My neighbors are throwing rocks at my dog. is there any legal actions i can take to stop them?

Question

I have a pit bull who is 6 years old and decently trained. He has hip dysplasia, so he is unable to jump higher then 1 foot. The conjoining fence between our house and our neighbors is 5 feet high. The neighbors have small children, as does my sister who lives with us (a 2.5 year old and 7mo old twins). My dog loves them and they love him back. he has never done anything to hurt anyone in his life. he does bark when someone knocks at our door when he is inside, or when someone approaches the house when he is outside. The neighbors don't speak english very well and my mother has tried to talk to them, but she doesn't speak spanish. She gave them kibble to toss at the dog when he barks too much, and has asked them to knock on the door when they run out. we don't know if they gave him kibble, but two days ago they threw a rock that cut his face badly. what can we do to protect him?

I have a pit bull who is 6 years old and decently trained. He has hip dysplasia, so he is unable to jump higher then 1 foot. The conjoining fence between our house and our neighbors is 5 feet high. The neighbors have small children, as does my sister who lives with us (a 2.5 year old and 7mo old twins). My dog loves them and they love him back. he has never done anything to hurt anyone in his life. he does bark when someone knocks at our door when he is inside, or when someone approaches the house when he is outside. The neighbors don't speak english very well and my mother has tried to talk to them, but she doesn't speak spanish. She gave them kibble to toss at the dog when he barks too much, and has asked them to knock on the door when they run out. we don't know if they gave him kibble, but two days ago they threw a rock that cut his face badly. what can we do to protect him? he is an outdoor dog and he needs his exercise. we cannot keep him indoors unsupervised.

Answer 1

Call the police now! You need to take a picture of your dogs injuries that way even after everything is healed up you have proof! You need to go over to those ignorant f***s that live next to you and tell them your calling the police!!! Im sure they will understand that!!! That is animal abuse! They will at least get some kind of warning, mabey get charged with animal abuse and you can take them to court over the vet bills and win! They cannot do that and they need to know that! I wouldnt care if they spoke english or not! I would go over there with a picture and a phone in my hand! I would show them the picture and call the cops right in front of them!!!!!!!!! That makes me soooooooooooooooo mad!!!! People want to get mad because we own wonderful, sweet, gentle, tolerant, smart, devoted, loyal, obedient dogs and they think because they are a certain breed they can do horrible things like throw rocks at them! Have they lost their damn minds! Wow! They are lucky they dont live next to my husband and I!!!!! As someone already said, they would have a busted face right along with my dog!!!!!!!!! Everyone, no matter what language they speak or dont speak can understand the word POLICE!! Call the cops now! That is not okay and they will get in trouble for that!!! I am sorry that some people are painfully ignorant and I am sorry that had to happen to your pup for them to learn! Good luck! : )

My husband and I own two APBTs and they are amazing! They are so smart, sweet, loving, tolerant, gentle and funny! They LOVE everyone and everything and everyone that has met them has fallen in love with them! They do bark when someone comes to the door, but thats as "mean" as they get! lol! : )

Check this out.. http://www.dogbreedinfo.com/children.htm Click on this link, read what the numbers mean and scroll down to American Pit Bull Terriers... you will see that they got the best score possible! : ) "Pit bulls" are known for being wonderful with people (adults) and amazing with children!!

** and I have to add that one rock throw by one kid, one adult, one whatever the hell you want to say, is more than enough for legal action if it injured your dog! Whether your dog was barking or not! Yes it is your job to keep your dog quiet, but they have absolutly NO right to BUST YOUR DOGS FACE OPEN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I dont care what people tell you, call the police and you will see.. that is very illegal and they will get in trouble!**

Answer 2

If the dog was on your property when the rock was thrown then you can call or go to your local police department and file a complaint. I'm not exactly sure how far this would go or if the police would even do something, but I would think that since it is your property and the dog was minding his own business (so to speak) then your neighbors have no rights. You could also take your dog to the vet and then take your neighbors to small claims court and sue for the vet bill. Make sure you get a police report though, that way if any question comes up you have the proof from the police! Good Luck

Answer 3

Ouch, poor puppy..... I would if possible take pictures of the children doing this behavior.. Document it whenever possible even if it's just writing the information down... Times, dates, how many children... Then again talk to the children's parents, the best that you can.. Show them the picture's and tell them the next time you will call the police or policia... That should get the parents involved.. You have the right to have a dog in your property w/o it getting hurt... Also, take picture's of the cut and save any vet bill. I would not advise in letting the neighbor children throw kibble at your dog. It will make the dog bark MORE because he's getting a treat and who knows what's in it...? It could be poisoned... Also, if your dog does bark too much it might be a good idea for a bark collar to cover yourself in case legal/police action is indeed. Once you've started documenting events get the police involved. Call them, when you see the children out and doing things to your dog. I have a rotweiller and it would be a very, very bad day for the people involved that hurt my dog ! I also have 2 children that love our dog and would hate to see her hurt... Good luck

Answer 4

Well, there are a few things, actually. Your neighbors should not be responsible for giving the dog kibble when he's too noisy. They should not be the ones who keep him quiet... that's your job. Do a better job of making sure the dog is quiet and does not disturb the neighbors.

