I Don't Know What to Do

To understand this post you will first need to read Buttercup Our Pyrenees.  I just simply don't have the heart to go all into it myself as this has been a very long story and I am really starting to greatly dislike my neighbors across the street.  I will take it from where it stops.


Continuation of the Story


Buttercup as well as her sister Opal have been contained to the backyard for a week today.  Since this time our neighbor has put up a game camera which came up missing although it was later found in their backyard.  They have put out traps with dog food without any success.  They are down to 4 geese.  Also let me note that during the time of all the killings Buttercup was sick and contained in the backyard until she felt better.

Their dogs still run free while mine are kept up.  I called down the day after he came up to apologize for "over reacting" to insure that they would not shoot my dog if I let her out to protect my goats, chickens, ducks, and guineas while they free ranged.  I let them know that we had full intentions of putting the dog up at night as that was when the fowl were being killed.  The wife stated that I could do what ever I needed so long as I kept my dog from coming down to their place.  I told her that I could not keep my dog from coming down and visiting her dog no more than she could keep her dog from coming up here.  (That was my way of hinting that if you shoot my dog then I can shoot yours too.)  She said they were doing everything they could to keep their dog at home and would continue.  Of course they are. [apply sarcasm]  That is why they asked me months ago to chase her back home if I saw her up here since they did not want her crossing the road.  I do chase her off when she comes up here because we have caught her chasing our fowl and I don't trust her around them.  Yes, I have told them about that since this incident.  They stated that their dog also chases their fowl into the water.  Hum, and you don't think there could be a problem there?


Harriet got a good look at the the fowl that the neighbor found Buttercup with.  He never saw her chewing on the carcass.  He simply saw her picking it up and putting it down.  By the time I went to see the carcass it was missing.  I believe the neighbor's dog came and picked it up because that is her spot on our property where she knows I won't chase her off because it is far enough and almost off the property.  Anyway what Harriet noticed regarding the carcass was the head, neck and crop were missing.  After much research we know this to be signs of racoons.  It is also common for racoons to kill multiple birds in one night as they sometimes hunt in family groups.  

We have given this information to the neighbors and they feel it just can't be racoons.  "We have always had racoons."  "Racoons can't take down more than one bird."  They simply will not listen.  I feel like beating my head against a wall when it comes to this issue.


Another neighbor (neighbor B) had a great suggestion.  To call them and nicely let them know whenever their dog is on the property.  Well this morning we went to town and noticed their dog down at that neighbor's house chasing her goats.  When we returned from town about a hour later she was still down at the neighbor B's with their GP.  We saw the neighbor A and let them know where their dog was.  The wife stated she was just in the back yard.  When was the last time she looked?!  I say this because we saw her when we left and when we returned and she wasn't in their yard at all.  The husband did go to retrieve their dog.


Here is my problem.  They once blamed my dog so we feel she is still an escape goat in the back of their minds.  If we let her out she can always be blamed again.  In the meantime our animals are not being protected as we would like for them to be.  Also their dog is still able to run about as she please without any problem.


Does anyone have any suggestions?  Our homestead was working well until this happened and now it seems kinked up.