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The Neighborhood Battle (LONG)



 
 
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  #1  
Old September 17th 03, 07:30 PM
Ginger-lyn Summer
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Posts: n/a
Default The Neighborhood Battle (LONG)

It has been a long, difficult time for me, both this summer, these
past two weeks, and with roots in years ago.

My neighborhood has been falling apart. And I have been trying to
keep it together, especially to help the animals.

We have the neighbor in our building who kept a cat chained up for
eight years, and allowed her to die slowly and painfully, as her
children watched, of feleuk. She also kept her dog chained up inside
24/7, and then outside, 24/7, where she finally broke our state's
pathetic animal abuse laws and I was able to call the Humane Society.
I had done it once, years before, on another neighbor in our building
who had gone off for 24 hours, leaving her two dogs chained up out
back, no food, no water, no shelter. Their chains got entangled, and
one dog, desperately trying to get loose, jumped through an open storm
door with no window or screen, and was hanging there, strangling, when
I heard him. I called the Humane Society. Sadly, both dogs were
determined to be dangers and were put down.

We have the neighbor who keeps his elderly beagle chained up outside
and passes out on his couch while the dog howls at 3 am. The dog has
food and water outside now because, of course, I called the Humane
Society. But he also has a habit of getting loose from his stake and
running out into the street. Once, DH and I ran around at 3 am or so,
trying to catch him. When we told the owner and asked him to call the
dog, he shrugged and said "He's old. If he goes splat, oh, well!"

We have the neighbor across the street who has two unneutered/unspayed
cats, one of whom recently gave birth to three kittens and wasn't
nursing. My next-door-neighbor found out about that, and came to me
to ask for ideas. I gave him what info I had and searched out more,
but I'm sure they did not take the mother cat to the vet as they
should have, and I have heard nothing further of the kittens.

A few weeks ago, I heard the chihuahua belonging to yet another
neighbor howling for at least 10-15 minutes. I went down to check out
what was going on and make sure the dog was okay. For my concern, I
was rewarded by insults, obscenities and finally, a threat.

The first neighbor I mentioned has always felt I hurt the little boy
who "owned" the two dogs that were put down, and has never forgiven me
for calling the Humane Society on that situation. As you can imagine,
after I called them on *her*, she stopped speaking to me. And told
her children I was "evil", and has told the neighbors who knows what?

I had never even met the woman who threatened me. But my neighbor
has. And I'm sure the woman who threatened me had her head filled
with wrong ideas about me by the first neighbor.

On top of all that, the first neighbor had a teenage girl living with
her for a time, ostensibly to babysit. This girl brought a contingent
of petty criminal teenagers with her into the neighborhood. Kids were
smoking dope and drinking beer on other peoples' porches, things were
showing up missing from peoples' yards and porches, and general havoc
was being wreaked. I talked to the police, I talked to my landlord,
and things got done. And my first neighbor got even madder.

The other day, First Neighbor's daughter's friend was smacking the
tree out front of my apartment with a stick. I yelled out, not
knowing what kids were out there, "Don't hit that tree!" I could
still see the stick waving around, so I went out on my porch to see
who they were and warn them again. First Neighbor came out, and let
loose a stream of insults and obscenities aimed at me. And this was
the day after I went down to the Prosecutor's office about the woman
who threatened me, and set up a mediation for First Neighbor and me.

This has got to stop. I feel like a pariah in my own neighborhood,
where I have lived for over 17 years. It is depressing, and
frightening.

I apologize for the long rant. All I am trying to do is help the
animals in the neighborhood, and keep the neighborhood from becoming
dangerous. And for this, I get screamed at, harrassed, lied about,
and threatened. It makes me want to cry.

First Neighbor and I have a mediation session scheduled for next week.
I don't know whether it will help or not. Any purrayers that it does
are welcome.

I just want it to stop. I just want people to be kind to each other
and to be kind to their animals. I guess I want too much.

A very depressed,

Ginger-lyn

  #2  
Old September 17th 03, 07:41 PM
Dan and Nancy Mahoney
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default

First Neighbor and I have a mediation session scheduled for next week.
I don't know whether it will help or not. Any purrayers that it does
are welcome.

I just want it to stop. I just want people to be kind to each other
and to be kind to their animals. I guess I want too much.

A very depressed,

Ginger-lyn


You've got mega-purrs from the Highland contingent.

I'm so sorry to hear about that situation. Sometimes we *have* to look
out for other people's animals. There are all together too many people
out there who just have no idea what it really means to care for an animal.

We'll keep our fingers crossed that the situation will resolve itself in
a positive fashion, and quickly.

I kind of wish there were laws requiring some sort of common-sense test
before people could own animals.

Dan

  #3  
Old September 17th 03, 09:36 PM
Victor M. Martinez
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default

Sorry to hear it's so bad right now. Let's hope things start improving.

