Letter to the Editor

Dear Editor:

I just moved out of the County where I lived for 16 years.  Have become weary of constantly having to call animal control about neighbor dogs coming in my yard, barking at me, pooping all over right next to my house; neighbors with 5 large dogs out in the road, in people’s yards; can’t walk in the neighborhood.  Animal control has gone to this one place several times and dogs are still running.  This has been going on for several years.  Former next-door neighbor left her dogs asleep in the road. They came in my yard to dig, poop and bark at me.  Came after my dog once from under the fence while owner was in the yard and my husband was in my yard with my dog on a leash. The dog came over like he was going after our dog and neighbor said “don’t you hurt my dog.”  They had been visited by animal control several times, a call from myself and at least one other neighbor.  One neighbor had her chickens attacked by a neighbor dog and the neighbor denied he owned them. This has been going on for years.  A few months back I called about a stray dog and animal control set a trap.  Then the new owner of the next-door house came over and said the dog had been left to her by previous owners, who left the dog to wander all over before moving.  I stupidly allowed her to remove the dog from the trap.  She promised me the dog would be controlled, and that she would be fencing for other dogs she owned and would be bringing from her old home.  The dog continued to run loose off and on as well as my other neighbor’s dogs.  The last straw was when my son was working in my yard and had his dog near him, 4 dogs from this new owner’s yard came under the fence again and viciously attacked my son’s dog who fortunately survived after about 60 staples and stitches.  This was on a Saturday and the neighbor was out of town. She came home on Tuesday. Police made a report and handed it over, with pictures, on Monday morning. My son and daughter-in-law have not heard a word from them about charges that needed to be filed.  I moved out this week, but a neighbor this morning was approached by these same four dogs as she went to her mailbox this morning.

I don’t understand, as someone who paid taxes for 16 years, that I could not depend on anything being done.  A child could have been mauled. What will it take for the County to have enough help to handle these situations?

My biggest concern is how can people be so inconsiderate and disrespectful of other people’s property and at the same time neglectful of their own animals? Why would you have an animal if you are going to let it lie in the street and wander all over the neighborhood?  This is where there is large acreage, so the dogs have to wander a distance. These dogs need to be taken, as well as consequences given to the owners.

Delaine Dowden, recently moved from Mill Creek