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Neighbors, pets and personal responsibility

6/12/2017

Pets are a wonderful addition to a household. Over the years, we’ve cared for quite an assortment, including horned toads, rats and dogs — the choice of three boys coming along. What frustrates me are wayward pets and people who are ignorant, irresponsible or uncaring about how their pets impact others.

There has long been a feral cat problem in town, with some years where large numbers procreate, resulting in dozens of blind or deformed kittens wandering the streets. We’ve discovered more than one litter birthed under our porch. I know some well-meaning folks feed feral cats, but because they are not spayed or neutered, the population grows with no one to care for them.

Unknown cats ripped home insulation to shreds in our crawl space, forcing us to renovate the entire section to fix the damage and make it airtight.

A few years ago, a neighborhood cat decided to make our outdoor dining furniture its personal haven and underneath our porch its litter box. When we approached the owners to resolve the issue, they stated they couldn’t possibly keep their cat from coming onto our property. The more we complained when problems occurred, the more antagonistic they became. Oddly, other neighborhood cats started to pal around with theirs, and pretty soon three uninvited cats were partying on our property.

Then a leashed dog started urinating on herbs in our garden with regularity, so we asked the owner to steer her dog elsewhere. Repeatedly. Once again, our request fell on deaf ears and instead of being amenable to problem solving, the owner became irritated and seemed to intentionally lead her dog into our garden.

Ask me if this makes me angry and frustrated and the answer is yes.

For the second time in a handful of years, I researched my rights by talking to city council members and local police. My latest efforts resulted in finding Charles Town Ordinance 1102.03, titled Nuisance Conditions Prohibited. Regarding domestic animals, it states in part: “No person shall keep or harbor any animal or fowl in the Municipality so as to create noxious, or offensive odors or unsanitary conditions which are a menace to the health, comfort or safety of the public and no owner shall permit his or her pet to go upon the private property of another under circumstances that would constitute a trespass if committed by any person, and every owner shall prevent his or her pet from defecating, urinating or causing any destruction or contamination upon the private real estate of another.”

This clearly states the responsibility of any pet owner when it comes to trespassing. If your pet trespasses, it is the same as a person trespassing.

Our society has long accepted letting cats run loose, but if you were to replace the word cat with any other species, it would seem absurd. We don’t let dogs, ferrets or iguanas loose so why should we have this policy with cats?

I also understand a dog wants to sniff and urinate frequently during a walk. I’ve cleaned up many a time after my dog does its business on someone’s lawn, always feeling a tad guilty about it and wondering how I can control where she chooses to do nature’s calling. It turns out, I can train my dog where to go to the bathroom. I can also walk my dog in the street instead of the sidewalk where nearby lawns beckon or down the alleys or places where no one lives. For the record, I don’t mind dogs urinating on my lawn, just my food. I would never let my dog go into someone’s herb or vegetable garden or even flower garden. Neighbors claiming they can’t control their pets is nonsense — and lazy.

Through my unpleasant interactions in the neighborhood, I realize I’m responsible for my pets in a larger way. I can’t just turn a blind eye and hope for the best when I let them out the door. Just as I wouldn’t let my dog out without a leash, I wouldn’t let a cat out without being able to control its radius. After my experience, anything else seems thoughtless, not to mention negligent. Animals roaming free can be hit by cars, become injured or get preyed upon by other animals.

Furthermore, if a neighbor experienced issues with my pet, I would do everything in my power to resolve it. I certainly wouldn’t keep doing the same behavior or respond with anger and defensiveness. I would apologize and figure out a solution.

Know your rights and responsibilities as a pet owner. Research the ordinances that pertain to pets in your city or county and abide by them. In addition to avoiding fines, it will help keep relations more positive with those in your neighborhood and your pets safer.

This column appeared in The Journal on Sunday, June 11, 2017.

10 Comments

Christine Sells

6/12/2017 01:04:14 pm

I would say that where I work there was a large feral cat population, caused by students leaving their pet's loose after a semester and the graduated. The employees started a snip and nip program. All the feral cat's where caught, spayed/neutered and the company paid for this to happen. The people that where feeding them continue to feed and the population has come way down and no new litters.

