Tenants won't clean up their dog's poop

[daturanoir]

Hi Loveshack, I need help crafting an email to our tenant who does not clean up her dog's poop from our yard. I am way too blunt, and worried that I will come across as confrontational. I did an internet search and all the sample letters I found were really not applicable, as they mostly had to do with people living in apartment complexes or other situations that are not like mine.

 

My spouse and I rarely see the tenants, so talking to them in person is not a good option. In most ways these are pretty good tenants, because they pay on time, don't complain constantly, and so on.

 

Here are the details: My spouse and I own a 2 unit building with a small fenced in back yard. We have 2 large dogs, and we rent out our basement unit to a girl who has a permanent "house guest" who has a small dog. I checked the lease and there is nothing useful regarding pet rules that I can refer to in an email.

 

When the "house guest" first moved in with her dog we had to send an email to our tenant, because they let their dog out in the backyard and it would bark and bark and bark, for hours, and because they never cleaned up their dog's poop. NEVER. On a sidenote, who does that?! Just can't believe it.

 

They started walking the dog out front and never let the dog out in the backyard after getting the email.

 

A few months ago they started letting the dog out in the backyard several times a day to do its business. They don't leave it out anymore, so the barking is not an issue, but they still don't clean up after their dog.

 

This needs to be addressed because 1) we found out one of our dogs had parasites shortly after we had the first issue with the tenants and their dog... and I am convinced for several reasons that I don't need to go into that it is because of the tenant's dog. I will not be happy if I have to spend another $400 taking her to the vet for parasites AGAIN. 2) I don't think I should have to clean up after their dog. I walk our dogs every day, so they don't poop in our yard as much, but depending on where they are pooping I clean up the yard once a week at a minimum to every other day when they are in the yard more.

 

This isn't really something we can evict them for, nor is it something we would want to evict them over, since in every other way they are good tenants. I just need help nicely addressing this with them. Thank you!

[SoleMate]

Some thoughts for you:

 

1) Plenty of people just never clean the poop out of the yard, or they clean so rarely that it may as well be never, and the yard is full of poop 100% of the time.

 

2) If you clean up your dogs' poop at most every other day, then, with just a few reasonable assumptions, the majority of time, the yard will have poop in it from your dogs.

 

3) The tenant may see you leaving poop from your two large dogs in the yard for up to a week, and draw the conclusion that the contributions of her one small animal are minor compared to the situation you condone.

 

4) People can be disgusted and angered by the poop of other people's dogs, yet view the efforts left by their own animal as somehow more tolerable or acceptable.

 

5) The best solution won't come from sending an email, but from having a frank discussion about the issue of yard poop. It may help to realize that you are at the same level as your tenant in regards to cleanliness. You both tolerate dog poop for extended periods, so I'd just erase any thought of being holier-than-thou with the tenant in regards to poopscooping.

 

How about a simple, practical arrangement, like whenever a person's dogs have been in the yard, there will be 1 scooping session, same day, every day?

[daturanoir]

Some thoughts for you:

 

1) Plenty of people just never clean the poop out of the yard, or they clean so rarely that it may as well be never, and the yard is full of poop 100% of the time.

 

2) If you clean up your dogs' poop at most every other day, then, with just a few reasonable assumptions, the majority of time, the yard will have poop in it from your dogs.

 

3) The tenant may see you leaving poop from your two large dogs in the yard for up to a week, and draw the conclusion that the contributions of her one small animal are minor compared to the situation you condone.

 

4) People can be disgusted and angered by the poop of other people's dogs, yet view the efforts left by their own animal as somehow more tolerable or acceptable.

 

5) The best solution won't come from sending an email, but from having a frank discussion about the issue of yard poop. It may help to realize that you are at the same level as your tenant in regards to cleanliness. You both tolerate dog poop for extended periods, so I'd just erase any thought of being holier-than-thou with the tenant in regards to poopscooping.

 

How about a simple, practical arrangement, like whenever a person's dogs have been in the yard, there will be 1 scooping session, same day, every day?

