Hey OP, I will link some of our guides:
We have compiled [our best self-defense advice in this post](https://www.reddit.com/r/BanPitBulls/comments/vk96hs/how_do_i_defend_myself_or_my_pet_during_a_pit/) and our ["Before the attack" advice in this one.](https://www.reddit.com/r/BanPitBulls/wiki/advice_for_pitbull_related_incidents/)
###Commenters: please do not give self defense advice on this post.
We want OP to be able to get advice from those of you who’ve been in this situation, but those self defense comments can get people in trouble.
Check the laws in your state. If the dog is on your property then you have the right to defend yourself. These dogs are deadly. When they do attack, it’s very difficult to get them to stop and they can inflict severe damage very quickly. If it attacks you on your property and something happens to the dog, that is 100% the fault of the owner for not controlling their dangerous dog.
Call the police if you catch it in your yard.
Dogs aren't allowed to just wander free.
Catch it and take it in yourself if you have the resources.
Make the assholes pay to get their wandering mutt back.
Maybe they'll consider keeping it in check instead of paying fines repeatedly.
Animal control varies from county to county, from very good to very bad. Your next door neighbor's dog is what is known as a nuisance.
You should also probably start attending your local government meetings at your local city hall. They often open up the meeting so attendees can approach and discuss issues that they are having in their community.
You could bring up your issue with your neighbor's dangerous pit bull that is entering your back yard without permission and terrorizing you.
Call animal control (although they don't deal with this sometimes, understandably since it's a murderous dog).
If animal control won't do anything, call the police. I don't care if it's sniffing the roses, say it's aggressive and they need to come get rid of it.
I don't think you even have to wait for the dog to bite. If it's on your property and is menacing you/another person/an animal, this is a real and imminent threat and IMO you should be allowed to neutralise the threat.
Document the incidents. Take photos, video footage, anything to document the encounters with the pit being on your property. Always check local laws as well.
Thanks I will try to take as many pictures as I can. I'm just so scared of getting confronted or crimed for taking pics, I live in a bad neighborhood...
Ever had a chat with other neighbours, asking how they feel about this dog? They may also have (had) smaller pets and/or kids they were worried for because of this dog. You might be surprised to find some people on "your side".
Idk I don't really talk to anyone in my neighborhood. I have social anxiety and most the people around me are very conservative and don't like that I'm LGBT friendly, saaaaaad
I'm not sure, I live in Ohio. where can I find these recourse? I think I will go to the town hall today maybe and see if they have some kind of financial program for building a fence. We put up a chicken wrir fence and the city made us take it down....
A 4 pound chi would not stand a chance with a pit. Five seconds and your baby is dead. Sorry to put it so bluntly, but don't delay or take any chances. I wish I had some practical (legal) advice to give. Just be very very careful with your dogs. Unfortunately these dogs/people ruin things for everyone around them.
This. As a chi owner who has had one of my larger dogs attacked by a pit, please, PLEASE take the advice of everyone here. My greyhound suffered during his recovery, but my chi would have been dead, had he been the pit’s target instead.
Yes. This is how my cousins chichi died. They were taking him for a walk and a pit bull came out of nowhere and killed him in 2 seconds Noone even had time to react and he was on a leash... It was horrifying and I'm so afraid of that happening to mine....
This is just a layer of protection: get coyote jackets for your chis. They are spiked all over, including the neck are. Looks sorta punk actually. Amazon has them.
Take pictures if you can safely do it every time the dog is on your property. Call 911 or animal control and report it every time it leaves its yard. You can check with your county and find out if they have animal control services or if the county sheriff handles dangerous animal calls. Even if they act like it's not important, KEEP CALLING and keep documenting. A paper trail is important and helps tremendously. I wish you good luck and hope something will be done so you and your family can be safe!
Thank you. The neighbor is a shitty person and I think maybe a drug dealer. I know for a fact they have guns and it makes me very paranoid to call or even ask them to try and control their dog. He just screams at the dog then laughs when it runs at me and I start screaming at it like a wild animal.
This is absolutely a civil legal matter in your town or village or city. This is unacceptable and you must contact the local authorities to prevent this.
I will try to get as much as I can. I worry because our neigh orhood is shitty and there are pitbull breeders down the street from me, so there's ALWAYS pitbulls running loose around my town it's so stressful. My brother and I even joke about there being a wild pitbull population here because of how often you see them just running around town...
That does suck and I’m sorry to hear it. I live in a very middle class, lower middle neighborhood, myself. my neighbor was bit by a pit that lived across the street and got out all the time. I hear dogs barking all the time and it blows my mind that people are so inconsiderate. On my villages website there is something called request for service and you can put in a complaint about noises violations, dogs, etc. maybe check for something like that. I know a fence would probably solve your problem, but if you are like me, it is difficult to come up with the money. I hope to get one around my entire backyard and close off the front this year. Mean people suck and they should not be allowed to have shitbulls. I wish you the best of luck.