Also, take the rock over there and tell them not to throw rocks at your dog. Say it loudly, but don't shout. Because you have the rock and seem agitated, they'll most likely know what you're talking about. Use mime gestures if you have to...most likely the kids did it when they weren't supervised, and they'll probably be scolded for it.

If it happens again, call the police. But right now, one rock thrown by one kid at a noisy dog is not enough for legal action I don't think. Unless you saw someone throw the rock AT the dog (not just tossing it over the fence and have it hit the dog).

Answer 5

Call the police and report that your dog has been assaulted, in your own yard, minding his own business, by your neighbors. Even if your dog was mean and a killer they are still not allowed to throw rocks or to harm your animal in anyway. If you didn't see them throw the rock though it'll be almost pointless but I'd call anyway just to get it on record. That way if there is another incident, you have prior examples of the abuse from them to back you up. Call them immediately and get the incident on file. More than likely nothing will be done besides a verbal warning from the officers but like I said you want it on file incase there is another incident. Do not give the dog food when he barks too much, you're only making the dog bark more because he's getting rewarded for doing it. Just ignore him, if you or they give any type of attention when he barks he will learn that barking gets him affection and treats and it will just get worse.

Answer 6

I have a pit bull too - and people are so unnecessarily afraid of him. Shesh.

However, the media has given our beloved pitties a bad name - so you'll have to do more than you would normally have to in order to make sure you're taken seriously.

What is important in this case, is that people who immigrate from one country to another are obligated to adapt to their new country's customs and mores - not the other way around.

Perhaps where your neighbors are from, throwing rocks is acceptable behavior - but it is certainly NOT here in the US.

The first thing is to make the fence between your yards opaque - in that neither the dog nor the children can see through it. At 5 feet, that's a pretty good fence, but you might also want to run two strands of electric fence 6 and 12 inches higher than that. This will help to to keep the authorities happy - and satisfied that you've done what you can to prevent Sweetie from escaping - and intruders at bay.

The next thing is to speak with a lawyer and ask him or her to help you draft a polite but very firm letter - in English and in Spanish - explaining that in the U.S., throwing rocks is considered an act of violence and terrorism. Tell them that even though their children are small, your property (your dog) was deliberately damaged and that if their children continue to throw rocks at your dog or any other piece of your property - expecially over an electrified and opaque fence - you will call the authorities.

Send a copy of this to the local INS office making sure the names and addresses are included.

This sounds drastic, but I think there may be more to this situation than is conveyed in your single paragraph.

Answer 7

Keep the dog indoors. It's rude and in many instances illegal to expect your neighbors to deal with a barking dog. When he's outdoors, someone should be outside with him to correct him for excessive barking. Throwing kibble will only encourage him to bark and reward him for doing so.

Even if these neighbors are throwing kibble to him, other people won't like the barking either and may soon be throwing poison, which is far worse than rocks. Especially since he's a pit bull, you'll want to use extreme caution. Many people consider pitties to be mean and aggressive and don't want them around. You can call and report the incident, but that may also backfire-- it alerts law enforcement that you have a pit bull and that the neighbors are having problems with your dog. It may protect your dog, but it may also mean your complaint is not taken seriously or they side with the neighbors. There are strong prejudices against pit bulls and other similar breeds by many, many people. As the owner of such a dog, you need to be even more responsible than owners of other breeds seen by the public in a more positive light.

No, they shouldn't be throwing rocks at your dog. However, if he's barking, they are understandably annoyed and frustrated with him, and in most cities and townships they are able to request that your dog be quieted or removed. Be responsible and don't leave him outside unsupervised.

Answer 8

Call the police. If your dog is properly restrained, i.e. on a leash or inside a fence, and is not going into your neighbor's yard, then they are the problem and not your dog. Contact your local police department and explain the situation to them. They will be able to talk to your neighbor and put a stop to this. If you are concerned that the neighbor will ignore the police, tell the officer that comes to your house what your concerns are and they will likely give you the information you need to contact them again if the problem continues. As long as you follow the advice of the police, they will work with you to make sure this does not continue.

Answer 9

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Answer 10

Firstly, never leave your dog outside unattended. This goes for all dog owners, but especially for pit bull owners and especially when you know someone is trying to hurt your baby.

If you saw the neighbors throw the rock, call the police or animal contorl and have them talk to the neighbors. If you didn't see the neighbor throw the rock (one of the many reasons you need to be outside with your dog), then there is little you can do.