--
Victor M. Martinez

http://www.che.utexas.edu/~martiv

  #4  
Old September 17th 03, 10:41 PM
polonca12000
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default

This really is so very sad. We are sending lots of purrs, best wishes and
hugs that things start getting better,
--
Polonca & Soncek

"Ginger-lyn Summer" wrote in message
...
It has been a long, difficult time for me, both this summer, these
past two weeks, and with roots in years ago.

snip I just want it to stop. I just want people to be kind to each other
and to be kind to their animals. I guess I want too much.

A very depressed,

Ginger-lyn



  #5  
Old September 17th 03, 10:50 PM
Yowie
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default

Many purrs and prayers - and some helpful energy - on their way, Ginger.

I really hope that the mediation goes well.

Yowie

"Ginger-lyn Summer" wrote in message
...
It has been a long, difficult time for me, both this summer, these
past two weeks, and with roots in years ago.

My neighborhood has been falling apart. And I have been trying to
keep it together, especially to help the animals.

We have the neighbor in our building who kept a cat chained up for
eight years, and allowed her to die slowly and painfully, as her
children watched, of feleuk. She also kept her dog chained up inside
24/7, and then outside, 24/7, where she finally broke our state's
pathetic animal abuse laws and I was able to call the Humane Society.
I had done it once, years before, on another neighbor in our building
who had gone off for 24 hours, leaving her two dogs chained up out
back, no food, no water, no shelter. Their chains got entangled, and
one dog, desperately trying to get loose, jumped through an open storm
door with no window or screen, and was hanging there, strangling, when
I heard him. I called the Humane Society. Sadly, both dogs were
determined to be dangers and were put down.

We have the neighbor who keeps his elderly beagle chained up outside
and passes out on his couch while the dog howls at 3 am. The dog has
food and water outside now because, of course, I called the Humane
Society. But he also has a habit of getting loose from his stake and
running out into the street. Once, DH and I ran around at 3 am or so,
trying to catch him. When we told the owner and asked him to call the
dog, he shrugged and said "He's old. If he goes splat, oh, well!"

We have the neighbor across the street who has two unneutered/unspayed
cats, one of whom recently gave birth to three kittens and wasn't
nursing. My next-door-neighbor found out about that, and came to me
to ask for ideas. I gave him what info I had and searched out more,
but I'm sure they did not take the mother cat to the vet as they
should have, and I have heard nothing further of the kittens.

A few weeks ago, I heard the chihuahua belonging to yet another
neighbor howling for at least 10-15 minutes. I went down to check out
what was going on and make sure the dog was okay. For my concern, I
was rewarded by insults, obscenities and finally, a threat.

The first neighbor I mentioned has always felt I hurt the little boy
who "owned" the two dogs that were put down, and has never forgiven me
for calling the Humane Society on that situation. As you can imagine,
after I called them on *her*, she stopped speaking to me. And told
her children I was "evil", and has told the neighbors who knows what?

I had never even met the woman who threatened me. But my neighbor
has. And I'm sure the woman who threatened me had her head filled
with wrong ideas about me by the first neighbor.

On top of all that, the first neighbor had a teenage girl living with
her for a time, ostensibly to babysit. This girl brought a contingent
of petty criminal teenagers with her into the neighborhood. Kids were
smoking dope and drinking beer on other peoples' porches, things were
showing up missing from peoples' yards and porches, and general havoc
was being wreaked. I talked to the police, I talked to my landlord,
and things got done. And my first neighbor got even madder.

The other day, First Neighbor's daughter's friend was smacking the
tree out front of my apartment with a stick. I yelled out, not
knowing what kids were out there, "Don't hit that tree!" I could
still see the stick waving around, so I went out on my porch to see
who they were and warn them again. First Neighbor came out, and let
loose a stream of insults and obscenities aimed at me. And this was
the day after I went down to the Prosecutor's office about the woman
who threatened me, and set up a mediation for First Neighbor and me.

This has got to stop. I feel like a pariah in my own neighborhood,
where I have lived for over 17 years. It is depressing, and
frightening.

I apologize for the long rant. All I am trying to do is help the
animals in the neighborhood, and keep the neighborhood from becoming
dangerous. And for this, I get screamed at, harrassed, lied about,
and threatened. It makes me want to cry.

First Neighbor and I have a mediation session scheduled for next week.
I don't know whether it will help or not. Any purrayers that it does
are welcome.

I just want it to stop. I just want people to be kind to each other
and to be kind to their animals. I guess I want too much.

A very depressed,

Ginger-lyn



  #6  
Old September 17th 03, 10:58 PM
Yowie
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default

"Dan and Nancy Mahoney" wrote:

I'm so sorry to hear about that situation. Sometimes we *have* to look
out for other people's animals. There are all together too many people
out there who just have no idea what it really means to care for an

animal.

