Itching to complain

[bhskittykatt]

So at the gated community Hubs works at, a family complained about another family's dog. The offense? They were concerned because the dog was loose in the yard and it barked at them. (FTR dogs are permitted to be free on the owner's property; it is not an HOA offense until the dog crosses the property line.)

However, Hubs knows this dog. He is an old black lab who can barely walk. He at most gives just a quiet passing "woof" and that's all Hubs has ever heard from this dog. The dog has an electric fence/bark collar on to keep him on the property and quiet. Even without the electric fence, Hubs said this dog is not going to go chasing after anyone anytime, ever.

But, the family wants to file a complaint, so Hubby's CW obliges. They go get a statement from the dog's owner and a neighbor who witnessed the supposed barking.

According to their statements, they were chatting when the 22-year-old son from the complaining family biked by. The dog gave his low woof, and the guy stopped and proceeded to throw a string of obscenities at them before riding off. The dog owner mentioned in the past that the family threatened to beat up the dog if it went after them.

So you have one family complaining about a dog that might leave a property, and the other side that has received threats and obscenities.

Methinks if the complaining family continues with their pettiness, they may themselves find themselves on the other end of a complaint...a harassment complaint. They've already set the paper trial in motion themselves...

[blas]

Oh good grief.

They don't like barking dogs, they can trade houses with anyone in close relation to my parents' house on this block. Across the street, this girly man has two little ankle biting demons that he makes live outside because the house was built brand new a couple of years ago, and all they ever do is bark, and when he lets them free to run around, they immediately go for anyone outside.

One day, I was going to start my car to go to work, and a car was stopped in the road because one of the evil rats was in the middle of the road barking at their car.

I just ran up to the dumb thing and barked at it myself and it cowered and ran back home, so the poor vehicle could get moving.

[fireheart]

My boyfriend's parents have two dogs that can best be described as suffering from a combination of "small dog syndrome" and "doorbell alarm syndrome."

That is, they will bark if someone is at the door or when that person leaves. They've been known to go BESERK over a friend of my boyfriend (due to something he did to one of them when she was a puppy) and now that they've moved, the barking has intensified when they hear the boyfriend's aunt and/or HER dogs (who thankfully do not suffer from small dog syndrome)

(the setup is that boyfriends parents live in house A, boyfriends aunt lives in house C and house B is occupied by an old couple who can handle the barking!)

[MoonCat]

I hope the couple keeps a close eye on their dog. Anybody who would be so offended at a dog giving a quiet woof when he passes that he stops and yells obscenities at it, may not think twice at doing worse.

[fireheart]

I hope the couple keeps a close eye on their dog. Anybody who would be so offended at a dog giving a quiet woof when he passes that he stops and yells obscenities at it, may not think twice at doing worse.

This. Definitely this.

There's been a few cases down my way of people deliberately "baiting" dogs for the most trivial reasons (ie owner has allegedly not picked up after their dogs).

[EricKei]

Methinks if the complaining family continues with their pettiness, they may themselves find themselves on the other end of a complaint...a harassment complaint. They've already set the paper trial in motion themselves...

I would say, maybe suggest to the dog owners that they file that harassment complaint now, and have the details of the encounter listed as their response, while the events are still fresh in their minds. I wouldn't put it past a HOA to just take summary action against the pet owners (read: the dog) if there is no "defense" filed, especially of the cursing harassers have a friend or two on the HOA Board.

[Moirae]

I hate those collars. They're so cruel.

This family is heading for trouble.

[greensinestro]

I think it happens like this......everyone must live in a neighborhood with at least one shitty set of neighbors. I've had it everywhere I've lived, as has just about everyone else I know. No matter what you do, someone complains.

I one time, when I was a kid, had a neighbor complain to my parents because I and my friends were outside playing, making too much noise while her kids were sleeping. This was a weekend at around 3 in the afternoon. Couldn't believe it.

[Seshat]

Dogs bark, cats yowl, children screech and laugh and talk loudly. It's part of living in a city or town or village. You don't like it, live in the middle of nowhere.

That said, there's a difference between noise and nuisance noise. But reasonable noise is part of the price of living among people.

[EricKei]

"Dog goes woof, cat goes meow. Bird goes tweet, and mouse goes squeak. Cow goes moo..."

What does the asshole say?

[Jay 2K Winger]

What does the asshole say?

FFFFFFFARRRRRRRRRRRRRRRT