posted
To set the scene: I live in a duplex. There is another duplex next to mine. If front of our buildings is a grassy area and three more duplexes on the other side. If I'm sitting in my living room, I can see into the living room of the apartment across the grass. Behind my duplex and the one next to me is a parking lot. The side closest to us has eight spaces, two for each apartment, and the rest of the lot is garages that belong to other apartments. Behind the three duplexes on the other side is an alley and, I assume, more parking. The five duplexes are owned by the same people, i.e. my landlord.
Problem: The "people across the grass," aka "the Porn People," have been coming and going by way of the lot on my side. On more than one occasion, the girl and guy who live there have been picked up and/or dropped off by a white car that feels a need to block my spaces, mainly because they are in front of the gap between my duplex and the one next to me, I guess. That's irritating, but whatever. Last week, though, a blue car showed up parked in such a way as to be taking up both of my spaces (the lines are nearly invisible), so I parked in my immediate neighbor's empty space (we don't get along for completely different reasons, so she can deal). Our parking gets mixed up fairly often with having guests and whatnot, and it's usually resolved within a day. No big deal. The blue car, however, sat in that awkward spot for at least four days. At the time, I didn't know who it belonged to, and I hate confrontation, so my passive aggressive solution was to park as close as possible to the driver's side. Juvenile, I know.
Anyway, Monday night, I got home from work at 10pm. As I pulled up next to the blue car, a dog stood up in the front seat. With the way the weather has been (very very hot and muggy), I was concerned, but not knowing if it was just a matter of "I'm visiting for a couple hours and can't take the dog inside," I just made sure a window was cracked and went inside. When I left the next morning at 6, I didn't see the dog. When I got back home at 4pm, the dog was there, and inthe daylight, I could see that one window was cracked about an inch. The car had not moved in four days. I started calling people.
I had to leave a message with the Humane Society. I then called the police (the wrong ones) who gave me the number for Animal Control and for the "right" police. Animal Control said they couldn't break into the car, so I called the city police. They said they'd send someone over. No one showed up before I had to leave for my night job an hour or so later. When I got back at 10pm, the car had moved over a few feet, but the dog was still there. I got back on the phone. The police showed up within a half hour. Just in time for the Porn People (apparently it is their car, which I had suspected, but wasn't sure about) to bring the dog water. So the police left without doing anything.
I didn't see the dog when I left this morning, but I was in a hurry and didn't have a chance to actually walk over to the car (it was no longer parked right next to me). Either way, though, I will be making a call to the landlord to verify that they have parking on their own side and to inform him of the issue with the dog. In the meantime, I'm frustrated and irritated and very concerned about the dog.
(Btw, they are the Porn People because one morning, I decided to watch the news while I ate breakfast and instead got a clear view of their tv. They've since learned how to cover their window, so I didn't get a chance to be the neighborhood watch for that.)
posted
I wouldn't phone. I would write a letter, and I would detail everything - time and dates; make, model, and license number of vehicles; and exactly what happened. Phone calls get ignored, and later, when things get messier, they get forgotten, whether deliberately or otherwise. But letters - well, then you have proof that you informed them of the existing problems.
And letters are taken more seriously than phone calls.
As well, start documenting everything - and I mean everything! - whether you plan on telling the landlords about the problems or not.
posted
Sure, a phone call to animal control and the police. But phone calls have been made and nothing has been done, so a letter to back it up with animal control.
I was thinking in terms of letter specifically for landlords mostly because so many landlords (at least, the ones I've encountered) are so willing to ignore anything called in, but will respond to letters.
You could even consider calling in the media. Since summer is here in some areas, they might see this as a good way to jump-start the whole "don't leave your animals or children in a car" spiel.
Posts: 8355 | Registered: Apr 2003
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posted
I am definitely going to call, but I may very well also do the letter. At the very least, I will document for myself everything that has happened.
From what Animal Control said, their hands are pretty much tied since the dog is in a car, so it's on the police. I guess I could still let them know that the police didn't really do anything, but I don't know if they said anything to the tenants or not.
This is just such a mess. I hate getting involved in things like this, and I wouldn't actually consider myself an animal lover, but something has GOT to be done for that dog.
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posted
Oh boy, I hope it doesn't come to involving the media. I definitely don't want to expose myself that way. My neighborhood isn't that bad, as far as I can tell, but living by myself, I don't want to give anyone a reason to cause me any harm. I'm paranoid enough as it is.
