Conference misery::feline_v1

    if Braintree's animal control is operated like my town's animal
    control, they won't reveal the caller's name. Therefore, since your
    neighbor's dog has been a neighborhood problem, the dog's owner cannot
    be certain as to which person placed the call (or in this case-
    persons).  Why doesn't Goliath's owner call - as well as you. 
    Don't hesitate to call the animal control officer- there is
    a leash law because of people like your neighbor. You'll be surprised
    at how cooperative the animal control officers are; ask them
    to keep your anonmyity and tell them why. They will go after your
    neighbor because of the unleashed dog.  Aside from bothering
    your cat, the dog can cause an accident in the intersection resulting
    in personal injury and property damages. (So as far as the neighbors
    are concerned - it could have come from any number of sources. After
    you call just go on about your business as if nothing had transpired).
    
    I've call the dog officer before, and had the same concerns as you
    have and that's when I found out
    I need NOT have worried. Just talk with the officer, - he/she
    is there to prevent nuisances and tragedies. A note- those kinds
    of people will respond to the officer's warning because they will
    otherwise have to pay a fine or be summoned to court. HOwever, they
    will PROBABLY  also let their dog run again after a time  - so you
    may have to call again in the future. So just do it as often as
    necessary). 
       
    

    I agree with calling the proper authorities.
    
    But I also wanted to point out that though you stay with the cats
    when they are leashed, perhaps you could not stop something from
    happening anyway.  If the dog is big enough, and maybe intent enough,
    he may have his way even with you there.
    
    I haven't noticed a note describing what you do.  Do you have a
    "cat run" like a regular "dog run"?

    Gary

    Have you tried to talk to them about this - neighbor to neighbor?
    I guess, if I were them, I'd first appreciate someone bringing the
    problem/concern to my attention before calling any authorities.
    
    You may find out that these people are nice and cooperative and 
    didn't realize their dog was causing such concern (maybe this 
    wasn't a problem where they lived prior to moving into your 
    neighborhood?)
    
    I'd at least try to make friends with them and discuss your concern,
    and if it turns out that they're jerks, then you'll have no choice
    but to turn them in.
                                                             
    Good luck and keep us informed!
    
    Barbara
    

    I agree with talking first.  However, there is the problem that
    if I talk to them and get no where and then the animal people start
    picking up their dog or come down and say that there have been
    complaints, then I become a target.
      We had alot of trouble with their teenager and his friends tearing
    up and down the street and through the conservation land on their
    off-road motorbikes and ATV's.  I suggested talking to them and
    the other neighbors nixed the idea for the reason I stated above.
    I have thought of leaving a nice and anonymous note, but haven't
    as yet.
      Thanks for the replies

    Don't talk to your neighbor first.  Simply call the dog officer
    and get this over with.  If he (the neighbor is not considerate
    enough to keep his dog under control in the first place why should
    you owe him the consideration of a conversation that may very well
    be held against you!  From your notes it sounds like these people
    have already shown that they are trouble.  Why get involved??  Let
    the dog officer handle it.  After all, THEY are breaking the law
    not you!
    
    Sorry to be so negative, but I've learned the hard way with people
    who let their dogs run wild.  Believe me, they won't change just
    because your nice and they probably don't care one bit about your
    cat.
    
    Good Luck!!  
    
    Jeanne
    

    I've had similar problems with our neighbors.
    
    Last year a young couple bought the vacant lot next to us in Grafton and
    built a nice house. Unfortunately, they have proven to be asocial
    morons. While constructing their house they freely dumped garbage
    in the wetlands behind the house until the Conservation Committee
    made them stop. They built their house with a huge window in their
    bedroom facing the glass-walled side of our solar room (this may
    be a plus or minus, depending upon your tastes). They own three (3) 
    German Shepards and they let 
    them run
    free, despite Grafton's leash law. This did not go over well with
    our eight cats. These dogs chased my cats up onto the railing of
    my back deck, and one day, when my wife was walking our dog, they
    chased her back into our house. I went over there three times in
    the course of a month and asked them to cool the dogs, and was ignored.
    They have an unlisted number, so I can't call when their dogs are
    lose.
    