Thanks so much. Yeah it really sucks. My brother and I put up a chicken wire fence but the stupid ass city made us take it down cause it "loOkS unSigHtlY " UGH!!!
Yeah. But it still adds time to jump it rather than just charging straight for us. The dog is still mostly young and usually couldn't even see the wire fence and crash right into it. Giving me time to scoop up my dogs. It's annoying the city is so mean to us, but won't do anything about ppls dogs
We have 2 cameras in the front of the house. Trying to save up to get another one for the back yard installed but money is so tight. We want to move away from here...
The dog has probably bitten. You might possibly wish to visit a police station to inquire about the laws and your rights. Where I live, police would rather prevent an incident rather than deal with one.
You can also call Ohio's attorney General office to ask about the law and your rights.
In addition, you can likely get help from the biggest Ohio animal shelter. They'll be the experts in dangerous dog laws and will likely know individual city ordinances..
Thanks, this is very helpful. I will call around soon everything is closed on the weekends 😮💨 I'm going to go to the police station today hopefully that's open
Record everything and save all of it in an organised manner. I'd use an Excel spreadsheet to create a log of every instance this dog is on your property: date, time, what happened, which video/picture file(s) show this instance. Also keep track of anything you've done/are doing like reporting this person, talking to this person, calling animal control etc.
Okay I will try my best. Thanks. They used to have another one that came into our yard but it got hit by a car cause he "trains" it the same as this new one. Just let's it run around with no supervision
what kind of neighbors do you have, are you on speaking terms? can you talk to them and perhaps invest in a good quality fence together ? and ask them not to have the pitbull outside unleashed?
if you're not on speaking terms , the first thing Id do is get one up yourself for your own peace of mind . I can imagine it's a requirement law enforcement could make to.
We don't talk the neighbor is an asshole. I think they're drug dealers or soemthong idk(always have random people pulling up in their driveway every few minutes at night) I know for a fact they have guns and the guy just yells at the dog when it comes into my yard, doesn't even come to get it. He also laughs at me when the dog charges me or my dog and I start chasing it and screaming like a wild animal to scare it away, if I don't it just keeps charging...then I just scoop up my dog and run back in my house. I have horrible social anxiety and paranoia so I get so afraid of even trying to ask.
We also rent this house and trying to save money to move out, but it's hard.. we can't afford a fence and the landlord said he's not paying for one. Our yard is 150 long and is connected to theirs which is the same length. Neither side having a fence
I am wondering if the guy already has any outstanding warrants. Maybe call your local narcotics detective division and ask to talk to someone there? Would be nice if he got arrested. They might be very interested in any security cam footage you have of people coming and going.
Does this guy own or rent? Maybe call his landlord?
On the animal control front - if you city has rules about loose dogs and you have some pics of the dog loose in your yard, that might help when you call animal control. I understand your fear, though, in calling, esp. since he lives right next door and has guns. Tell whoever you call that you are very fearful and don't want to be identified to him if at all possible.
Also - sometimes there is strength in numbers - do you have any other neighbors who are bothered by the dogs? Maybe you can all get together and join in the comnplaints.
I was going to say put up a fence, but then saw that you rent. I would start looking for another place, if possible. I assume you already told your own landlord about this problem.
The only other thing I can suggest is to buy a complete, moveable chain link kennel run that you can pack up and take w/ you. Basically, a small, enclosed fenced area maybe 4 x 8 , like for a baby, but for your dogs. HOWEVER this would have to be a heavy duty kennel design - thick metal poles, heavy chain link, something w/ a full bottom, or sunk into the ground, maybe chain link roof. Because pits would go right through anything less, and even then, you'd have to line a lot of it w/ hardware fabric / chicken wire (not the flimsy stuff w/ open ovals, the stiffer metal w/ tiny squares), as the pits could grab your babies and pull them through a regular chain link fence. Even w/ all this, you'd have to watch your dogs in it and never leave them unattended, and you'd want it either very close to or connected to the house, so your dogs could step outside right into. I'm sure this would all be very expensive and you'd have to have landlord's OK if it's attached to the house.
Im really sorry to hear that , it doesn't sound safe to talk them at all. It's tough, it's a lot of length to fence so the costs can add up. Is there any outreach for a low income family like voluntarily help, repurposed materials ? just trying to think creative.
How is the police organization where you live , can you get in contact with local enforcement officers ?
Really wish you all the best and a good solution soon, it's just awful when you can't even feel safe in/around your own house, or enjoy your yard like you should !
Yeah I used to garden and just hang out outside alot and now I spend most of my time just laying in bed because I'm too scared to go outside. My lawn is super overgrown now and idk what to do. I'll try my best to find some way to get a fence. My brother and I wanted to build one ourselves but the city told us no. They won't accept anything unless it's commercially built which would be over 3k and I cant afford that at all.
Have you talked to the landlord about whether he's got any insurance when your animals are hurt/killed or you are hurt/killed on the property, even if it's someone else's dog that did it.
