Calling animal control on a neighbor can certainly strain your relationship with your neighbor so make sure you have a good enough reason. Below are a list of options on when to call animal control on a neighbor.
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When the animal is being abused or neglected
The first instance when you can call animal control on a neighbor is if you see that the animal in question is either being abused or neglected. If you catch your neighbor beating up their dog or leaving the dog outside the porch for a long period of time without water or food, then you definitely need to call animal control so that they can investigate the situation.
When the animal wanders into your property
The other reason why you would want to call animal control on your neighbor is when you notice that their pet is always wondering into your property. Pets have a habit of going out of the house on their own so before calling animal control on your neighbor try by all means to have a civilised conversation with them. Explain to them that their dog or cat is always wondering off into your yard and you do not respect that. If having a civilised conversation fails and the same mistake is repeated then you definitely need to call animal control.
When you find dead animals in your yard
If your neighbors pet suddenly dies in your yard you can always call animal control on your neighbor. This is because it shows that your neighbor is neglecting his animals and needs to be punished. Animal control will help you to remove the dead animal from your yard and will further investigate the death of the animal.
When the animal is always making noise
Noisy animals can be very hard to deal with especially if they are dogs. If your neighbors dogs are always barking and it affects you, try talking to them. If the noise persists you can try to call animal control, there could be a chance that the dogs are in some sort of danger.
When the animal has been injured
When you notice that your neighbors pet has an injury and your neighbor is not around you can call animal control. This is because the neighbor might not be aware of the injury thus, you will actually be helping to save the life of their pet. However, it’s important to start by calling your neighbor to confirm if there are aware of the injury before calling animal control.
When the animal is aggressive
If your neighbor has an aggressive pet for example a dog and you notice that it is wondering around without a leash, you definitely have to call animal control on your neighbor. This is because the dog has the potential of attacking anyone and even vandalise people’s property. Furthermore, this proves that your neighbor is neglecting his/her animal. Therefore, calling animal control would be the best option in such scenarios.
When the animal hurts someone
Pets have the potential of hurting humans especially when they are upset. If you witness your neighbors pet attacking another person then you definitely need to call animal control. This is because the pet is a threat to society and needs to be taken away for some time.
When the animal is a threat to the livestock in your yard
The other option when you can call animal control on your neighbor is when you notice that your neighbors pet is a threat to the livestock in your yard. In most cases your neighbors pet should have in some way attacked your livestock in order to prove this. If no harm has been done then that pet is definitely not a threat to your livestock and you should not call animal control.
How to approach animal control anonymously
If you want to maintain good relations with your neighbor then the best idea would be to call animal control as an anonymous caller. You can contact the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) or the Humane Society of the United States. These 2 organisations have a 24/7 hotline that accommodates reports from various witnesses and the good part is they are always willing to preserve your identity.
What happens after you call animal control on a neighbor?
When you call animal control on your neighbor there is a good chance that agency officers will contact your neighbor. Your neighbor will get a warning for the first time depending on the kind of offence that he/she would have committed. If the problem persists, the agency will visit your neighbor again and they might risk losing their beloved pet.
How to avoid calling animal control on a neighbor
Talk to your neighbor
This is the first step that you need to take before calling animal control on your neighbor. This helps to notify your neighbors of the problem and gives them a chance to correct their wrongs. So before making any legal complaints on your neighbor try by all means to talk things through and reach a common understanding.
Write little notes
If you had previously discussed the situation with your neighbor and that same problem persists, you can always write little notes and leave them on their door step. The notes should contain friendly reminders of the issue you had previously discussed on. There is a good chance that your neighbor is still try to adapt to caring for his pet so you need to be patient with them as well before you call animal control.
NB: not all neighbors are friendly and accommodative, so if your neighbor does not appreciate your feedback and does nothing to change the situation, then calling animal control might be the best alternative.
Conclusion
Calling animal control on a neighbor is a bold decision that you would have made. Remember, it is important to always discuss the matter with your neighbor before filing in a report so that you give your neighbor ample time to correct their mistakes.
