I am so mad!
 

Someone is opening our gates so the dogs can get out!
I check on the dogs often when they are in the yard. It is fenced in with a gate on the side and a gate at the back. The other day Bruce looked out and Fritz was the other side of the fence near the back gate. He noticed the gate was open. He brought Fritz in and closed the gate. A little while after he noticed the gate was open again. He thought that Fritz may have opened it - he thinks Fritz could easily jump up and knock the latch to open it. So he went and closed it and fixed it so it couldn't be opened.

A few minutes ago our neighbour brought Beamer to the door. We checked to see where he could have got out and the side gate was opened. There is no way any of the dogs can have opened that and it is always kept closed unless the kid that mows the yard has to open it to take the mower to the front - and this time of year he hasn't had to come and mow the yard.
It really looks like someone is deliberately opening the gates. Luckily we check the dogs often when they are in the yard, so Beamer couldn't have been out for long.

Bruce has just gone to the hardware store to get some padlocks for the gates. I think we need to set up some kind of video camera!

I would put up a camera to see who is doing this. I hope they don't think this is funny!!

I ditto that...You need to catch them in the act...

Good for Bruce. Getting locks was exactly what I was going to say. Too bad you don't have surveillance cameras. It would really stink if someone was doing that on purpose. Good that you had honest neighbors. Keep your eyes open on your babies.

We have a privacy fence and it's 5ish feet and we have a padlock even though there's no way they could open it. I'm too scared after reading all these stories. I also watch them like hawks. I just let them out to go to the bathroom, and if I leave them out to play I stay with them, I think I'm overprotective.

Either way, I would def. put up cameras to catch who is doing it, you'll probably be preventing someone elses pup from escaping.

Bruce just got back with the locks. (Ace Hardware is only a couple of minutes away)
He put the one on the side gate and when he went to put the one on the back gate it was obvious someone had been messing with it. He had put something on it to stop it being opened (think it was a drill bit or something) whatever he had put in it was laying on the ground. It couldn't have fallen out accidentally. Someone deliberately removed it.:mad:

Time to set up some surveillance and catch whoever is doing this. I can have a sense of humor about some things, but not when you mess with my pups' safety! Probably a kid thinking he is really funny, but needs his britches dusted!

I don't let mine out without me. I will stand in the doorway like a big wimp when it is cold or wet, but I am watching until they come back in. When it is nice, we all go out and I usually wonder around with them or sit in my swing if they want to play a while. They don't like being out without me anyway. So, it works well for us. I live in the country and have too many critters to worry about. Snakes, cow killer ants, wasps, fire ants, hawks, turkey vultures, eagles, you name it we have it out here! But so far no 2 legged varmits have messed with mine. Hope you catch whoever is playing games!

Oh, how scary to think they could have ran away or been stolen. Why in the world do people do such things. Are there any kids around that would think it's a prank?

So glad you figured it out and Bruce has it under contol now. Sad, to think you would have to put locks on because people can be so evil.

That's terrible. Are their any new kids in the neighborhood? I would definitley set up a security camera. Maybe ask neighbors if they have seen anyone around your yard or if any of them have had any similar problem.

We had to padlock our back gate. The teen age boys next door were jumping over the back fence into our yard and going out our gate to the street to get the school bus. I hope you get the problem solved because it is very scary to think what could happen to them.

Oh Sylvia....you must have about DIED when your doorbell rang and you saw Beamer out front :eek: I know how very special he is to you! I am picturing how I would feel if it were SUGAR :eek:

Tell Bruce to get back in touch with his Service Days and catch the sucker :mad:

Do you have a wooded area around anywhere? Somebody is watching because it seems like every time you fix it, somebody messes with it. I have Elementary school kids across a little canal and they love to throw rocks at our fence. We also had someone who kept stealing our sign (Please pick up after your pet) in the circle in front of the house. The cops told me they couldn't do anything because it wasn't my property. Do your babies bark at people who come up to your yard? I'll send mine over and they'll let you know if someone is out there. They'll run away...but they'll let you know! lol

Time to file a police report. You can just go down to the precinct and file a counter report if you don't feel like calling them out to your place.

There is a wooded area but it is the other side of the street at the front of the house.
The Tillman canal is at the back of the house, and the city just cleared all the trees that were in front of it.
The house next door to us on one side is empty and has been on the market for several years. We know the people on the other side of us.
The only kids in the neighbourhood are across the street - they are the ones who brought Beamer back, we have been friends with them and their family for years and they wouldn't open the gates. It is one of those that mows the yard and he is super careful about making sure the gates are closed if he ever comes through one of them. They are well behaved kids. - When Bruce is in the hospital and I am laid up it is one of them that comes over to make sure I don't need anything - even brought me breakfast before they went to school.

