Getting along with your neighbors can be second nature to some people. Whether you become friends, or just accept the others’ existence, for many it’s easy to co-exist.
However, when you have a problem, you have a problem. Redditor No-Abalone4276 is someone with a problem.
The original poster (OP) doesn’t like how their neighbors are treating their pet. They decided to do something about it, and now OP is a pariah among their neighbors.
Could OP have been rash in their judgement, or did they have a point? To find out, they decided to ask the “Am I the A**hole” (AITA) subReddit about what they did.
In OP’s mind, they were worried about the dog.
“AITA for calling the police on the neighbors for letting their dog sh** on their patio?”
But maybe they also had a bone to pick.
“I have some neighbors, a young couple around their 20s. They’ve lived to the apartment next to mine for 2 years.”
“They have a dog. A small one. I’ve always noticed them talking the dog on walks but for the past two months I just see them putting some pads on their patio and letting the dog sh** and pee there.”
“I’ve made complaints to them multiple times, I’ve called them lazy and told them to give up the dog if they can’t care for it properly. I told them they’re going with the easy way of not taking the dog for a walk and just letting them do whatever on the patio.”
“Their argument is that first of all they clean up after the patio at least twice a day and that the dog goes on walks every night. The girl also said its none of my business on why she and her bf don’t take the dog out on walks and they don’t have to answer to me.”
“The next morning I called the police/public health services on them. Authorities came and inspected and said that no laws are broken and as long as the area is getting cleaned up daily then the couple is not breaking any laws.”
“I told them that the couple doesn’t take the dog for walks and the police said that the couple has their reasons for that and I don’t have to know these reasons.”
“Now my whole apartment building sees me as the b**ch who called the police on the couple for that reason.”
“I later found out from another neighbor who confronted me that the reason they let the dog go on the patio is bc the girl is pregnant and is on bed rest and her bf takes the dog out late at night when he comes from work and how I was not entitled to that info since they didn’t break any laws in the first place and despite her bed rest, the girl still tries to do her best.”
“Everyone on the building is now hostile against me. AITA”
OP didn’t like how their neighbor was treating their pet and called the police. They worried that the dog wasn’t getting exercise and being allowed to relieve themselves on a patio was harmful.
But on the other had, the couple did explain they took the dog on walks before OP called the cops, and their reasons for not going on the normal schedule are their own.
Was OP right to have called the cops with all of this considered?
On Reddit, the users of the board judged OP for calling the police on their neighbor over their dog by including one of the following in their response:
- NTA – Not the A**hole
- YTA – You’re the A**hole
- NAH – No A**holes Here
- ESH – Everybody Sucks Here
To the Reddit commenters, this was an easy call. OP had no reason to believe that the animal was being abused, and after it all, they found out the woman was pregnant and needing to rest more because of that.
Even if the walks had reduced in frequency, the couple still assured OP that they were taking the dog on walks, just at night when they had time. There was no worry about the well being of the dog and OP involved themselves over nothing.
Because of this, OP was voted as YTA.
“Definitely YTA. It’s none of your business why the neighbors are doing what they are doing.”
“Does it harm you or your living space in any way? Are they neglecting the dog? Sounds like a big no.”
“How entitled are you to think that after finding out the reason why that you think you are still not the AH? Move on get a hobby” – kwflick67
“I can’t even imagine why anyone would think this was not OK, let alone a police matter.”
“YTA.” – SamSpayedPI
“Right? Lord help the local cops when OP finds out about indoor cats and litter boxes.” – chernaboggles
“Shocking. Yes YTA.”
“You called the police on your neighbors, accusing them of animal neglect because they let their dog outside to relieve itself and clean it up, but take it on less walks than you can account for personally.”
“The police informed you there is a good reason for all of this and to mind your business.”
“Through someone else you found out the woman is on bed rest in her pregnancy and how their dog walking schedule has been altered as a result.”
“And knowing all of this you still wonder if you’re the a**hole?”
“You just made a building full of enemies all because you are nosy and intrusive.” – ghostofumich2005
“A whopping YTA.”
“There are many reasons why people can’t walk their dog. The dog may have an injury that’s healing, it may have developed arthritis and can’t walk as much or as long without pain, or a slew of other reasons that are none of your business.”
“It sounds like you’re in desperate need of a hobby if you have this much time to monitor your neighbors.” – JoTheOneandOnly
“YTA. Sounds like you jumped straight to the worst conclusions about your neighbors, would only accept the police’s word over theirs, and never once did you seem to show any concern for your neighbors after the sudden change.”
“Calling the cops was going nuclear for nothing. It was embarrassing and you owe them an apology.” – foaminjectedaxlrose
“YTA. First of all, you are wasting resources by calling the police over a non issue. They have much better things to do.”
“Second of all, it’s not your patio. They made sure they cleaned it up every day like they’re supposed to.”
“Thirdly, you knew the dog was in fact getting walked every night. Everyone is right, no one owes you any explanation of why they had the dog use the patio.”
“Poor woman is having a tough pregnancy & you called the cops on them because they weren’t taking their dog out for daily walks. Read that back to yourself” – Holmes221bBst
“YTA. The dog wasn’t wallowing in its own defecation, smh. They cleaned the pads up twice a day, and he still got some exercise by going on a walk. (Just not at a time you considered appropriate, apparently.)”
“The fact you thought that this was an urgent police matter is beyond me. In some places that’s a fineable offense. Of course there’s nothing wrong with reporting abusive, negligent owners, but you knew these people weren’t.” – Sugar_Soul
Despite all the answers given, and the reasons for the judgement, OP couldn’t help themselves. They had to get in the comments and try to defend their actions.
Which did not go how they thought it would.
“info- you said the dog didn’t get taken for walks but then also say it was getting taken out at night? So what was your concern there?” – Redcandle_15
“I didn’t know he was taken out late at night. At first I always saw them taking the dog for walks multiple times a day and then none at all. I wouldn’t know if it was really late at night because I’d be sleeping” – No-Abalone4276 (OP)
“You may need to hire an assistant for the night shift if you expect your neighborhood spy business to fully take off. This isn’t amateur hour you know.”
“YTA by the way” – 5footfilly
“YTA. It’s their patio not yours” – Most-Ad2088
“Yes but it’s unhygienic and I live next to them” – No-Abalone4276 (OP)
“Until the dog sh**s on your patio, mind your business, it’s not affecting you. YTA.” – MiReDu1972
“That’s what I thought this was about, that they shared the patio or the dog was sh**ting on their patio, and that they also just left the remains.”
“I was so confused to see where the problem was when that never came up. OP is so fragrantly TA.”
“OP, YTA.” – Slight-Pound
OP overstepped their bounds, and when their neighbor reassured them that the dog was walked at night, it should have been the end. Instead, it took OP calling the police and learning their neighbor was pregnant to even consider other options.
In the end, OP should learn to mind their own business.