Like I said, I walk my dogs every day (at least twice, sometimes they get three walks if my husband takes them out once), so how often I clean up the yard depends on if they are pooping on their walks or not. I don't leave poop in the yard for up to a week; I clean the yard as often as they poop in it. The longest the poop is in the yard is if they poop in the yard at night I leave it until the afternoon of the next day.

 

The issue with dog poop in the yard is primarily a cleanliness issue - parasites and other diseases. It is also a very small yard, so it is just considerate to keep it clean when people want to spent time in the backyard BBQing, gardening, for the dogs to play in, or whatever else.

[amaysngrace]

I would address it from a dogs point of view and word it to include them as "someone who lives there too".

 

Then I would go on to saying something about making all of their living environments as pleasant as possible, yada yada.

 

This way she isn't doing it for you, and you aren't nagging her...it's just only for the dogs' well-being.

[Minnie09]

I will never understand why we use our yards as dog toilets. It's totally against the nature of the dog. Most people I know that call themselves dog lovers kennel their dogs all day long, and when they return from work after a long day of boredom for the poor dog, they merely open the back door and let the dog do its business in the yard. That's all the fresh air they get. I know people who LIoOOOVE their dog oh so much, but never walk them, because they're too lazy, even though their dogs are active breeds like labs or boxers. they're bored in the house all say long and never takes them for long hikes where they would have fresh smells and the opportunity to mark new territories. It's cruel people! Big dog or small dog....they want to WALK and pee and poo, but not in the same ole place every ****ing time, and definitely not in their own ****ing yard. Don't call yourself a dog person if you don't know the basics. Ok sorry.....totally OT....but it needed to be said. I studied abroad for a while.....and let me tell you.....in Europe this treatment is unheard of. Ppl usually don't have dogs unless they can take them to work (rare), somebody is home with them all the time, they're able to walk them a FEW times a day (twice min.)......most dog owners are retired for that very reason.

 

To the OP: your two large dogs shouldn't even HAVE to do their business in the yard, and hence I wouldn't tolerate it from anybody else either. Lead by example.

 

No offense, but dogs are not cats. And they want different things.

[daturanoir]

I would address it from a dogs point of view and word it to include them as "someone who lives there too".

 

Then I would go on to saying something about making all of their living environments as pleasant as possible, yada yada.

 

This way she isn't doing it for you, and you aren't nagging her...it's just only for the dogs' well-being.

Yeah this is a good angle, I just need help with wording. I am such a blunt person and I know that this often makes me come across as rude or confrontational.

[hotgurl]

I am surprised you don't have anything in the lease in regards to house guests. every lease I signed has something about overnight guests being limited to 3 or 4 days etc..

[daturanoir]

I will never understand why we use our yards as dog toilets. It's totally against the nature of the dog. Most people I know that call themselves dog lovers kennel their dogs all day long, and when they return from work after a long day of boredom for the poor dog, they merely open the back door and let the dog do its business in the yard. That's all the fresh air they get. I know people who LIoOOOVE their dog oh so much, but never walk them, because they're too lazy, even though their dogs are active breeds like labs or boxers. they're bored in the house all say long and never takes them for long hikes where they would have fresh smells and the opportunity to mark new territories. It's cruel people! Big dog or small dog....they want to WALK and pee and poo, but not in the same ole place every ****ing time, and definitely not in their own ****ing yard. Don't call yourself a dog person if you don't know the basics. Ok sorry.....totally OT....but it needed to be said. I studied abroad for a while.....and let me tell you.....in Europe this treatment is unheard of. Ppl usually don't have dogs unless they can take them to work (rare), somebody is home with them all the time, they're able to walk them a FEW times a day (twice min.)......most dog owners are retired for that very reason.

 

To the OP: your two large dogs shouldn't even HAVE to do their business in the yard, and hence I wouldn't tolerate it from anybody else either. Lead by example.

 

No offense, but dogs are not cats. And they want different things.

