Neighbors, dogs, catfish bones

[Jenn]

Some resolution so far on my neighbor issue: yesterday (while DH is home from Iraq, yeah!) my dogs brought me another catfish skull. As I walked DH along the fence line and was ready to go cuss out my poor neighbor I'd suspected for the other incident he noticed the dogs scaring away a turkey buzzard from ground level at the other side of our yard.

There we found two very fresh skeletons and lots of older ones. Looks like our new neighbors- hopefully the 15 year old son not the dad- have been dumping all their fish carcasses since last month. My kick myself moment is why haven't I noticed it until now. I did walk the fence line last month the first time but maybe didn't notice the other bits of one catfish. Guess my one dog has given up eating catfish after her bout of all night vomiting and the bigger one was too smart in the first place.

I was so angry I called the sheriff and got my DD's boyfriend's dad who is already aware of my concerns. Will hopefully hear back from him on response of the neighbor who wasn't home last night. Am praying for all of us (especially me) to be better neighbors and better people.

So good points- it's not my neighbor I really want to be able to get along with, as much as a frank blunt Yankee gal can with a smooth talking LA man. Hope it's foolishness and not ill intent- over the same fence the dad just gave me some cardboard I had asked him for when I saw it on his porch.

I'm afraid it's misuse of police time but think it's best I not be the one to speak to the neighbors. ANd we gave the other deputy- a newlywed- a loofah to take home to his bride after DH showed them the huge ones on the vine. They were mad at me when they left though- didn't know, like in the ER, it's a curse to say 'Hope the rest of the night is quiet.'

[Wolf mom]

If the pile is on his property, is he starting a compost pile? Why were your dogs over there?

[Jenn]

Originally Posted by Wolf mom

If the pile is on his property, is he starting a compost pile? Why were your dogs over there?

It is on my property inside my fence. My dogs are not outside the fence without me. Is that clear?

[Bearfootfarm]

Is that clear?

It wasnt up until now

[ozark mike]

why do people want to call the law in over such small items?? maybe it is time to move back to that nice quiet suburban area... as I have stated a few times before "your neighbor is the last person you want mad at you if you intend to live there very long"... mike

[Wolf mom]

Thanks, Bearfootfarm. Sorry, Jenn. I'm tired of the complaining threads about dogs & neighbors, then find out there's no fence or...or...or.

[Minelson]

I read in the thread that there was a fence. I would be ticked off if someone through garbage over my fence! I think it's too late for the neighbor not to have Jenn mad at them. I am so glad we don't have any neighbors...there are so many problems that I see on this forum with them. UGH.

[foxtrapper]

Boy, talk about making a mountain out of a mole hill. Is there a good reason you didn't go and simply ask them to quit tossing fish trash over the fence?

[nathan104]

Exactly. A simple phone call or going to knock on the door and talking it over politely would more than likely take care of it. Pretty crazy to call the cops over it without even a discussion. If they have a teen, that could easily explain it, they are lazy and dumb, lol. A simple talk would probably clear it up.

[Minelson]

Ya know...why should you even have to ask. My goodness. It's not a mountain or a mole hill. How could anyone throw their trash on someones property !? I'm sorry but I would freak that one of my dogs (my children in my eyes) would get a dang fish bone stuck in his throat. Because of someones garbage?! eee gads. It's hard enough to keep things safe without having to worry about other people...neighbors!?.. trashing your own property to keep their property from being trashed. I usually don't voice on these subjects but this poster has a right to complain or do whatever she thinks will help with the situation. Around here the police would be happy to have something to do. Lay off

[Alice In TX/MO]

I'm on the 'mountain out of a molehill' side. Police are for serious business, not what your neighbor did out of ignorance. A plate of cookies and a polite request would have been a better strategy.

[Minelson]

Alice..you are supposed to agree with me! We have the gate latch bond LOL!!

[ace admirer]

i'm sure the police,,,, is it police out in the country? anyway, i'm sure they will put their best men on the job. You can be sure you are on top of one of their list......

[texican]

You're basically insuring that you'll never be in good standing with this neighbor, or anyone else in the community. A self admitted Yankee gal has a hard enough time fitting in, in the South (see you're in Alabama)... without calling the law over catfish bones. Have you ever heard of the boy who cried wolf? If you indeed called them over this, then you're on their radar... and not in a good way.

Catfish bones amazingly enough can and do move, after their disposal by humans... coons, possums, coyotes, buzzards... lots of things love to chew on carcasses. They indeed may have been tossed over the fence by your neighbors. It takes a very careful 'asking' for a neighbor to not do that. Doing it the wrong way will just encourage more carcass dumping.

Neighbor wars are usually started over something very trivial.

You can do what you want to do, but if it involves others, one should always look 'into the future'... it's like a chess game... if I move my pawn, what will they do with theirs... If you're there for just a few years, no big deal... if you're there for good, you need to choose your battles. Hopefully you can de-escalate before this thing goes further....

In a similar situation years ago, I dragged a dead dog off my road onto the extension going on to the neighbors... he got mad at me... till I told him I knew that he dumped the dog there in the first place, instead of leaving it on his place (or taking it off and burying it like he shoulda done).

Good luck

[Jenn]

Even the 'you idiot' comments are helpful.

[tambo]

If my dogs were inside dogs and kept rubbing around in fish guts, I would be mad to. I would take a shovel and throw them back across the fence. I would check it daily and what ever they threw over there I would throw it back. They would get the message.

[therunbunch]

Jenn, you've got such a good attitude! I'm not sure what I would have done... I don't know your complete backstory. If it's "one thing after another" and you're always schmoozing and talking to these people about other incidents, then I can see where calling in the cops might have helped get your point across. I personally would have tried talking to them.. but like I said.... don't know how much of that you've already wasted time on in the past. Some people just don't hear you when you're talking! One thing is for sure... they'll get the message this time. Hopefully.

Ps... I would have scooped up all the dead fish and dumped it back over on THEIR side of the fence. Let them start the conversation! LOL

[Bearfootfarm]

I read in the thread that there was a fence.

But nothing about which side the fish was on, until asked

[Common Tator]

This is not a "you idiot" comment. I am just telling you that I would have talked to the neighbor personally. If my son were doing that, I would want to know so that I could deal with him. If I were the neighbor, and you let me know my son were doing that, he would have apologized to you personally and cleaned up the mess.

And if I were you, I would be walking the fence lines (or riding them on a horse or ATV frequently. making sure the neighbors see me doing it.

[salmonslayer]

Catfish bones amazingly enough can and do move, after their disposal by humans... coons, possums, coyotes, buzzards..

Thats what I was thinking, she mentioned they had to scare off a turkey buzzard just to see the carcass. We have Ravens up here and they will get into everything and leave carcasses, garbage and all manner of things even on your roof. (they are very cool birds though!!)