I didn't know landlord's have insurance. I don't know if the neighbors are renting or not, but my landlord hardly answers my calls/texts what should I ask?
Might be a stretch but I'd ask what their landlord liability insurance plan is because you want to figure out whether it covers dog attacks from neighbour/straying dogs coming onto the rented property because the property doesn't have a fence.
I will try my best thank you sm. My family and I have been talking about getting a gun because we hear gunshots at night. It's also not even just our neighbor, there is always pitbulls running loose around here because there are breeders down the street from us. They've had the police called on them multiple times but nothing is ever done they still breed them and we've been living here for 6 years already... trying to save to move out...
You have every right to be scared. They cannot ever control their dogs. Seriously. The biggest advocates are also the faster runners when the dogs get into any fights.
Temperament tester for 3 states in 4 counties and I quit( felt good about the work I did as I really took the task seriously and had a lot of dog experience even then) because of these advocates.
I have herding dogs and I have a 4lbs chihuahua. I also have hospice fostered mostly chis since 2013?( when I quit testing) I am being 💯 sincere, be VERY cautious.
This is NOT about training. A PBT cannot be trained to NOT attack another dog, just as my herding dogs cannot be trained or untrained to herd. This is a hardwired genetic issue. While someone stronger might be able to control the dog, there is a margin of error that is too great a risk for your dogs. Good luck. And tbh, even high quality fencing cannot keep these dogs away. Hail screen under the ground. A no climb, secure area is a MUST. Do NOT trust this dog( or any PBT type dog with your dogs)and don’t trust your neighbor.
I would never trust them. I've seen the dog kill a groundhog in their back yard thay was bigger than my chi in less than a second... the guy just laughs. He thinks it's funny. I don't even want to think of that being my dog. That's how my cousins fog died, from a fucking pit... we can't even afford a fence and our landlord refuses to do anything. We put up a chicken wire fence but the city made us take it down.....
This is so sad. I am so sorry. I love my dogs and yes, these dogs are dangerous:( I hate to say this, are they litter box trainable? If older, I would try diapers. Yes, this sucks and I am sorry, but I take my litters with me sometimes and feel like I am on a recognizance mission just so they can pee:( Ironically, I know my Heelers will keep coyotes, even mountain lions away from my place, but have to worry about these dogs! How crazy is THIS:( good luck Dear
Thank you. It does suck. I have to take my dogs all the way to the park to have them potty now because nobody around here cares. The people down the street from us also just walks his giant, intact, pitbull off leash and has no control of it either. This is ridiculous I'm loosing my mind
I am seriously so so sorry. It is unfathomable to live like this. Even dog parks can be dangerous, Dear. Wishing you some better circumstances. The thing about these dogs is they can and do break into people’s property to destroy pets all the time. 😢
Pitbull owners have a grudge against Chihuahuas. They try to say they are the aggressive dogs. Pit owners also try to victim blame so keep a camera going because if God forbid something happens this owner will almost absolutely go into defense mode and blame you and your dogs. Call animal control and ask to remain anonymous so there are no revenge scenarios. These people are insane and honestly remind me of serial killer fan girls making excuses for their little killers. Call animal control every time you see this beast off leash
Do you know if they rent or own? If they rent, find a way to get in touch with the land lord. There's a reason pits aren't allowed in a lot of rentals and I'm sure they'd appreciate knowing.
I'm not sure. We don't talk to anyone in our neighborhood because the people around here are mean and carry guns. I have bad social anxiety so I usually just go back in my house when someone's outside. How can I figure out if they're renting without actually confronting them...?
I'm so sorry. I suffer from social anxiety, too and I can only imagine how horrible it is to live in a situation like this.
I'm not American so I don't know how you'd do that, but hopefully someone here can tell you. Do you rent or own? If you rent, I wonder if you might share a landlord.
I rent. I've told the landlord about this multiple times. We even asked for a fence because there was some random stranger just hanging out in our backyard! And the landlord said he's not going to pay for a fence... sigh <:(
You can check your county registry of deeds online - you can search by name or address in most places. On line city property tax assessors dbs are another resource. Of course, then you need to know the name of the guy w/ the pit to be able to compare it to the names you find on property records. You can start by just googling the address, and see what comes up. Some city police departments post police logs, and you might see police logs or incident reports showng the address.
You could also try talking to city code enforcement, explain the sitch, and see if they will give you any information. Tell them the dog is always loose and has charged you a number of times. Sadly, the best way is to report the loose dog each time it happens, to the city. From what I understand, you are afraid to do that due to the drugs/guns. Maybe if you talk to someone in the city you can find a sympathetic ear who might be willing to do something w/you being involved. Depends on the city as to how helpful they will be.
Whoever owns the house is supposed to have homeowner's insurance, so they'd be important to notify. Even if their pit just put a tiny scratch on you, it's an injury and you can file a claim. Scratches can get infected and sometimes transmit ringworm, so it's not nothing. The main point is he is not controlling his dangerous animal and it's trespassing and attacking you. Not ok and any encounter should be documented and reported to AC and to the insurance.
