DogsAUG 21, 2022

"I Called The Cops On My Neighbors Because They Don’t Walk Their Dog": Resident Angers Both Their Neighbors And The Internet

Vėja Elkimavičiūtė and Adelaide May Ross

Nobody likes having nosy neighbors. Whether they feel the need to insert their opinion on your music taste, where you park your car or what flowers you plant in your garden, neighbors that don’t understand boundaries are never fun to deal with. So most of us, to the best of our abilities, bite our tongues and avert our eyes when we find a neighbor annoying. It just is not our place to intervene in their affairs, assuming there is no reason to be genuinely concerned about their safety.

One woman, however, recently made it clear on Reddit that she does not seem to understand that she can’t control her neighbors. Several weeks ago, this frustrated neighbor asked others online if she was wrong for calling the cops on the residents next door for how they choose to manage their dog. Readers had plenty to say about the situation, so below, you can read the full story, as well as some of the responses, and decide if you think this woman was in the wrong. Let us know your thoughts in the comments, and then if you’re interested in reading another Bored Panda story featuring neighbors from hell, check out this piece next.

One woman recently asked others online if she was wrong for calling the cops on the apartment next door

Image credits: Justin Veenema (not the actual photo)

Image credits: Erik Mclean (not the actual photo)

I understand wanting to feel as comfortable as possible in your place of residence, but especially when you live in an apartment building, you just cannot control your neighbors. Tensions often arise and disputes can be formed over the tiniest details when people live in close proximity, but the “issue” here does not seem to be a problem at all. The woman noted that the dog only began using these mats on the patio 2 months ago, and later, she explained that the woman next door is pregnant. It seems that this solution for the dog’s business is only a temporary one. Once the neighbor has given birth and is no longer on bed rest, the dog will probably be going on plenty of walks. But the larger issue is: this is none of the woman’s business in the first place.

The dog is not going to the bathroom on her patio, and the neighbors are cleaning up the messes twice a day. Unless this person is sitting by the window all day staring at her neighbor’s apartment, she could easily not even notice this. Her claims that the dog is not properly being taken care of or that this practice is unhygienic are just not substantiated. There are a few valid reasons to call the police on a neighbor, including excessive noise, domestic violence, child or animal abuse, having too many or illegal pets, or engaging in illegal drug activity. But being upset because your neighbor’s small dog is going to the bathroom on their patio? I would recommend taking a hot bath to calm down or going for a walk. No need to alert the authorities.

The comments on this post make it very clear how most people feel about the situation, but it’s unclear whether or not the OP has learned anything. If this causes her so much grief, maybe she should be searching for another apartment, rather than tormenting her innocent neighbors who have enough on their plates with a baby on the way. Let us know what you think down below, and if you have ever had to deal with an aggressively nosy neighbor, we would love to hear how you navigated the relationship.