Debra Hamilton link

6/12/2017 07:42:48 pm

Christine,

This program is often called TNR (trap, neuter, release) and run by animal rights/welfare/rescue groups. They collect the colony and as you said spay/neuter. The colony keeps rodents at bay (since they are feral and not able to become house cats) and die out of old age and natural causes.
This doesn't help the people in the area, like Katherine, who may not want the party under their porch.

Katherine Cobb

6/12/2017 07:59:32 pm

Thanks for clarifying, Debra. I had never heard of these programs.

6/12/2017 08:07:12 pm

Chris, that is awesome a group worked together to resolve the problem. It does require some problem solving when things get out of hand. Our feral population on our street is lower than it has been in the past at the moment. We do have a large skunk population that seems to cause a lot of concern for neighbors, but not sure how or if the city will ever address that one!

6/12/2017 07:58:43 pm

This article points out the stark reality. People have pets of convenience. Yet those pets may not be convenient to their neighbor. If that is the case their neighbor has the right to raise their hand and say NO!

Katherine has given a great explanation of what to do if you have a pet problem. Unfortunately, it will create more of a conflict or fall on deaf ears. Municipalities don't like to be forced to enforce these rules They do not want to be seen as the bad guy.

The most disenfranchised people in the pet world are those who don't have animals, set boundaries for their own pets and expect others to do the same. People say, "Its ok if you want to do it but my dog/cat needs to be free" or "I cannot take it with me when I go home or graduate." Either way it is not their problem.

Well, yes it is and yes you are responsible for the pet you 'own'. Getting groups together to TNR is great. Educating for responsible long-term pet ownership is something else entirely.

Facilitating these conversations is what I do. People need to feel heard, on both sides, and come to some meeting of the mind under the municipal code that lets everyone feel appreciated for their wants and desires. It can be done.

Most people take a negative view of a request to 'stay out of my yard' because they fear they are not meeting the needs of neighborliness or the local code. Instead of apologizing and acknowledging because they overstepped their bounds, they fight/flight and decide to repeatedly 'show the complainer' they will let their dog/cat go where it wants.

Without an organized fearfree way to have a conversation on matters involving animals no one is served. Local community mediations centers may be able to facilitate a useful conversation. Or a mediator who focuses on helping those angry w the situation to hear the full story and and be heard themselves. Often they self correct. It is an amazing process.
Healthy conversation vs. Conflict conversation. My practice does the former and people find the responses on both sides remarkable.

Bravo for writing this blog Katherine. I hope some day to help you facilitate a conversations that enables everyone in your neighborhood willingly take on the responsibility of pet ownership as a good neighbor. It happens, you often simply need a neutral to hold a safe space to find a mutual resolution.
Debra

6/12/2017 08:04:14 pm

Thank you kindly for your comments, Debra. I think mediation is an enlightened concept for these matters. It shouldn't be necessary — especially when approaching someone with respectful polite requests, but as you acknowledge, some folks respond with passive (or active) aggression. Interesting idea.

Janet Smith

6/12/2017 10:11:42 pm

Hi Katherine,

Your mention of iguanas and the idea that nobody would let their iguanas roam free outdoors reminded me of a story. A year or two ago someone actually did let several iguanas loose in south Philadelphia. A friend of mine who lives there reported that he had iguanas hanging from his screen door to catch the sun's rays. Eventually he had to pry frozen iguanas from the sunny side of his roof and from his gutters, where they were hanging down like icicles. So just when you think that you've identified behavior that no sane person would ever consider, remember that there IS someone out there who'll do it.

On another note, we have a vacation home on a coastal island in South Carolina. There are quite a few feral cats there, but most have been trapped, spayed an re-released thanks to a TNR program such as Christine and Debra mentioned. The cats have an important job to do since they help to keep the marsh rat population down to manageable levels. Year-round residenst feed them, and we all enjoy having them around.

Thanks for the the thought-provoking article!

6/13/2017 01:47:41 pm

HI Janet. Thanks for sharing — that is quite a story! We had a pet iguana for many years (Greg thought I'd want one for some reason...the source of great debate). Early on, I let him roam in my apartment sometimes. Once, I couldn't figure out where he went to only to find him hanging on vertically from my tall cactus. His green pigment blended perfectly with the cactus!

Teri Biebel link

6/15/2017 02:31:47 pm

Hear Hear!! This has long been an issue in our neighborhood and I applaud your efforts to curb this in your neck of the woods!

Debra

6/15/2017 06:32:45 pm

Neighbors, pets and personal responsibility

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