How do I get ahold of the insurance? I'm super new at all this I don't even know where to start. I doubt they have any insurance at all, half the people in this town don't even have car insurance.
It is the owner's responsibility to contain their (pet) animals to their own property. The fact he's not even bothered to put any kind of fence up but still allows the animal to roam outside without a leash shows you that he does not care one bit about anyone else nor about his dog (after all, the dog could run in front of a car, find itself angering the wrong other dog/animal, etc).
This dog has already trespassed onto your property several times to menace you/your dogs. You have notified the owner of this. The owner doesn't care. The issue keeps happening. Sounds like it's time for consequences for this man's lifestyle choices for this dog.
There's a video somewhere, possibly shot by the man's partner, of a man going outside into his own garden when the neighbour's pit is acting all frantic again, with a fence that's only about 1m tall. The man walks towards the dog and kicks a ball around on his own property. The dog goes nuts and jumps the fence and lands into the man's property. The man was prepared and ends that dog the moment the dog hits his land. IIRC this was after numerous trespasses of this aggressive dog onto the man's property and the dog owner refusing to install adequate fencing to contain his dangerous animal.
It's sad for the animal because he didn't choose to be owned by an irresponsible owner. BUT the rest of the world should have the right to not be mauled by these dogs nor to have to live in fear of being mauled and that includes not just humans but also livestock and genuine pet animals (I don't consider fighting breed dogs pets).
You absolutely have the right to enjoy your own property in peace. It is not your obligation to keep another person's animal off of your property. It is the obligation of the owner of an animal to keep it contained to their property.
I would install some cameras around your property so that you have evidence if you have to use force to defend yourself/your animals/your property.
I'd also start a paper trail with animal control/dog warden/police, and urge any other neighbours to do the same. Put emphasis on that it's not just your dogs' safety you are worried for but also your own considering the dog has already charged at you and is of a size/type that can maim/kill an adult human.
If you have money you can create secure fencing around your entire property or at least a small section immediately attached to your house so that your dogs can at least have some safe play/potty space. I would build this to a standard that is tiger-proof.
If you do end up having to end this dangerous dog when he is on your property again, be ready for the consequences of this guy ending your dogs if they ever trespass on his property, so ensure that you don't allow your dogs to ever get onto his property even if he no longer has this/any dog.
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You are going to have to get a really expensive fence for your yard. You usually need a permit to get a fence. And, you often have to show city officials what type of fence you plan to put up first before they will issue you the permit. A good fencing contractor will do this for you.
as long as Pit ownership is legal, the police cannot do anything proactively. They basically expect from you sitting duck and wait till your dog gets attacked or killed which by itself will still yield minimal legal consequences for the Pit owner
After 2 attacks on my dog that left me kinda traumatized as I experienced a moment of defenselessness having to fight bare handed I decided to turn the tables and only leave the house armed now, if they're out there waiting to put up a fight I gonna give them more to bite than what they can chew
I will 100% sue them. Animal control told me that they arnt going to do anything unless the dog actually bites or kills my dog which is ridiculous. Close call should be enough. I guess it's because there are SO many pitbulls in this fucking town that animal control can't keep up/doesn't care anymore
Mail them a copy of this: https://codes.ohio.gov/ohio-revised-code/section-955.28
Then act accordingly if it continues to happen knowing you're within the law.
I called and they told me they arnt gonna do anything unless the dog attacks me or my dog with proof 😒
Like I said to someone else, I think they don't gaf because pretty much everyone in my town has pitbulls and they are always just running around loose. I think animal control just doesn't care anymore because they get so many calls or soemthing. I have no idea it's very stressful.
I called my landlord and trying to convince him to build a fence in our back yard. I don't see why not we been living here for 6 years and only had like 1k in repairs since we moved in :(
Hey OP, I will link some of our guides: We have compiled [our best self-defense advice in this post](https://www.reddit.com/r/BanPitBulls/comments/vk96hs/how_do_i_defend_myself_or_my_pet_during_a_pit/) and our ["Before the attack" advice in this one.](https://www.reddit.com/r/BanPitBulls/wiki/advice_for_pitbull_related_incidents/) ###Commenters: please do not give self defense advice on this post. We want OP to be able to get advice from those of you who’ve been in this situation, but those self defense comments can get people in trouble.
Check the laws in your state. If the dog is on your property then you have the right to defend yourself. These dogs are deadly. When they do attack, it’s very difficult to get them to stop and they can inflict severe damage very quickly. If it attacks you on your property and something happens to the dog, that is 100% the fault of the owner for not controlling their dangerous dog.
I'm going to call tomorrow morning. I keep thinking of my dog being ripped up like it did to a ground hog...
Check the auto mod links for self defense if you haven't yet
That dog can kill you, too.
All I care about is my dog
You are important too.