There isn't anyone new in the neighbourhood that I know of. Most are retired people like us.

Anyone any recomemndations for an inexpensive wireless surveillance system?

But all I can do is say someone is opening the gates. They would have to be able to catch them in the act. I can't see them having someone keep an eye on the house all the time.

It's ok. What you have is evidence of somebody trespassing. If, heaven forbid, something were to happen to one of the dogs or a neighbor gets broken into, the police will have a record of other incidents. And for all you know, you may not be the only house it is happening to. Do you have a neighborhood watch in your community? I would notify them, too.

We have a similar side yard setup, and have found the canal side gate open at 6am! boy I get mad having to round up the (now muddy)dogs in my PJs! Padlocks are the way to go, I like to let my neighbors have access to the dock but not if they're careless!

You're right; the cops will not do anything because you don't know who it is. I put a video camera in one of my windows to try to catch the person. It didn't work though. It was too dark. (I know who was doing it, but could never catch him.) Can you put one up? I think someone is hiding behind/beside that house that is up for sale. They could also be watching from the woods in front. (I have the same situation and believe we have homeless people live there once in a while.) I really think someone is watching you to keep doing it. Somebody is bored and messing with you. I would go out tomorrow (it is too dark now) and look around that house and see if you find anything (cigarettes, soda cans, candy bar wrappers). This will at least let you know where the person is coming from so you can focus your attention on it. I would let you neighbors know too so they can keep an eye out too. You know...I do have a portable little alarm that we may could put on your gate. If I'm remembering correctly, it is a motion sensor. It will go off if someone opens it!!!! Let me know if you want it and I'll go look for it and get it to you tomorrow.

thanks - will the alarm go off if someone is at the gate - with the padlocks on now they shouldn't be able to open it.
I just called my neighbour across the street - usually nothing escapes her attention :) but she said she just got home, she has been away a few days. She says there are some children about three doors down from us (I didn't know that - this is a real quiet street - we have been in this house 24 years and only know our immediate neighbours!) but she doesn't think they would do it.

I agree with filing a police report for the reasons above. If something more were to happen or if it is happening somewhere else, knowing about it will help them. We had something similar going on a few years ago and the police in our town were happy to take the report and even increase patrolling on our street.

Really though, dogs (esp. Yorkies) shouldn't be let out alone even in a fenced area. We have had quite a few thefts not far from here - out of yards when the dogs were out for just a few minutes or whatever. Not worth it.

If they don't step foot on to the property would it still be considered trespassing?
There are signs on the street saying it is under neighbourhood watch, but we have been in this house 24 years and don't know of one.

But, there have been vehicle break ins in the neighbourhood a while ago. (they got our GPS!) but I believe they caught those kids.
But there hasn't been anything recently - I get the Palm Bay police news regularly.

Scary, hope you get it solved soon.

I purchased it from Lowe's awhile back when I wanted to know if my pek went on the carpet. (She is not allowed there because she thinks it's grass! lol My yorkie babies are allowed and are great.) It was too loud in the house so I never really used it anymore. So, I think if you pointed it right, it would sense someone. You want me to go look for it? It's no problem and is worth a try!

If it's no trouble - give you a reason to come over for coffee (or tea - or a glass of wine):)

I'll pm you with my cell number. Sorry, I can't stay long. Family is coming and I'm spring cleaning the house and digging up and replacing all the dead plants in the yard. (These cold winters in FL are killing our budget!)

I hope all off this gets resolved quickly so nothing tragic happens.

Baby Yorkie--do you watch CSI or crime shows(love them!). I couldn't help but giggle when I read that because that is the same kind of thing I would do--I watch the ID channel so much that my DH says I probably know about a thousand different ways to kill him and get away with it...LOL

Oh wow this is really scary. I would freak out for sure.

I am always outside with mine at all times. No matter the weather.
I just don't trust people. We have a 6 ft. privacy fence all the way around.

I sure hope you catch who is doing this.

This has always been a quiet street. We have had little dogs all the 24 years we have been in the house and have always had a doggie door so they can come and go into the back yard when they want. Beamer has always loved just laying in the back yard for a good portion of the day - but we always check every few minutes.
I think whoever is opening the gate is doing it at night.
They are never wide open - it was hardly noticeable that they were open. They were just opened enough where the dogs can get through.

Sylvia, I'm sorry someone is doing this to you and your pups. We keep our gates padlocked and we have put up security cameras. We started with one relatively inexpensive camera that has the minimum night vision and it is waterproof (it can go underwater). I wish I could remember the brand name. It isn't printed anywhere on the camera. We bought it off Amazon for $60 and hooked it up to a simple VCR (with a very inexpensive plug adapter from Radio Shack).

Do you have squirrels in your area ? Also cats that walk the fence line can undo a latch.