their yard. They’re the ones being childish by telling you to just call them when you’ve literally tried talking to them, and not seeing any changes. If you’re in the city limits, you may be able to get the city involved. It usually comes with hefty fines for not picking up after one’s dog when living in the city limits.
NAH.
You’re teaching the neighbour how you and your property will be respected. Now matter how “childish and gross” she accuses you of being, she is the only one who can prevent poop on her doorstep.
It’s not your problem if she can’t figure that out.
Ps: if there aren’t any cameras or doorbell cameras, she might learn the lesson faster if poo accidentally ended up on her front door handle?
Pps: I once had a neighbour in the apartment building beside mine. He let his giant dog out every morning at the same time to leave giant dumps all over my lawn. I started letting my dog out at the same time and then “politely” asking the neighbor if he wanted to borrow a bag for his dogs poop or if he wanted me to call his landlord. He was a sketchy drug dealer and I’m sure he didn’t want his land lord paying attention to him, so he stopped😂
The flaw in your grand plan is that you have to trespass on their property, in order to deliver the spoon and the little tootsie-roll of dog shit.
You may need a better plan.
If my dog shits on your lawn, that does not grant you access to my property
NTA and I think you know that. The audacity of people to not clean up after their dog. Get a camera to document each time bc they are littering on your property. These people are the type to a stop unless police are involved. You are not in the wrong here.
Put up a fence. You already talked to them, and they won’t change so you need to take care of your yard and grass. Obviously they are idiots and won’t be responsible EVER.
“Oh you wanted me to call you? How does that help me when ive been asking repeatedly? This will continue until you start picking up your dogs poop or make him poop in YOUR yard. And you want to call me childish and petty- you’ve seen nothing yet if you think that. Next time Ill make it public and make sure all know you wont do the right thing” Nta
Tell them next time it’ll be flung onto their door.
NTA but you’re way too polite. I would’ve put it through their letter box
NTA. This is on your neighbor. But I wouldn’t be surprised if nothing changes. I would do whatever you can to actively discourage the dog from your lawn – fence/shrubs, scent repellents, motion sensor sprinklers, adding signs that say trespassing and keep off the grass. Also, any kind of ring camera type thing to capture it – like are your neighbors actively encouraging the dog to use your lawn? No, none of this should be necessary, but so many dog owners are delusional that their dogs are friendly and well trained, but that is in the eye of the beholder. Using your lawn and not cleaning it up means the owners are poorly trained. Continue to be “childish” and “gross” if your neighbors continue this behavior – they will reap what they sow.
If you put the kitchen spoon back in your kitchen then youre a GIANT AH.
NTA. Going too far would be saving the poops, putting them in a paper bag, placing the paper bag on their porch, lighting it on fire, then ringing the doorbell. Only run far enough away that you are out of reach but you can still see them stomping on the bag of shit to put the fire out. So that would be “going too far” and I would never ever encourage anyone to do that.
I wouldn’t use a spoon but I would start dumping every piece of poop on their front porch/walkway
Not at all.
NTA for escalating after they clearly had no intent of stopping.
YTA for using a kitchen spoon. Use something disposable. Don’t pollute the environment.
Use a plastic bag instead. Pick it up with the bag and throw it into their yard. If it lands on the steps, so be it. NTA. I have a Doberman, so his poops would be huge, but even if they were little ones you never leave them in somebody else’s yard. Your neighbors are lazy jerks.
>They told me I should’ve just called them.
“Why? Because you’ve been so responsive when I’ve spoken to you about this before? Bottom line, every single time I find your dog’s poop in my yard, you’ll be finding it on your front porch. I’ve been polite about this up until now, but since you don’t respond to that, I’m flipping the switch to Bitch Mode. Stop letting your dog shit in my yard.”
If you are in the U.S., check to see if your town has “leash laws” and whether owners are required to pick up after their animals. Most communities do. Trust that you are not in HOA, or it could have more easily been addressed.
NTA. Next time, don’t leave a note. Their dog certainly doesn’t leave a note when they poop.
How does the dog get in your yard to poop? They walk him on a leash, or just let him out free?
My dogs never go out the front door without a leash. Backyard is fenced in. There was that one time my husky busted through like the Kool-aid aid man, so we reinforced the fence.
In the US, most states or cities have laws about this.
Not picking up poop could earn one a citation in communities like apartments or townhouses.
I’m curious. What did you end up doing with that kitchen spoon afterwards?
I would just record the dog/owners behavior and then report it to the police. The cops will mostly tell them to stop and warn them that you can sue in civil court over this. But you could also have them trespassed, which means if they came back on the property at all, it could be an arrest. But just a warning from the cops to stop should be enough to give them a good scare and get them to knock their shit off. You should be able to record your own property. It shouldn’t even be a grey area if the footage is legal, lol.