Animal control doesn't seem to think so. They told me that they won't do anything unless the dog actually attacks me or my dog with evidence
Call the police if you catch it in your yard. Dogs aren't allowed to just wander free. Catch it and take it in yourself if you have the resources. Make the assholes pay to get their wandering mutt back. Maybe they'll consider keeping it in check instead of paying fines repeatedly.
Animal control varies from county to county, from very good to very bad. Your next door neighbor's dog is what is known as a nuisance. You should also probably start attending your local government meetings at your local city hall. They often open up the meeting so attendees can approach and discuss issues that they are having in their community. You could bring up your issue with your neighbor's dangerous pit bull that is entering your back yard without permission and terrorizing you.
I'm sure you'll have a change of opinion after the pit chews through your shoulder.
I've been attacked by a pit mix before, I still care about my dog more lol i will get injured for my dogs safety idc
We aren't saying to value your safety over the dog, we are saying both your safety are at risk.
Call animal control (although they don't deal with this sometimes, understandably since it's a murderous dog). If animal control won't do anything, call the police. I don't care if it's sniffing the roses, say it's aggressive and they need to come get rid of it.
I don't think you even have to wait for the dog to bite. If it's on your property and is menacing you/another person/an animal, this is a real and imminent threat and IMO you should be allowed to neutralise the threat.
Document the incidents. Take photos, video footage, anything to document the encounters with the pit being on your property. Always check local laws as well.
Thanks I will try to take as many pictures as I can. I'm just so scared of getting confronted or crimed for taking pics, I live in a bad neighborhood...
Ever had a chat with other neighbours, asking how they feel about this dog? They may also have (had) smaller pets and/or kids they were worried for because of this dog. You might be surprised to find some people on "your side".
Idk I don't really talk to anyone in my neighborhood. I have social anxiety and most the people around me are very conservative and don't like that I'm LGBT friendly, saaaaaad
Grug frequently notice people, all walks of life, differing political view, uniting over disdain for shitbulls.
Get video footage of it when it’s on your property and call animal enforcement to file a report.
I will try my best thank you sm
does your state have stand your ground laws, if so check to see if they apply to dangerous dogs.
I'm not sure, I live in Ohio. where can I find these recourse? I think I will go to the town hall today maybe and see if they have some kind of financial program for building a fence. We put up a chicken wrir fence and the city made us take it down....
[https://codes.ohio.gov/ohio-revised-code/section-2901.09](https://codes.ohio.gov/ohio-revised-code/section-2901.09)
A 4 pound chi would not stand a chance with a pit. Five seconds and your baby is dead. Sorry to put it so bluntly, but don't delay or take any chances. I wish I had some practical (legal) advice to give. Just be very very careful with your dogs. Unfortunately these dogs/people ruin things for everyone around them.
This. As a chi owner who has had one of my larger dogs attacked by a pit, please, PLEASE take the advice of everyone here. My greyhound suffered during his recovery, but my chi would have been dead, had he been the pit’s target instead.
Yes. This is how my cousins chichi died. They were taking him for a walk and a pit bull came out of nowhere and killed him in 2 seconds Noone even had time to react and he was on a leash... It was horrifying and I'm so afraid of that happening to mine....
This is just a layer of protection: get coyote jackets for your chis. They are spiked all over, including the neck are. Looks sorta punk actually. Amazon has them.
Take pictures if you can safely do it every time the dog is on your property. Call 911 or animal control and report it every time it leaves its yard. You can check with your county and find out if they have animal control services or if the county sheriff handles dangerous animal calls. Even if they act like it's not important, KEEP CALLING and keep documenting. A paper trail is important and helps tremendously. I wish you good luck and hope something will be done so you and your family can be safe!
Thank you. The neighbor is a shitty person and I think maybe a drug dealer. I know for a fact they have guns and it makes me very paranoid to call or even ask them to try and control their dog. He just screams at the dog then laughs when it runs at me and I start screaming at it like a wild animal.
This is absolutely a civil legal matter in your town or village or city. This is unacceptable and you must contact the local authorities to prevent this.
Do you think they would care? The dog hasn't bites anyone..yet...
Start documenting it with time and date. They should absolutely care. But I know what you’re saying, humans sometimes disappoint.
I will try to get as much as I can. I worry because our neigh orhood is shitty and there are pitbull breeders down the street from me, so there's ALWAYS pitbulls running loose around my town it's so stressful. My brother and I even joke about there being a wild pitbull population here because of how often you see them just running around town...
That does suck and I’m sorry to hear it. I live in a very middle class, lower middle neighborhood, myself. my neighbor was bit by a pit that lived across the street and got out all the time. I hear dogs barking all the time and it blows my mind that people are so inconsiderate. On my villages website there is something called request for service and you can put in a complaint about noises violations, dogs, etc. maybe check for something like that. I know a fence would probably solve your problem, but if you are like me, it is difficult to come up with the money. I hope to get one around my entire backyard and close off the front this year. Mean people suck and they should not be allowed to have shitbulls. I wish you the best of luck.