This doesn't really apply to me, since if you read the OP closely (and a subsequent post that clarifies even further) you will see that this is not the case. You also have no idea what activities I do with my dogs, how often I do them, or whether I am home all day, crate the dogs all day, or whatever.

 

Also, do you even have a dog? Most dogs need to smell themselves to poop, and therefore poop in same places all the time, and can have difficulty going if they are in a new place.

[amaysngrace]

Yeah this is a good angle, I just need help with wording. I am such a blunt person and I know that this often makes me come across as rude or confrontational.

 

I didn't pick up on you being rude or confrontational from your first post at all. You sound nice.

[daturanoir]

I am surprised you don't have anything in the lease in regards to house guests. every lease I signed has something about overnight guests being limited to 3 or 4 days etc..

There actually is something about that in the lease. It's a long story about how this situation came about, but to cut to the chase, the dog poo issue doesn't bother my spouse as much as it bothers me, and he actually thinks that I am being really uptight about this. I think that he has a lot more experience with truly awful tenants/roommates than I do and to him this is just not a big deal.

 

I care becuase I think it's disgusting (I spent the most time in the yard playing with the dogs and gardening); I am the one who has to clean it up all the time; I am the one who has to take the dog to the vet and pay the vet bill every time one or both has an issue.

 

Plus, on principle it pisses me off that someone just leaves their dog poop there with no thought to how it affects other people/animals or who is cleaning it up. You wouldn't leave it on the street or the neighbor's front yard (at least I hope not!).

[daturanoir]

I didn't pick up on you being rude or confrontational from your first post at all. You sound nice.

Thanks Maybe it's just where I live. Being to the point, honest and blunt seems to be taken the wrong way. On the other hand, I am not good at hints and need people to spell things out for me, so I guess it's just a personality thing.

[amaysngrace]

Thanks Maybe it's just where I live. Being to the point, honest and blunt seems to be taken the wrong way. On the other hand, I am not good at hints and need people to spell things out for me, so I guess it's just a personality thing.

 

That's crazy if you can't say what you mean and mean what you say without it being taken the wrong way.

 

If I were you I'd go to pet smart, buy a scooper, let the girl know where it's being kept with directions on where to put it once its scooped.

 

I'd also put that it should be scooped at least once every two days for the comfort of the dogs and that you'll do the same to extend the courtesy to her dog as well.

[daturanoir]

Here's an idea, don't know if the idea would appeal.

 

What if you sent the letter from your dogs to her dog and said "Hey, our owners are really busy and so are yours, With all of us using that space it was getting kind of messy, and no one wants that, nobody wants us getting sick or offending the neighbors so going forward my owner has hired someone to come clean up the back yard (weekly/daily/however often) so that we have a nice and comfortable place to go out and play and do our business when we have to!

Because of this, we wanted to let you know that there is goign to be a small increase in the rent to cover your share of the cost, we know you want mind! Stop by for a dog cookie anytime!!!"

 

That's a cute idea!

[Minnie09]

No I don't have a dog. I'm a single parent with a full time job and I can't bring a dog to work, and I am not irresponsible enough to have one under these circumstances. I did apologize for being OT, and did not attack you. Yes if the dog needs to smell itself in order to do his business, that doesn't mean in his house/yard. It means you WALK them to a park and yes, they do sometimes choose the same bush/tree, but it doesn't mean you should use your back yard as a toilet. We are the only nation worldwide who handles dog feces that way, haha.*

[ON MY OWN]

Thanks Maybe it's just where I live. Being to the point, honest and blunt seems to be taken the wrong way. On the other hand, I am not good at hints and need people to spell things out for me, so I guess it's just a personality thing.

 

Can you put a sign in your front yard? Like "Please keep this neighborhood pleasant and everyone please scoop the poop if your dog goes. Thank you kindly from one dog to another"....something friendly and that is 'keeping it light'. / "Become a 'scooper'." Different friendly approaches...

Edited April 2, 2013 by ON MY OWN