You don’t have to be friends with your neighbors, but you do have to respect them.

Even if you look at it from your own perspective, a little kindness and consideration can go a long way in maintaining a peaceful and pleasant community.

But a woman who goes online by the nickname Discount_Mithral lives near someone who doesn’t care about any of that.

So, as she explained on the subreddit ‘Petty Revenge,’ when their dogs started leaving stinky mines in her front yard, she decided to fight back.

This person’s neighbors have proved to be incapable of cleaning up after their dogs

Image credits: Chris / flickr (not the actual photo)

So she decided to do it for them

Image credits: LightFieldStudios / envatoelements (not the actual photo)

Image credits: Discount_Mithral

Local laws usually require people to pick up their pets’ waste

Image credits: jasminedelilah / flickr (not the actual photo)

Legal aspects differ from location to location, but pet owners are typically required to manage their pets and clean up after them. That being said, most communities have rules mandating that owners pick up their pets’ waste. Not to mention that it’s just common courtesy.

In many cases, if you are simply walking your dog normally and they step into someone’s yard to poop, you cannot be accused of trespassing. This is because, although someone’s yard is their private property, the law allows for some minimal use of the space without their consent. It’s the same principle that allows a delivery person to walk onto your doorstep to deliver a package.

But if your dog regularly pollutes the property with waste and has caused the owners a measurable loss (for example, ruined a flower bed), you may find yourself being sued in small claims court.

And although you may not be subject to trespassing or property damage laws if your dog does its business on a neighbor’s lawn, you may be violating more specific state laws and local ordinances, both of which require pet owners to clean up after their animals in most US states and cities.

It’s not just other people’s fences the pesky neighbors should watch out for, either. In some cases, letting your dog poop on public property can be an even bigger issue.

For example, the state of Washington requires that animal handlers “pick up the animal’s feces in developed recreation facilities, along designated recreation trails, and where posted by the department.” This includes places like public parks and the yards of government buildings. The law further tells you to “dispose of feces into a designated receptacle or take feces with [you] for disposal off-site.”

Most cities have similar laws requiring pet owners to clean up after their dogs anywhere they go, and the penalties can be steep. In Austin, TX, when owners fail to clean up, they can be fined up to $500. In Washington, DC, the fine can be as high as $2,000.

So if the Redditor’s neighbors don’t get the message, they could be in for more trouble than just a dirty pavement.

The story has been receiving a lot of strong reactions

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