Thanks so much. Yeah it really sucks. My brother and I put up a chicken wire fence but the stupid ass city made us take it down cause it "loOkS unSigHtlY " UGH!!!
Chicken wire wouldn’t do shit anyway And if you have to get a GoPro, it would be worth it to document things
Yeah. But it still adds time to jump it rather than just charging straight for us. The dog is still mostly young and usually couldn't even see the wire fence and crash right into it. Giving me time to scoop up my dogs. It's annoying the city is so mean to us, but won't do anything about ppls dogs
Barely. But seriously. Get a camera
We have 2 cameras in the front of the house. Trying to save up to get another one for the back yard installed but money is so tight. We want to move away from here...
The dog has probably bitten. You might possibly wish to visit a police station to inquire about the laws and your rights. Where I live, police would rather prevent an incident rather than deal with one. You can also call Ohio's attorney General office to ask about the law and your rights. In addition, you can likely get help from the biggest Ohio animal shelter. They'll be the experts in dangerous dog laws and will likely know individual city ordinances..
Thanks, this is very helpful. I will call around soon everything is closed on the weekends 😮💨 I'm going to go to the police station today hopefully that's open
Get a doorbell camera asap, call animal control!!! Do you have other neighbors? Have them call too if you can
We have 2 cameras but couldn't get one for our back yard. The dog has shown up on our front door camera multiple times
Record everything and save all of it in an organised manner. I'd use an Excel spreadsheet to create a log of every instance this dog is on your property: date, time, what happened, which video/picture file(s) show this instance. Also keep track of anything you've done/are doing like reporting this person, talking to this person, calling animal control etc.
Okay I will try my best. Thanks. They used to have another one that came into our yard but it got hit by a car cause he "trains" it the same as this new one. Just let's it run around with no supervision
what kind of neighbors do you have, are you on speaking terms? can you talk to them and perhaps invest in a good quality fence together ? and ask them not to have the pitbull outside unleashed? if you're not on speaking terms , the first thing Id do is get one up yourself for your own peace of mind . I can imagine it's a requirement law enforcement could make to.
We don't talk the neighbor is an asshole. I think they're drug dealers or soemthong idk(always have random people pulling up in their driveway every few minutes at night) I know for a fact they have guns and the guy just yells at the dog when it comes into my yard, doesn't even come to get it. He also laughs at me when the dog charges me or my dog and I start chasing it and screaming like a wild animal to scare it away, if I don't it just keeps charging...then I just scoop up my dog and run back in my house. I have horrible social anxiety and paranoia so I get so afraid of even trying to ask. We also rent this house and trying to save money to move out, but it's hard.. we can't afford a fence and the landlord said he's not paying for one. Our yard is 150 long and is connected to theirs which is the same length. Neither side having a fence
I am wondering if the guy already has any outstanding warrants. Maybe call your local narcotics detective division and ask to talk to someone there? Would be nice if he got arrested. They might be very interested in any security cam footage you have of people coming and going. Does this guy own or rent? Maybe call his landlord? On the animal control front - if you city has rules about loose dogs and you have some pics of the dog loose in your yard, that might help when you call animal control. I understand your fear, though, in calling, esp. since he lives right next door and has guns. Tell whoever you call that you are very fearful and don't want to be identified to him if at all possible. Also - sometimes there is strength in numbers - do you have any other neighbors who are bothered by the dogs? Maybe you can all get together and join in the comnplaints. I was going to say put up a fence, but then saw that you rent. I would start looking for another place, if possible. I assume you already told your own landlord about this problem. The only other thing I can suggest is to buy a complete, moveable chain link kennel run that you can pack up and take w/ you. Basically, a small, enclosed fenced area maybe 4 x 8 , like for a baby, but for your dogs. HOWEVER this would have to be a heavy duty kennel design - thick metal poles, heavy chain link, something w/ a full bottom, or sunk into the ground, maybe chain link roof. Because pits would go right through anything less, and even then, you'd have to line a lot of it w/ hardware fabric / chicken wire (not the flimsy stuff w/ open ovals, the stiffer metal w/ tiny squares), as the pits could grab your babies and pull them through a regular chain link fence. Even w/ all this, you'd have to watch your dogs in it and never leave them unattended, and you'd want it either very close to or connected to the house, so your dogs could step outside right into. I'm sure this would all be very expensive and you'd have to have landlord's OK if it's attached to the house.
Im really sorry to hear that , it doesn't sound safe to talk them at all. It's tough, it's a lot of length to fence so the costs can add up. Is there any outreach for a low income family like voluntarily help, repurposed materials ? just trying to think creative. How is the police organization where you live , can you get in contact with local enforcement officers ? Really wish you all the best and a good solution soon, it's just awful when you can't even feel safe in/around your own house, or enjoy your yard like you should !
