So, one example of this is on the community grass in front of the townhomes in East Lake just across the street (north) of East Lake Elem. One owner in particular has a german sheperd type dog that daily goes out and pisses on the lawn and dumps (I very much want to use the s__t word). So now, the grass has huge urine burn marks, and the green clumpy grass from sh-t piles all over. Can I take this up with the HOA? My kids walk through this area to get to school, any advice?

And for any dog owners out there, what is up with this behavior? Do dog owners think it is acceptable to allow their dogs to sh-t and piss on community property?

thanks.

Dave wrote:

QUOTE:
And for any dog owners out there, what is up with this behavior? Do dog owners think it is acceptable to allow their dogs to sh-t and piss on community property?

thanks.

Dave, I guess that's like asking, "do all parents let their children run wild and destroy property?" Of course not, well mostly. If you look through many threads on the site you will find this is not a new issue. We have a multitude of thoughtless residents that do not take appropriate care of their pets.

To answer your first question, yes, this is an issue for the HOA. Make sure you have photos and the address of the offending resident.

This kind of behavior reflects poorly on pet owners that are responsible and clean up after their pets. We end up with more rules that will be entirely ignored by the irresponsible residents which creates less opportunity for our pets to be part of the community.

Unfortunately the only thing you can do is take pictures and try to figure out who owns the dog to turn them in to the city. If you do know who owns the dog, you may try filing a complaint with the HOA however be aware that the owner in question probably won't have anything more than a slap on the wrist occur and they will know it was you who turned them in. Honestly, in the end, probably nothing will happen no matter what you do. Some people are just rude and don't care. I'm sure the owner is just like the person who lets their dog take monster poops in the middle of paths and doesn't clean it up. Or like the people that let their dogs poop in the lake where children were playing. Gross but there are just a lot of jerks out there. Not all dog owners are this rude and irresponsible.

I should say, I'm making some assumptions when I say to go to the city... obviously we have leash laws that are strictly enforced and our city has been known to issue tickets to those who violate it. You must have proof though which is the tricky part, but I have known people who have managed to turn people in successfully!

how do you even stop the burn spots? We have a female pup and live on a courtyard area that we share with 5 other houses, all of which have dogs - some female some male. Right infront of our house is a HUGE burn spot... a few of the dogs have chosen right infront of our house as the darn community tinkle spot. I have put grass seed down multiple times with no luck... what do I do? I know it's not just our dog that's peeing there.. but It looks awful. Any suggestions, greatly appreciated.

Sometimes the spots are not due to neglect, in my opinion anyway. Not picking up after your pup.. total neglect.

JessC wrote:

QUOTE:
how do you even stop the burn spots?

Don't fall for the change of diet or magic pills at the pet store. It is a wives tale that female and male dog pee is different. The difference is the delivery system. Males tend to spread it out from a higher level while aiming at an object. Females deliver very close to the grass and concentrate in one spot. The only cure is to dilute the urine.

First, the dogs should not be in the main green area unacommpanied, so when you see your dog go, either hose the area or have a water bucket handy. The more you dilute the less chance of grass damage. If you have uninvited visitors to the same spot in your yard, purchase a product at the pet store that repels dogs and stops marking (peeing). Note, your dog will not like that spot either.

Second, if you have dogs running loose, you need to contact animal control and the HOA. You will need a description of the dog, address where it lives and a photo for the HOA. Not only is it irritating to have another persons pet use your property with out cleaning up, it's dangerous for the animal to be out on it's own.