Homeowner's Solution to Neighbor's Dog Using Their Lawn as Toilet Applauded

Newsweek

2 days ago

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What started as a polite request turned into a neighborhood "smear campaign" that left one pet owner rethinking his habits—and his landscaping.
A Reddit user who goes by the name VryCuteAjaBharDuChut shared how their neighbor's dog, a large golden retriever named Duke, repeatedly defecated in the center of their front lawn.
Causing a Stink
After asking the dog's owner, Rick, to address the issue, the original poster (OP) was met with indifference.
"It's all nature, bro. You don't own the Earth," Rick apparently replied, wearing a tank top that read "Weekend Warrior" and holding a Coors Light at 10 a.m., according to the post.
Unwilling to let it continue, the homeowner escalated matters creatively. They collected two weeks' worth of Duke's waste in a bucket and redecorated the perimeter of Rick's backyard with it, especially around his fire pit.
"Smells like nature, bro," the OP said when Rick noticed the stench.
Stock image: Person picking up dog waste in a grass field, while a dog looks on.
Stock image: Person picking up dog waste in a grass field, while a dog looks on.
iStock / Getty Images Plus
The campaign didn't stop there.
The homeowner began posting "Lost Dog Poop" updates in the local Facebook group and planted tiny handmade signs with glitter and googly eyes that read, "Dear Duke the Pooper/This is not your golden throne/My grass feels betrayed."
Rick confronted the OP, accusing them of trying to embarrass him.
"Buddy, I don't need to try," the homeowner replied.
As more neighbors chimed in with similar complaints, Rick eventually built a fenced dog run and began walking Duke on a leash.
Dog waste disputes are more than just a neighborhood nuisance.
According to DoodyCalls, "dealing with a neighbor's dog that poops in your yard can be unpleasant and quite irritating," and they suggest direct communication as the first step.
The service also recommends motion-activated sprinklers and natural repellents to deter unwanted visits, though the homeowner in the Reddit post noted that Rick laughed at the sprinkler, claiming "Duke's built different."
Countermeasures
Another guide from Reolink outlines legal and community-based methods to handle such issues, including installing cameras for evidence, placing warning signs and contacting local animal control.
While the Reddit poster's approach might not be in any handbook, the result aligned with what Reolink advocates: evidence-backed neighbor accountability.
Responses to the Reddit thread included similar stories and support. As one user wrote, "I had a neighbor that did this.
"After repeatedly asking them politely to keep their dog out of my yard I started picking up the poop, putting it in a bag and leaving it in their driveway... I finally started throwing it from my shovel all over their front yard."
Another supporter added, "I've always hated folks leaving their dog poop without cleaning 'em. Now that I'm a dog owner, I hate it even more."
The Smell of Victory
The OP now makes poop-themed haiku signs as a hobby: "Victory smells like fresh-cut grass and not dog crap," they wrote.
"I have some dehydrated dog poop remnants from Duke's mischief," VryCuteAjaBharDuChut told Newsweek in reply to an invitation to comment via Reddit.
"As [the] story went viral, those should go up in value. I'd sell those samples to anyone who wanna acquire it for $1,000."
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