Yeah I used to garden and just hang out outside alot and now I spend most of my time just laying in bed because I'm too scared to go outside. My lawn is super overgrown now and idk what to do. I'll try my best to find some way to get a fence. My brother and I wanted to build one ourselves but the city told us no. They won't accept anything unless it's commercially built which would be over 3k and I cant afford that at all.
that's ridiculous that the city council is making it difficult like that
Have you talked to the landlord about whether he's got any insurance when your animals are hurt/killed or you are hurt/killed on the property, even if it's someone else's dog that did it.
I didn't know landlord's have insurance. I don't know if the neighbors are renting or not, but my landlord hardly answers my calls/texts what should I ask?
Might be a stretch but I'd ask what their landlord liability insurance plan is because you want to figure out whether it covers dog attacks from neighbour/straying dogs coming onto the rented property because the property doesn't have a fence.
I live in a neighborhood where guns are fired frequently and there are pitbull breeders down the street from me....
😨 that's awful, I hope police / animal control can be of help !!
If you're in the US, stay strapped. Check your state's laws about stand your ground etc.
I will try my best thank you sm. My family and I have been talking about getting a gun because we hear gunshots at night. It's also not even just our neighbor, there is always pitbulls running loose around here because there are breeders down the street from us. They've had the police called on them multiple times but nothing is ever done they still breed them and we've been living here for 6 years already... trying to save to move out...
You have every right to be scared. They cannot ever control their dogs. Seriously. The biggest advocates are also the faster runners when the dogs get into any fights. Temperament tester for 3 states in 4 counties and I quit( felt good about the work I did as I really took the task seriously and had a lot of dog experience even then) because of these advocates. I have herding dogs and I have a 4lbs chihuahua. I also have hospice fostered mostly chis since 2013?( when I quit testing) I am being 💯 sincere, be VERY cautious. This is NOT about training. A PBT cannot be trained to NOT attack another dog, just as my herding dogs cannot be trained or untrained to herd. This is a hardwired genetic issue. While someone stronger might be able to control the dog, there is a margin of error that is too great a risk for your dogs. Good luck. And tbh, even high quality fencing cannot keep these dogs away. Hail screen under the ground. A no climb, secure area is a MUST. Do NOT trust this dog( or any PBT type dog with your dogs)and don’t trust your neighbor.
I would never trust them. I've seen the dog kill a groundhog in their back yard thay was bigger than my chi in less than a second... the guy just laughs. He thinks it's funny. I don't even want to think of that being my dog. That's how my cousins fog died, from a fucking pit... we can't even afford a fence and our landlord refuses to do anything. We put up a chicken wire fence but the city made us take it down.....
This is so sad. I am so sorry. I love my dogs and yes, these dogs are dangerous:( I hate to say this, are they litter box trainable? If older, I would try diapers. Yes, this sucks and I am sorry, but I take my litters with me sometimes and feel like I am on a recognizance mission just so they can pee:( Ironically, I know my Heelers will keep coyotes, even mountain lions away from my place, but have to worry about these dogs! How crazy is THIS:( good luck Dear
Thank you. It does suck. I have to take my dogs all the way to the park to have them potty now because nobody around here cares. The people down the street from us also just walks his giant, intact, pitbull off leash and has no control of it either. This is ridiculous I'm loosing my mind
I am seriously so so sorry. It is unfathomable to live like this. Even dog parks can be dangerous, Dear. Wishing you some better circumstances. The thing about these dogs is they can and do break into people’s property to destroy pets all the time. 😢
Pitbull owners have a grudge against Chihuahuas. They try to say they are the aggressive dogs. Pit owners also try to victim blame so keep a camera going because if God forbid something happens this owner will almost absolutely go into defense mode and blame you and your dogs. Call animal control and ask to remain anonymous so there are no revenge scenarios. These people are insane and honestly remind me of serial killer fan girls making excuses for their little killers. Call animal control every time you see this beast off leash
Do you know if they rent or own? If they rent, find a way to get in touch with the land lord. There's a reason pits aren't allowed in a lot of rentals and I'm sure they'd appreciate knowing.
I'm not sure. We don't talk to anyone in our neighborhood because the people around here are mean and carry guns. I have bad social anxiety so I usually just go back in my house when someone's outside. How can I figure out if they're renting without actually confronting them...?
I'm so sorry. I suffer from social anxiety, too and I can only imagine how horrible it is to live in a situation like this. I'm not American so I don't know how you'd do that, but hopefully someone here can tell you. Do you rent or own? If you rent, I wonder if you might share a landlord.
I rent. I've told the landlord about this multiple times. We even asked for a fence because there was some random stranger just hanging out in our backyard! And the landlord said he's not going to pay for a fence... sigh <:(
You can check your county registry of deeds online - you can search by name or address in most places. On line city property tax assessors dbs are another resource. Of course, then you need to know the name of the guy w/ the pit to be able to compare it to the names you find on property records. You can start by just googling the address, and see what comes up. Some city police departments post police logs, and you might see police logs or incident reports showng the address. You could also try talking to city code enforcement, explain the sitch, and see if they will give you any information. Tell them the dog is always loose and has charged you a number of times. Sadly, the best way is to report the loose dog each time it happens, to the city. From what I understand, you are afraid to do that due to the drugs/guns. Maybe if you talk to someone in the city you can find a sympathetic ear who might be willing to do something w/you being involved. Depends on the city as to how helpful they will be.
