The next time you find those dogs in your yard don't call the neighbor, call the police. More than likely they are not licensed. Most towns have laws concerning dogs running loose. There is a fine for a dog being out unleashed and there is another, higher fine, for dogs running without a license. They will have to pay at least one fine maybe two. I am quite sure one fine will be enough to motivate these neighbors to do something about the problem.

They may not care about your dog or your yard but they do care about their pocketbook.

Air horn?
 

Purchase one of those air horns and when you see them in your yard, go outside and 'blast' them. That sounds harsh, but just a few times of that and they might get the hint, where your neighbors won't. . . .If they are digging thru at night it might be worth a few hours sleep to stand guard and blow the horn then.

Best wishes!

Do you own the home you live in? If so, I would consider putting in better fencing. It seems like all sorts of animals are trespassing on your property. If it were me, I would trench down two feet and get a chain link fence underground with the poles post dug and set in concrete. Its a lot of work, but is sounds like your current fence is completely inadequate. Or build a separate dog run with secure fencing for your little one to be in.

If you are a renter, report the faulty fence to the landlord and ask him to fix it. If you do rent and your landlord won't fix the problem, I would move. It sounds like there is an epidemic of loose vicious dogs in your neighborhood.

As for the dead chihuahua, and the poster above that said its better if the owner doesn't know what happened to their dog...... a friend of mine just had her dog run away. We spent a week going crazy looking for the dog. Hours spent posting online, calling and driving to shelters, canvassing the neighborhood, hundreds of dollars spent in poster supplies and flier supplies, gas for cars. Just to find out the dog had been hit by a car and died hours after getting loose. A week spent in hell because the jack ass who picked her up off the street was too stupid to call the city and report the dog's death. Finally, someone who saw the accident saw a poster and called. It was a horrible week not knowing what happened, and completely crushing to have to tell the owner who was clinging to hope for an entire week that their dog would come home that her baby has been dead the entire time. I would love to get my hands on that idiot who prolonged our suffering for an entire week. And the owners deserve the closure of burying their pet.

Seriously? Really?

Do you know how excruciating it is to have a missing animal and not know what happened to it? Wondering if she is hurt, scared, cold, was she eaten by something, being kept or sold by someone? To spend hours in the cold posting fliers and signs walking until you have blisters and your fingers are numb from the cold? Spending hundreds of dollars on posters, fliers and gas? Spending hours posting online, calling all the shelters and services, praying as hard as you can for your baby to come home, just to find out she has been dead the entire time, and some idiot prolonged your suffering by not filing a report with the City. Its like torture. I wouldn't wish it on anyone.

That truly may have been the stupidest and cruelest advice I ever read on this site.

Um........what I would say here is that you obviously have first hand knowledge of going through this horrid experience and I'm very sorry to learn that. I have never had the misfortune of losing a pet in this way, therefore, I can't even imagine what it must be like to go through what you have described. I'm sorry about your experience, truly.


However, we are here to learn from one another. You can always put your perspective forward, even if it differs from another's, without using disparaging terminology.


I think Yorkiemom's advice came from a good place just like yours did and it is then up to the OP to decide which route to take.


Just as your advice was given to help so was Yorkiemom's advice. The sharing of advice and experience is invaluable and should be regarded with the intent it was given which was to help someone in both of your cases.
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