Dog Poop in my yard

I've dealt with this issue many times. Try being on the board's side on this issue as well. It's NOT pretty there either... My first question is: Is there an available space adequate for dog's to go? We had an area designated by the front entrance and the dumpster areas. There were no homes in the area and the dumpsters already smelled. Try finding a happy compromise and try to get designated areas set up.

There is someone here online that has a business surprisingly for picking up dog doo-doo. You may have a similar service in your locale. These business seem to be springing up in many cities across the nation.

I've heard of some HOA's installing "doggy bags" on poles in the community. That way they were convenient to the dog owners. A few of owner's used grocery store plastic bags and followed their pets.

We had a common area that led to the pool and clubhouse. Some owner's had decided that this was a good spot for their dog's to go. It tracked dog poo into the pool area and didn't let the kids play at the basketball in the area. Many owner's complained of the smell. I took it upon myself to buy some small metal fencing (2 ft high cheap) and string it together. I added a warning sign to the fencing. The warning sign had posted "Dog repellant present" I had purchased a few bags of cat/dog repellant at the store and spread some of it out in the area behind the fence. I also picked up bags of existing doo-doo to distract the animals. However, despite my efforts I got a HUGE complaint. Turns out many were MORE offended by the smell of the repellant!!! Mostly the owner's who had been the offenders in the first place. They were claiming it messed with their sinuses. Funny thing is I had ONLY applied it once. It usually washes away after a few days if it rains. I hadn't even applied it when I got some of the complaints. Eventually I took down the fencing. Miracously, the situation started to clear up and less poop was found in the area.

You can try to put some dog repellant down. However, you may need to put some kind of warning down or get approval from the board. I hesitate to tell you otherwise. I did purchase some for one of the members because of cat's kept getting in her flowerbeds. Her flowerbeds were some of the nicest in the HOA. Cat's don't seem that responsive to the repellent like dogs though.

Melissa and JM2, thanks for the dog repellent recommendation. I am definitely going to look into it.

KelvinW

One of my neighbors had the same problem and the dogs were pooping on his property. It was not on common area. He purchased 20-30 flag markers. These are about 2-3 ft long wire flags with a small plastic flag (maybe 2inchesx 3 inches). You've seen these used by surveyors and landscapers. This sound nutty but this really works. He cleaned up all the dog poop and then every time that he saw another plopper, he planted a red flag right next to it and just left the plopper there. After a while, there were 15 or more flags and it became very obvious to anyone passing by, as to what the red flags meant. I don't know if the dogs didn't like the flags, or if the owners started noticing the flags, but the problem went away, for sure.

Unfortunately, our lovely, lazy county, has animal control officers that must actually witness the owner violating the pooper scooper law. Even if you have a video of the event, you must go down to the county and swear out a warrant against your neighbor.

One thing to do would be to ask them personally to not let their dogs poop in your yard. Another option is to check city, town, or county ordinances regarding animal waste. In our city, it's against the law to allow an animal under your ownership or control to defecate on public or private property without removing it and disposing of it properly.

The HOA cannot do more than ask residents not to let their dog do this unless you have names, dates, and times. Even then it would be your word against theirs. A video camera might be your best "weapon". Realize that if the HOA has to get involved, you will be involved also. The board can't prosecute a violation without describing the violation.

We're not dealing with children here, supposedly responsible adults. Picking up after one's dog is part of the responsibility of owning one. I can see the city or town government hauling dog waste from a public park or beach to keep it from being a hazzard, but I don't think the typical HOA should have to haul away the member's dog poop. Install a dispenser for bags if you must but we don't really want to pay for someone to hault the poop away. The owners can take it home and flush it.

BTW: We will have an article on this very subject in our next newsletter:

"Dogs - Man’s (and Woman’s) Best Friend

Dogs; who doesn’t love their warm cuddly dog? Our devoted companions, big or small, young or old, they provide comfort when we’re down, a welcome when we get home from work, they are a joy to be around.

Yet they can be a problem. Just like humans, dogs have necessary bodily functions. They need to “poop” now and then. It’s not much of a problem when they use their own yard but it’s a problem when they poop on public streets or worse, on other people’s property. Nobody wants to step in dog poop, we don’t want our children to step in it, and we don’t want to send it flying with our lawnmowers. Yes, we’ve had complaints about people walking their dogs and letting them poop on other people’s property and not removing the waste.