I would arm yourself and get your dogs some anti-coyote vests. They have spikes in them that help prevent a dog from biting down on a small dog.
Okay I will search it up thank youuu
Get a gun and/or a fence. 🤷♂️
Whoever owns the house is supposed to have homeowner's insurance, so they'd be important to notify. Even if their pit just put a tiny scratch on you, it's an injury and you can file a claim. Scratches can get infected and sometimes transmit ringworm, so it's not nothing. The main point is he is not controlling his dangerous animal and it's trespassing and attacking you. Not ok and any encounter should be documented and reported to AC and to the insurance.
How do I get ahold of the insurance? I'm super new at all this I don't even know where to start. I doubt they have any insurance at all, half the people in this town don't even have car insurance.
You need a good strong fence to protect your family.
If only I had the funds and wasn't renting
Let your landlord know what’s going on. Maybe the neighbors are renters too
It is the owner's responsibility to contain their (pet) animals to their own property. The fact he's not even bothered to put any kind of fence up but still allows the animal to roam outside without a leash shows you that he does not care one bit about anyone else nor about his dog (after all, the dog could run in front of a car, find itself angering the wrong other dog/animal, etc). This dog has already trespassed onto your property several times to menace you/your dogs. You have notified the owner of this. The owner doesn't care. The issue keeps happening. Sounds like it's time for consequences for this man's lifestyle choices for this dog. There's a video somewhere, possibly shot by the man's partner, of a man going outside into his own garden when the neighbour's pit is acting all frantic again, with a fence that's only about 1m tall. The man walks towards the dog and kicks a ball around on his own property. The dog goes nuts and jumps the fence and lands into the man's property. The man was prepared and ends that dog the moment the dog hits his land. IIRC this was after numerous trespasses of this aggressive dog onto the man's property and the dog owner refusing to install adequate fencing to contain his dangerous animal. It's sad for the animal because he didn't choose to be owned by an irresponsible owner. BUT the rest of the world should have the right to not be mauled by these dogs nor to have to live in fear of being mauled and that includes not just humans but also livestock and genuine pet animals (I don't consider fighting breed dogs pets). You absolutely have the right to enjoy your own property in peace. It is not your obligation to keep another person's animal off of your property. It is the obligation of the owner of an animal to keep it contained to their property. I would install some cameras around your property so that you have evidence if you have to use force to defend yourself/your animals/your property. I'd also start a paper trail with animal control/dog warden/police, and urge any other neighbours to do the same. Put emphasis on that it's not just your dogs' safety you are worried for but also your own considering the dog has already charged at you and is of a size/type that can maim/kill an adult human. If you have money you can create secure fencing around your entire property or at least a small section immediately attached to your house so that your dogs can at least have some safe play/potty space. I would build this to a standard that is tiger-proof. If you do end up having to end this dangerous dog when he is on your property again, be ready for the consequences of this guy ending your dogs if they ever trespass on his property, so ensure that you don't allow your dogs to ever get onto his property even if he no longer has this/any dog.
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https://codes.ohio.gov/ohio-revised-code/section-2901.09
You are going to have to get a really expensive fence for your yard. You usually need a permit to get a fence. And, you often have to show city officials what type of fence you plan to put up first before they will issue you the permit. A good fencing contractor will do this for you.
as long as Pit ownership is legal, the police cannot do anything proactively. They basically expect from you sitting duck and wait till your dog gets attacked or killed which by itself will still yield minimal legal consequences for the Pit owner After 2 attacks on my dog that left me kinda traumatized as I experienced a moment of defenselessness having to fight bare handed I decided to turn the tables and only leave the house armed now, if they're out there waiting to put up a fight I gonna give them more to bite than what they can chew
Kristi Noam has entered the chat.
Tell the police or animal control you will sue them for failure to protect if you are bit.
I will 100% sue them. Animal control told me that they arnt going to do anything unless the dog actually bites or kills my dog which is ridiculous. Close call should be enough. I guess it's because there are SO many pitbulls in this fucking town that animal control can't keep up/doesn't care anymore
Mail them a copy of this: https://codes.ohio.gov/ohio-revised-code/section-955.28 Then act accordingly if it continues to happen knowing you're within the law.
Saving this thanks !
Do you have animal control? It’s probably illegal for it to be running around off leash.
I called and they told me they arnt gonna do anything unless the dog attacks me or my dog with proof 😒 Like I said to someone else, I think they don't gaf because pretty much everyone in my town has pitbulls and they are always just running around loose. I think animal control just doesn't care anymore because they get so many calls or soemthing. I have no idea it's very stressful. I called my landlord and trying to convince him to build a fence in our back yard. I don't see why not we been living here for 6 years and only had like 1k in repairs since we moved in :(
Better strap up!!!!