    Finally I called the dog officer who had to speak to them three
    times (is there a pattern here?). They now keep the damn dogs outside
    on runs most of the time so they can bark incessantly at all hours
    and generally make a nuisance of themselves, although they hardly
    get free anymore.
    
    So, in sum, I would suggest that you call the dog officer for the
    dog problem. Unfortunately, few towns have a moron officer to deal
    with the owners.
    
    Is it my imagination, or are there a surplus of insensitive young 
    couples who 
    drive pickup trucks and have at least three large dogs?
                
    kbs
                 

    re .-1
    
    Gee, how did you know they had a pickup truck too?
    
    Jack 
    (Nancy DC's husband)

    I would just call the animal control officer.  Talking to them first
    would pin point you as probably the source of the complaint to the
    aco later.  Luckily for us, there is an anti-noise ordinance where
    I live that covers incessant barking dogs.  You have to twist the
    cops arms to get it enforced sometimes, but they will do it if you
    make a fuss.
    
    I agree that you may find that you have to call the aco more than
    once.  Perhaps someone will start a housing development exclusively
    for morons, so they can all live together and leave everyone else
    in peace.
    

    
    I've decided to call the animal control folks.  In fact I've left
    three messages on their answering machine so far.  Guess I'll have
    to keep trying.  They must be busy.
      Thanks for all the advice.  Its nice to know that most people
    agree with my plan of action.  It is regrettable that I can't go
    up to my neighbor and expect to be treated reasonably, but if that
    were the case, they probably wouldn't be the type who lets their dog
    run in the first place.           
    
      I'll keep you posted.  In the meantime, I've entered a WONDERFUL
    column that my husband Jack found in the Patriot Ledger.  It should
    be around note 2093.  Check it out, its funny.
      Nancy DC

     Re .6
    WHOA!!!  I'm half of a "young" couple!! (Well, sort of young, anyway)
             We have NINE dogs!!
             And Yes, we have a pickup truck!!! ;-)
    
      All of which has nothing in the world to do with being a moron,
    cretin, or imbecile......ALL of which seem to apply to the selfish
    asses noted in the basenote...
    
    
      However, I happen to totally agree with a few replies that advise
    going directly to the animal control officer! Jerks like this and the
    idiots in one of the replies that have the three G.S.D.'s aren't
    usually the type of people who give a damn anyway. If they were, they
    wouldn't be so damned irresponsible to their animals. 
    
      By ALL means get the Animal COntrol Officer involved...and do it as   
    often as needed! If you persist, the Animal Control people will soon
    be tired of telling them the same things over and over, and they'll
    most likely fine them if they don't get their act together. Money DOES
    talk to this type, and sometimes it's the only thing that will get
    their attention....
    
    
       NOTE: All NINE of my dogs and all THREE of my cats are kept in the
    house. The dogs are let out into a kennel area under supervision ONLY,
    and if they start barking they are immediately brought into the house
    again. My cats, unfortunately, have made it very clear that they'll not
    be walking on any leashes, thank you!! They'd prefer to go
    "lawn-surfing" rather than actually "walk" on any rope!! So they stay
    in the house except for the rare occasion when one of them bolts out
    the door in an escape attempt......which ends abruptly about 10 feet
    from the door when they look up and realize what a big, unfamiliar
    world they're in....and they flatten out on the ground in terror until
    I walk over and pick 'em up....
    
       
       

    I was wondering what "lawn surfing" was........
    
    I did call the dog officer who sounded rather tired and frazzled
    when I talked to her.  I don't know if it'll do any good.  As we
    are both at work all day we don't tend to see the dog until its
    a weekend or holiday at which time the dog officer is unavailable
    of course.  I do intend to politely badger the animal control people
    until they get so tired of listening to me that they DO something.
    It really galls me to have spent the kind of money one spends these
    days for property and then not be able to leash my own cats in my
    own yard without fear that they will be attacked!
    
      And please don't be insulted by the references to the pick-up
    truck.  Its just pure coincidence that both the morons referred
    to have a pickup truck.  And obviously having multiple pets has
    nothing to do with it either - except to make things much worse
    if the owners are irresponsible.  I have friends who have about
    15 birds, 3 fish tanks, 3 dogs (2 huskies and 1 akita) and 6 cats!
    They take very good care of their animals.
        Thanks for the support.
        Nancy DC