Were we in the wrong?

Question

I recently had to cook 315 meatballs for a party. We dumped the grease from these in the weeds behind our shed (on OUR property). The neighbors in an adjoining property have a doberman that has dietary problems- is on $50/bag special dog food. Well... apparently he came over and ate a bunch of the grease and is sick. I feel badly for the dog, but told the lady that she should keep her dog in her own yard. I also suggested invisible fence. I was nice about it- but made my point also. Were we wrong?

- I didn't know the dog had intestinal issues-- we just met these neighbors.
- I usually put the grease in a empty veg can and dispose of it when it's cool... just didn't this time.

Answer 1

Oh please, tell them to take that BS elsewhere.

1. It's YOUR property.
2. Their dog is on YOUR property.
3. You're right...she should keep her dog on HER property.

Don't even lose any sleep over it.

Answer 2

I can't say you were wrong, because keeping her dog in her yard is your neighbor's responsibility. Especially if the dog already has health problems. However, that grease was a HUGE enticement to the dog. You haven't said that the dog is generally a problem, just on this occasion, so it seems like maybe the dog doesn't usually come onto your property. Maybe you could have warned your neighbor that you were dumping out was was essentially a dog's dream buffet. After all, pancreatitis can kill a dog, so dumping that much grease was, in a way, sort of like putting poison out. To me, you're both at fault to some degree, even though it's her job to keep her dog under control and on her property.

Answer 3

Hi There
UUMMM No you are not in the wrong It is your Property and they should be a more responsible Pet owner and kudos to you for suggesting the invisible fence I mean if they can afford a $50.00 bag of food it seems as if they could afford some type of PET containment system to protect there dog from these problems
Also how did they know it was you that caused the dogs illness
I pride myself on being a responsible pet owner and I would never ever have the gall to blame a neighbor if my dog was to go off my property and eat something and become ill
I would accept responsibility and never ever confront my neighbor in this instance
I have 7 Pomeranian 2 Yorkshire Terriers and 2 Australian Cattle dogs and I never ever have the issue with them wandering as our whole property is fenced in and they all have separate areas to go potty but the one area that is not fenced I will walk out every morning to get my mail and I will be dog gone I don't see multiple Huge Piles of Dog manure so I know we have irresponsible dog owners in our area also so do not stress over it as it is in no way your fault
Take Care

Answer 4

No your not wrong,

1, Although mans best friend may be smart in some situations, Its still not the most selective when it comes to Diet(nor etiquette for that matter) you cant stop a dog from eating stuff that smells like poo so imagine getting him to resist your meat ball grease which if i was a dog i would probably be considering a delicacy :)

2. YOUR PROPERTY DO WHAT YOU WISH (with in the legal boundaries of course) as long as you not dumping toxic waste, body parts or porn in your yard you can do as you wish remember her dog was trespassing (yes a dog can trespass)

3, whats the recipe for the meat balls ??? i am making a large spag dinner for some friends and I'm not the greatest at the meat ball thing :)

Answer 5

While the act of dumping the grease may/may not have been the correct thing to do, the fact of the matter is that it is not your responsiblilty to watch your neighbour's dog to ensure he/she doesn't eat things from your yard.

As a dog-owner, your neighbour should have the dog tied up, or in a securely enclosed area at all times. If the dog got out and ate the garbage from your garbage can, would that be your fault? No.

If I were in your situation, I would feel bad that the dog got sick, but would not take any responsibility for it. Tell them to keep their dog in their yard.

Answer 6

Oh, Puhleeeeze! Are they going to ask you to buy the dog's food and pay the vet bills too? What you do on your own property is in no way shape or form your neighbor's business. If she is concerned for her dog's safety then she needs to keep her dog on her own property.
Her whining about that is like you asking a neighbor to get rid of their pool because you don't want your kids to drown.
She can keep control of her own dog and you can dump grease all over your property if you want to.
Don't sweat it.

Answer 7

No you weren't wrong.Neighbors are going to have to accept the fact that they were negligent in allowing their dog out unsupervised so it could wander off it's own property.
I know they'll not see it that way but we all would rather place blame at another's feet than accept responsibility for our own actions at one time or another.
Granted you should have thought about what the grease would attract before you dumped it but you didn't and what's done is done.You're allowed to do stupid things on your own property without being made to feel guilty about doing them.But your neighbors should not be allowed to be so careless with their dogs health and welfare without suffering the consequences. I hope this teaches them a badly needed lesson.

Answer 8

yes and no, on your own property you can do things within reason, if the odor from the grease, the flies etc it attracts bother the neighbors, you can be cited. On the other hand, her dog should be under control at all times. A dog at large can get the owner cited, a dog with the potential for being mean, like a doberman or pitbull, is one giant liability for the owner if let roam free and bites someone.

Answer 9

The owner has a responsibility to keep her dog confined on her property. Loose dogs can get into things they aren't supposed to. Still, dumping grease makes a terrible mess that attracts wild animals and other pests and I'd find a better way to dispose of it in the future.

Answer 10

Well if something happens on your property it is your responsbily, but the owners of the dog are responsable too.
You did nothing wrong since the dog ate the grease and among other things in the weeds.

Answer 11

If your neighbors can afford a $50/bag of dog food, they can afford to get a fence or something. You weren't wrong. You can do what you want in your yard- cept, maybe its safer for ALL animals and ppl if you put the grease in a bucket or something.