North Charleston municipal ordinance Sec. 4-11. Sanitation states:
“Sec. 4-11. Sanitation.
(a) No owner or custodian of any animal shall cause or allow such animal to soil defile or defecate on any public property or upon any street, public way, play area or common ground owned jointly by the members of a homeowners or condominium association, or upon private property other than that of the owner, unless such owner or custodian immediately removes and disposes of all feces deposited by such animals by the following methods:
(1) Collection of the feces by appropriate implement and placement in a paper bag or plastic bag or other container; and
(2) Removal of such bag or container to the property of the animal owner or custodian and disposition thereafter in a manner as otherwise may be permitted by law.”

Of course, the Indigo Fields covenants also prohibit allowing dogs to poop on other people’s property without cleaning up. Please be a good neighbor and clean up after your dog."

Harold, as much as I hate to get into an argument with you on anything, I thought the "red flag idea" was pretty childish. And it certainly wouldn't enhance the beauty of his property.

A much better, but still childish plan would be to set out lawn sprinklers with a motion sensor to activate them any time a dog entered the property. Now that's a childish plan that one could be proud of. And it wouldn't violate any covenants.

Yes, but the sprinkler might repel the dog and it certainly will repel the owner. I guess dog poop looks worse on gravel than on a lawn but at least you don't have to mow over it and children aren't likely to be playing on it.

Here's a thought - go to a novelty store and pick up a dozen or so plastic fake "dog poops". Put them out on the lawn and when a dog comes by and puts a real one down, nobody will even notice.

MikeS1 " The problem is now solved and the owner avoids the home."

I wonder if it really is solved or if the owner of the dog just lets the pet poop on someone else's yard?

Some people's rudeness level never ceases to amaze me.

We have 2 little yorkies. I can't imagine letting even those teeny poops lay on someone else's yard.

I LOVE the sprinkler idea and think I may have to steal that one soon. We have a "bomber" and I can't seem to determine the timing right yet. And, even so, it may be a stray, which would mean I would never locate the owner.

Whatever it is, it leaves good half-pounders!!

Tough call...here is what I would do in order:

1) The next time I saw it politely ask the owner not to do that, explain the damage that it can do to grass and ask that they don't.

2) If that doesn't work research your city or county laws...if applicable and user friendly use them. Take a picture or videotape as evidence.

3) If they are not user friendly or applicable then look at repellents. Make sure they are non-toxic and kid safe.

I also like the idea of the red flags, it reminded me of the guy who put up a sign in our neighborhood on his yard telling people to pick up after their dogs.

KelvinW:
This may sound harsh, but it did solve the problem. When we lived B-H (before HOA) in a neighborhood with a fair-sized yard we did have a neighbor's dog who would continually 'visit' and leave a present.

After calling them on the phone several times to come and clean up their dog's deposit--which they did--we politely chose another route. We re-deposited the 'poop present' at their front door. Never had a problem again.

In an HOA your community may be set up so that the ground around your unit is actually 'common ground' which you, personally, are not responsible for.
However, I can understand why you would not want to walk in poop.

It is the Board's responsibility to enforce the CC&Rs and any rules they have initiated, including cleaning up an animal's waste. Obviously, if the pet owner does not have a 'waste bag' with them, they have no intention of being responsible for the clean-up which they should be cited for. Look carefully for the culprits (with no bag), and take a photo, date it and mail it to the Board and request that the rules be enforced.

I have not seen this addressed, though it may be a factorerhaps the owner is disabled.
Many counties exempt blind and otherwise disabled people, as well as police with dogs at work, from picking up the doo. I am disabled and use a large service dog. I pick up after him, though I am not required to by law.
There was a man here who used to allow his dog to poo on the yard of a particular neighbor, who did complain to the board. As the man was disabled, no action was/could have been taken.
If it had been my yard, I would have spoken to him: I have a hard enough time picking up after my dog, I can't pick up after him. He'll have to take his dog someplace else.

Jadedone: Thanks for the pickup on my post re the photo of the dog walker 'with no bag???'.

It strikes me at my funny bone that today we have chosen to spend time rehashing the pros and cons of dog doo in our communities. Remind me...is this what they call the good life and the golden years???