Finding dog poop in your yard can be annoying if you don’t own a dog. But the poop may be coming from a neighbor’s dog, and in that case, you could get a little petty and throw it over into their yard. So, is it illegal to throw dog poop in someone’s yard?
Yes, it could be illegal to throw dog poop into someone’s yard, even if they own the dog. The better options are: talking to them, fencing your yard, using homemade dog repellants, and reporting to authorities. However, anyone who owns a dog also has a duty to clean after them and can be fined.
It’s also important to deal with dog poop when you notice it in your yard. While the excrement of some animals might be manure, that of dogs can be harmful. Here, we discuss dealing with your neighbor’s dog poop in your yard and whether it’s illegal to throw dog poop.
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How To Handle Your Neighbor’s Dog Poop in Your Yard
If you notice your neighbor’s dog poop on your property, the first reaction might be to fling it back to their property. But that’s not the best way to handle the situation. Throwing dog poop in any situation is wrong, whether you’re trying to pay back someone for wrong or just doing it out of spite. However, it’s not necessarily illegal unless it can be construed as an assault, such as when the poop hits someone. If you notice someone else’s dog is pooping on your property, there are several things you could do, such as:
1. Talk To Your Neighbors
This should be your first course of action. Let your neighbor know this is happening and politely ask them to keep their dog off your property or pick it up afterward. Depending on how responsible they are, this might work. A good dog owner will pick up after their dog. But if they don’t, that might mean they can’t be reasoned with.
2. Fence Your Yard
If you want to eliminate this problem and avoid confrontation, the easiest thing is to fence your yard. If you have your yard fenced, it becomes more difficult for the dog to get on your property. If, after fencing and the dog still find a way to your property, it becomes easier to raise your concern with the dog owner for the trespass of their pet.
3. Use Homemade Dog Repellants
If you don’t have dogs yourself, you may want to prevent other dogs from coming on your property to poop on it. Olive oil, garlic, almond oil, vinegar, and chili pepper are some of the natural ingredients you can sprinkle in your yard to prevent dogs from coming there. Dogs generally hate the smell of these ingredients, and applying them in a strategic location might be all you need to get rid of dogs and their poops forever. Coffee grounds also have a strong odor and can be used to discourage dogs from entering the yard. Other repellants include mothballs and ammonia. When spraying or sprinkling these chemicals, let them be on the yard’s edges and not directly on the plants.
4. Report To the Police And Sue Your Neighbor
If you can prove that the neighbor’s dog is responsible for the poop, you may want to sue them if they refuse to be responsible after you have complained. Most states have fines for leaving your dog’s poops unpicked, and many cities do. In New York City, the fine is $250. San Francisco fines $320. Some cities have fines that can be as much as $1,000. So it’s not advisable for anyone to leave their dog poop unattended. If it’s a recurrent issue, report it to animal control and the police. Animal control may deem the owner irresponsible to own a dog and take it to the shelter. The police will issue the fine. You may also be able to get civil damages against the dog owner depending on the damage or injury that the dog poop might have caused you or your property.
Lawson Pet Poop
It’s illegal not to pick up after your companion animal in most states. Most states have laws that require a pet owner to pick up the poop of their pet, and failure to do that can be fineable. There are lots of dangers to not picking up dog poop. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) states that pet droppings can cause zoonotic diseases, which are diseases passed from animals to humans. Leaving infected dog poop in your or someone else’s yard could lead to certain parasites living in the soil for a long time.
By so doing, you’ll be putting many people at risk. The kids who play in the garden and the gardeners who mow the gardens are at most risk. But even other pets could be exposed to the bacteria. Such bacteria could also affect water quality. Dog poops can also attract other pests such as mice and rats to your property as these excrements usually contain tiny bits of food which these rodents are happy to devour.
Is Dog Poop Good for your Garden
You probably know that animal excrement can be manure for the soil. But that doesn’t apply to all animals. Dog poops aren’t fertilizers in any way. Dogs have a high protein-based diet, making their poop contain very acidic materials. Beyond that, this waste product can contain a lot of dangerous organisms and chemicals, leading to multiple diseases. It also takes a long time, about nine weeks, for the poop to completely decay naturally in a normal environment. In cold areas, it could take up to 12 months.
How To Deal with Dog Poop in Your Yard
If you notice dog poop on your property, you should make it decay as quickly as possible. Doing this is simple as you only need agricultural lime or gardening lime. Sprinkle it on the poop, and you can expect it to disappear in a few days. You can also neutralize any parasite or bacteria it might contain by sprinkling diatomaceous earth throughout your yard or the area where the dog is pooping.
In Conclusion
It’s not necessarily illegal to throw dog poop into someone else’s yard, but it’s rude and can become a criminal offense in some cases. There are better ways to handle dog poops, especially from your neighbor’s dog.