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posted
so.. chicken way out... but can you involve the media anonymously? Call them, not give a name, but say "I know where there has been a dog left in a hot car for X number of days" and give the location and when they find it (if they want to) they will call animal control and stick a camera in the animal control officer's face and ask why nothing can be done about it.... etc.
posted
I suppose I could go anonymous, but being that I live right there, it's hard to see me not getting involved. Then again, I'm never home. For now, my plan is to see if the dog is there when I get home and call the landlord either way. If he's willing to take it out of my hands, fabulous. If not, I will probably give the Humane Society another try in hopes that they can put pressure on the police. Even though I had to leave a message, they did call me back and were plenty concerned. I just wasn't around long enough to see if anything came of it before I called the police again later.
If that doesn't work, I just may break into the car and take the dog to a shelter myself, but then, would I be running the risk of getting arrested for breaking into the car? *sigh*
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posted
And of course, you have to keep in mind that if these are people who would leave a dog locked in a car for days on end, they probably also aren't the types to properly socialize their pets. It's entirely possible that the dog would interpret your breaking the car window as a threat and attack you. That would suck.
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My friend is going to go by on her lunch break, and if the dog is still there, she's going to call the Humane Society and the police. She will give them hell if she has to.
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posted
I do know a little bit about approaching dogs. Plus, I've also seen the damage they can do to a person's face. I will be avoiding that at all costs. For now, I'm just going to assume that it's not going to come to that.
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posted
Ok, someone my friend works with is calling the Humane Society for a status report. I think this has officially become a crusade.
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posted
Your landlord will probably want to stay out of this if the porn people aren't breaking any laws. It's just the nature of the business, the more space you give the tenants, the fewer remodels you have to do when they move out.
The Humane Society is a private charity, so they don't have the authority to get into the car. They do, however, have the resources and the interest to figure out if there is a legal way to get the dog out of the car.
Animal Control can only intervene if the dog is running loose or has tried to attack someone, or if they dog is being kept in a way that is illegal (i.e. too many dogs in one residence, etc. etc.) My guess is that your town doesn't have an ordinance that says you can't keep your dog in your car, and that is what is tying everyone's hands. Just a guess.
But this is a good thing to crusade about. And you want to keep telling the landlord about the porn people taking your spot. That is the kind of thing that a landlord should be involved in (which isn't to mean they will get involved, but they should.)
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posted
"All dogs regardless of age must be kept confined on the premises of the owner, keeper or harborer at all times. Acceptable methods of confinement include a fence, a tethering device, a dog pen, inside a house or garage, or under adequate supervision."
This is the law.
Posts: 226 | Registered: Mar 2005
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quote: They've since learned how to cover their window, so I didn't get a chance to be the neighborhood watch for that.
To my knowledge, watching porn in your own home is legal, no matter how many windows are open. I'm pretty sure you can do jumping jacks in your apartment naked in front of a window, and there's nothing anyone can legally do...
Can someone back me up, or refute this? For someone who prefers not wearing clothes to wearing them, and who likes natural light in his apartment, its somewhat of a concern for me .
Posts: 5656 | Registered: Oct 1999
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posted
With the window cracked, you could get the front door open and pop the hood. Then you could proceed in slowly dismantling the car and moving the parts over to their parking spot.
(not recommending this- just exploring that pleasantly cruel spot in my brain)
Posts: 4753 | Registered: May 2002
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posted
"Adequate supervision" is your loophole, but probably not one they can wiggle through given they're keeping the dog in a *car*, for pity's sake!
You need the local sheriff to open the car and Animal Control to take the dog away in their little truck, so they need to be there at the same time. (I think you know this already.) You could try and file a complaint with your local magistrate court to get the ball rolling, if breaking this law is a petty misdemeanor or some such, or perhaps the Humane Society will do this. If you file a complaint, your neighbors will know it is you, of course. (But if it were me, I wouldn't care, really. I'm mean like that.)
Posts: 700 | Registered: Feb 2000
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posted
Xav, I wouldn't have called the police for that, or even the landlord. My concern was that kids walk between our buldings a lot, and if I could see it from thirty-some yards away, a kid wouldn't have any trouble from half that distance where the walkway is. If it had happened repeatedly, I would have left a note with a friendly "You might want to consider..." I swear I'm not one of those nosy people who polices the neighbors. I just want to keep to myself and have a nice, quiet place to live.
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All dogs, regardless of age, must be kept constantly confined upon the premises of the owner, keeper or harborer. Some of the acceptable methods of confinement include:
1. An adequately fenced yard. 2. A dog run, pen or other enclosure. 3. Leashed or tethered. 4. Constantly under supervision.
A little more stringent than the other line, although from the same website.
Posts: 226 | Registered: Mar 2005
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posted
Update: The dog is no longer in the car, and apparently there is a note on the windshield from the Humane Society, but it is unknown at this time what the note says.
I am glad that the dog is out. I hope that the Humane Society has him. I will be watching my back for a long time.
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posted
The Humane Society has the dog. Now the question is, how easy will it be for the idiots to get him back?
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