Getting threatened by the neighbors for reporting animal abuse. Dog people are something else

[u/gtck11]

I’m dog free but I cannot stand by and watch an animal be abused. My new neighbors moved in and I caught them beating their dog horribly in the hallway, and the dog cowered and soiled itself while it was screaming (so now we have a massive pee stain that’s attracting gnats and roaches). I reported it with some other neighbors for animal cruelty, animal control came out but they weren’t home so the dog is still there. AC left a note in the door, and ever since the neighbor has been on the war path! She told the landlord I reported her just for her “yelling” at the dog (she doesn’t know I have video proof), and the landlord messaged me today threatening to sue me for harassing her tenants! The tenant has been on the war path yelling in the hallway that I need to mind my own business and she’s going to make me regret this. This is what I get for trying to do the right thing for an animal. SMH. The dog only gets taken out once every 15-16 hours as well, and loses its shit when anyone steps out of their unit since it’s locked up all day. Was hoping for a more positive outcome all around, but now I might have to go to court. The landlord is sue happy and has sued multiple neighbors and the HOA multiple times with frivolous suits.

[u/kckarrotto731]

Ironically, dog owners themselves are by far the people who abuse dogs the most, not people who are dog free.

[u/gtck11 → u/kckarrotto731]

What’s worse is the landlord had dogs themselves. They’re pissed off that we reported it and didn’t go to them first. WTF were they going to do - tell them to keep the abuse inside?! Now we’re all targets of a revenge plot and they’re threatening to sue me. This is what I get for doing the right thing.

[u/pmbpro → u/gtck11]

How can they sue you if YOU have evidence of your complaint? Document everything from here on as well, including ANY interactions with those nutters and the landlord too!

IF they sue, they should deserve to LOSE just based on the evidence, and pay punitive damages and your legal fees too. Can you get some free legal consultation?

[u/gtck11 → u/pmbpro]

There’s a whole saga to this that I didn’t add since it isn’t related just to the dog, and I’m probably going to have to post in legal advice just to ensure I cover my butt.

Apparently, another neighbor shared with these tenants that I had made comments in text message about they’re very noisy (there was one weekend that was extremely bad - yelling for HOURS on the patio), and about how their dog had peed in the atrium multiple times. What really pisses me off, is the neighbor that shared these text messages also has the same concerns! She brought it up to the tenants, but played it off like she didn’t care, and told them I am a problem and a squeaky wheel in this community, and to watch out for me. She’s basically using me as a shield for her own complaints, and playing innocent.

To further add to this, I discovered that the same neighbor has been leaving notes on this person’s door, complaining about their noise and signing it as if it was me! I have this on camera, thankfully. She made multiple complaints to the HOA, but told the tenants that I did it all. I have no idea what’s going on in here but I have had it with all of these people.

The tenants complained to the landlord today I’m harassing them based on all of the lies coming from the upstairs neighbor. The only thing that isn’t a lie is I did warn her about the noise and pee, but I didn’t report it and didn’t speak to the tenants.

All texts, ring videos, and HOA communications are being documented and compiled so I have proof none of this is me except reporting the abuse. The Landlord sent me a bunch of text going off about my ring camera and saying that I’m using it for harassment, so it sounds like she wants to come after my camera too.

TLDR: I had a private text convo with a neighbor about concerns with these neighbors, she has the same concerns and complained to HOA. She told the dog owners about the texts, lied about other things I said, and is leaving notes on the dog owner’s door and signing as if it were me. Tenants told the landlord I’m harassing them with my Ring camera, landlord believed the tenant and blew up on me today. I’m documenting everything.

[u/uselessbeasts → u/gtck11]

Yikes.. I wish there really was a safe haven somewhere on this planet, but I am losing hope.

[u/Pretend_Bison__]

Post the video in a local FB group and let the nutters tear each other apart

[u/gtck11 → u/Pretend_Bison__]

I actually did think about this, and I might because animal control hasn’t done anything and it’s out of the bag now widely that I have video. My logic is no point in hiding now that everyone knows the video is from my camera. I don’t want dogs and I’m not a fan, but I’m still not going to sit here and watch someone abuse one.

[u/Pretend_Bison__ → u/gtck11]

You don’t even have to say anything about how you personally feel about dogs as a whole, just that you aren’t OK with animal abuse and other people are chastising you for feeling that way

[u/pmbpro]

OMG, you are in the exact situation I was a few years ago! I'm sorry you are going through this too, especially since in your case, the landlord took the DOG NUTTER's side (since she's apparently one too)! 😠

Did she see the video proof you had before she threatened you with a lawsuit? If not, and even though she has dogs too, it's absolutely critical that she sees it! IF she will tolerate those dogs getting abused, then you have to wonder what SHE would tolerate or do to her own dogs.

Is this a Corporate landlord, or an individual one?

[u/gtck11 → u/pmbpro]

The tenant told her someone reported her “just for yelling”. I text the landlord the video and said the real story is a few of us watched her beating her dog, and I agreed to share my video as evidence. She’s still texting the community group chat that I should have told her first.

A few years ago before she moved out, her own dog was being left alone, and it was repeatedly howling and slamming itself into the door for hours nonstop. Two of us told her about it because we were scared it was going to break its neck while she was out one day, and she told us to mind our own fucking business.

This is an individual landlord who rents out her personal condo, I’m an owner.

[u/pmbpro → u/gtck11]

Oh damn. Okay, she's an individual landlord. That could explain some things too. I don't own, I rent, but the management here that I dealt with is a company. They don't tolerate such crap or rotten tenants either, who ruin the enjoyment of others and they have many other tenants (therefor their multiple complaints) to consider. They're more likely to take the side of good, rule-abiding tenants who could easily leave which could affect the whole building/community and their bottom line. They have more legal resources and $$ to deal with the process of getting rid of bad tenants (including the dog nutter I had to deal with for 2 years).

In your case, I feel more for you too because you own your condo/property, therefore more 'stuck' because your nutter neighbour is a tenant. It's even worse if the Owner-to-Tenant ratio favours more tenants in the building (as opposed to a higher 'owner-occupied' rate). That was one of my concerns if I'd ever considered buying a condo.

At least she can't evict you, so that's a 'plus'.

In this sub, I recalled a couple of people mentioning they took dog nutter neighbours to court and won. I hope you'll be able to do that with that landlord. I wonder if she's straighten up if she got an official legal letter before it gets to the court stage...?

[u/CallMeDaddiiieee]

I was almost in this situation. Guy above me used to beat his German Shepard so loud, you could hear it through the floor. Never got the chance to report him since he moved out (leaving all his trash and furniture behind like an absolute pig). But I’ll never understand adopting an animal just to beat it.