Next door's dog, a beautiful pure bred spaniel of some sort used to howl and
cry all day. It sounded absolutley heartbreaking. Eventually I had to
confront the neighbours - at first they though I was complaining about the
noise, but finally convinced them it wasn't the noise as such that was
bothering me, it was the welfare of the dog.

They said it was because the dog had seperation anxiety and that while the
dog, Bella, was being treated with "happy pills" the only real way to train
her out of it was to go out for increasingly long periods so she'd get used
to her people not being there.

I didn't konw whether to believe them or not, as I really don't know them,
and asked if it was OK with them if I could go into their yard and check on
Bella if she started crying. Thankfully they agreed.

And yes, I am pleased to report that Bella has lots of toys, food & water
and a nice kennel out there, and now only howls and cries if her humans
aren't home by the time it gets dark. And she's also used to me coming into
her yard to give her a pat and reassure her.

They seem to be good neighbours. But I couldn't have lived with myself
listening to Bella's heart wrenching cries and howls without checking up on
them - and thankfully they understand where I'm coming from. I can only hope
they'd do the same thing for Fluffy if for some reason we were out and she
started crying.

Yay for good neighbours.

Yowie


  #7  
Old September 18th 03, 05:29 AM
Sherry
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default

I just want it to stop. I just want people to be kind to each other
and to be kind to their animals. I guess I want too much.

A very depressed,

Ginger-lyn








I just want it to stop. I just want people to be kind to each other
and to be kind to their animals. I guess I want too much.

A very depressed,

Ginger-lyn


I'm sorry you're having suuch a rough time with the sorry excuses for humans
that you have for neighbors....but....
YOU GO GIRL. *Someone* has to "speak for those who cannot speak for
themselves." Bless you for having the courage to do that. You keep it up. Is
there a humane society with an abuse team in your town?

Sherry
  #8  
Old September 18th 03, 05:54 AM
Christine Burel
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default

What an awful situation, Ginger-lyn...my heart goes out to you for all your
efforts to help the animals. Is there a chance the SPCA could step in and
help you? In any case, purrs that the mediation will help resolve some of
the nastiness and give you a chance to breathe; we'll be purring for you.
And sending many supportive hugs.
Christine
"Ginger-lyn Summer" wrote in message
...
It has been a long, difficult time for me, both this summer, these
past two weeks, and with roots in years ago.

My neighborhood has been falling apart. And I have been trying to
keep it together, especially to help the animals.

We have the neighbor in our building who kept a cat chained up for
eight years, and allowed her to die slowly and painfully, as her
children watched, of feleuk. She also kept her dog chained up inside
24/7, and then outside, 24/7, where she finally broke our state's
pathetic animal abuse laws and I was able to call the Humane Society.
I had done it once, years before, on another neighbor in our building
who had gone off for 24 hours, leaving her two dogs chained up out
back, no food, no water, no shelter. Their chains got entangled, and
one dog, desperately trying to get loose, jumped through an open storm
door with no window or screen, and was hanging there, strangling, when
I heard him. I called the Humane Society. Sadly, both dogs were
determined to be dangers and were put down.

We have the neighbor who keeps his elderly beagle chained up outside
and passes out on his couch while the dog howls at 3 am. The dog has
food and water outside now because, of course, I called the Humane
Society. But he also has a habit of getting loose from his stake and
running out into the street. Once, DH and I ran around at 3 am or so,
trying to catch him. When we told the owner and asked him to call the
dog, he shrugged and said "He's old. If he goes splat, oh, well!"

We have the neighbor across the street who has two unneutered/unspayed
cats, one of whom recently gave birth to three kittens and wasn't
nursing. My next-door-neighbor found out about that, and came to me
to ask for ideas. I gave him what info I had and searched out more,
but I'm sure they did not take the mother cat to the vet as they
should have, and I have heard nothing further of the kittens.

A few weeks ago, I heard the chihuahua belonging to yet another
neighbor howling for at least 10-15 minutes. I went down to check out
what was going on and make sure the dog was okay. For my concern, I
was rewarded by insults, obscenities and finally, a threat.

The first neighbor I mentioned has always felt I hurt the little boy
who "owned" the two dogs that were put down, and has never forgiven me
for calling the Humane Society on that situation. As you can imagine,
after I called them on *her*, she stopped speaking to me. And told
her children I was "evil", and has told the neighbors who knows what?

I had never even met the woman who threatened me. But my neighbor
has. And I'm sure the woman who threatened me had her head filled
with wrong ideas about me by the first neighbor.

On top of all that, the first neighbor had a teenage girl living with
her for a time, ostensibly to babysit. This girl brought a contingent
of petty criminal teenagers with her into the neighborhood. Kids were
smoking dope and drinking beer on other peoples' porches, things were
showing up missing from peoples' yards and porches, and general havoc
was being wreaked. I talked to the police, I talked to my landlord,
and things got done. And my first neighbor got even madder.

The other day, First Neighbor's daughter's friend was smacking the
tree out front of my apartment with a stick. I yelled out, not
knowing what kids were out there, "Don't hit that tree!" I could
still see the stick waving around, so I went out on my porch to see
who they were and warn them again. First Neighbor came out, and let
loose a stream of insults and obscenities aimed at me. And this was
the day after I went down to the Prosecutor's office about the woman
who threatened me, and set up a mediation for First Neighbor and me.

This has got to stop. I feel like a pariah in my own neighborhood,
where I have lived for over 17 years. It is depressing, and
frightening.

I apologize for the long rant. All I am trying to do is help the
animals in the neighborhood, and keep the neighborhood from becoming
dangerous. And for this, I get screamed at, harrassed, lied about,
and threatened. It makes me want to cry.

First Neighbor and I have a mediation session scheduled for next week.
I don't know whether it will help or not. Any purrayers that it does
are welcome.

I just want it to stop. I just want people to be kind to each other
and to be kind to their animals. I guess I want too much.

A very depressed,

Ginger-lyn



  #9  
Old September 18th 03, 08:45 AM
JHBennett
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Posts: n/a
Default

Ginger-Lyn, it is a sad truism that there are more horse's asses in this
world than horses. I know, I live next to one whom I discovered poisoning
animals, but that is another story.
People, including me, are often very free to give advise when they are
not going to bear the consequences. That's a way of saying that I would
likely deal with the situation more aggressively than you might feel
comfortable with. Whatever course of action you pursue must be something
you can live with, and I think that includes not compromising your
principles. Ammongst all of the other things you have done and plan to do,
might I suggest speaking to a lawyer and determining, if you might have
cause for a civil suit or restraining order, with some of these bad actors.
For sure I wouldn't go into a mediation without a firm idea of what I would
demand of the other party and, if possible, discussing it with an attorney.
It may well be that any such agreement you reach could, in effect, be a
binding contract, having the weight of law.
I, and many others here, wish you the best. Have courage and keep your
wits about you ;-)
Sincerely,
Jack


  #10  
Old September 19th 03, 01:49 AM
Ginger-lyn Summer
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default

On Wed, 17 Sep 2003 22:21:54 GMT, Tanada wrote:

Ginger-lyn, I'm sorry that you're having a rough time. Sometimes it
doesn't seem to pay to get up. The neighbors probably think that you're
intruding into their business, and that you should ignore their
activities. Basically, they feel as though you're conducting
surveillance on them. I understand both your desire to do what is right
for the animals, and their desire for what they feel is privacy.

You're right. They were wrong to treat their animals like dirt. But
they don't see it the same as you do. They think you're interfering in
their business, denying them their right to be first class jerks, and
making them look bad in the process.

WE know that you're only trying to do what is best, but they don't know
that. Do you think, using this mediation, that you can get neighbor #1
on your side? The best way is to be as non-confrontational as you can,
without letting the person walk all over you. Basically think carefully
about what you are going to say, what you think s/he'll say, and how
you'll respond to what they say. If an apology (shudder) will help,
make it. Sometimes one has to be the first to do right, even if it
hurts.

Feel free to vent, and ask for advice. There are a lot of people in
here with counseling, interviewing, advocacy, and other useful
experience. No matter what you have our purrs and soothing thoughts for
you to feel better and that the neighbor remembers to take their prozac,
or reasonable facsimile thereof.

Pam, Rob, and the NC nine



Thank you to everyone for your purrs and support. This is just such a
painful, difficult situation, and I really appreciate it.

Pam, I know you are right -- that is exactly the way they are looking
at it. But all I can do is think "If I don't speak up for the
animals, who will?" I know almost everybody here would, and there are
a few in my area, but I feel it is my responsibility when I see an
animal hurt or endangered to not just sit by, but to try to *do*
something.

I have tried to be gentle. I tried for a *long* time to talk to #1
Neighbor, gently, as did a friend of mine. No matter what we said, it
did not change anything. She had excuses for every thing we said.
Had I been able to resolve that situation by talking gently to her, I
would have been very happy. But it didn't work out that way.

I seriously doubt I can get her on my side now. She has even gone so
far as to tell her children that I am "evil". :-( And the only thing
I can in all honesty apologize for is hurting her feelings, as I'm
sure this is what she feels. I am going to think carefully about what
to say, and I am going to be my usual (most of the time!) reasonable,
calm self and hope I can somehow get her to understand that I have not
done these things to hurt her, her children, or the neighbors, but
solely to help the animals.

Thanks, Pam, for your insight and advice.

Ginger-lyn

 




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