'Neighbour wants me to get rid of dogs so their kids can play in my garden'

Moving into your dream home is an exhilarating experience, particularly after the arduous journey of saving for a deposit. However, one couple's excitement turned to frustration upon encountering their new neighbours and being lectured on dos and don'ts about their own house.

The 36-year-old husband took to Reddit to share his recent experience of purchasing his first home with his wife - and the drama that ensued with their fellow residents.

He told how they finally landed on an amazing property with a "huge back garden" that had been a focal point for the community under the previous tenants, who had set up the area for kids to play, The Mirror reports.

The couple initially decided to keep that tradition going, though said they would not take responsibility for the children themselves. This continued without issue for a while, until the man's parents' dogs came to stay.

And the new canine tenants weren't completely welcomed by the neighbours, with some of them even making demands about how the couple should run their own home.

The unimpressed husband wrote: "The previous owners of our place were an elderly childless couple who were well known in the area for basically being grandparents to everyone and the husband had built multiple tree houses and bridges in the trees for kids to play in.

"The property is fully fenced but has three swinging gates into it. When we first moved in we were approached by the next door neighbour who very politely asked if her kids could keep using the back yard to play in.

"We agreed that it was OK so long as she understood that if her kids got hurt it wasn't our problem and we wouldn't be supervising kids playing or anything. She was fine with that and seemed very appreciative and brought over cookies and juice when she came over to watch her kids.

"Word went around and eventually we had around a dozen kids coming by each week, some supervised, some in groups of two or three, but everyone was polite and tidy so we didn't really care."

Sadly, after Christmas, the man's parents moved into a retirement home, where they could no longer look after their two dogs. The couple were more than happy to take on the pets - an 11-year-old Belgian Shepherd and a 12-year-old German/Belgian Shepherd cross.

The man continued: "My wife and I jumped at the chance to take them, partly because they probably don't have many years left and we saw it as a good opportunity to get used to having dogs before getting a puppy, and also because we know these two dogs are super well behaved and I love both of them dearly.

"During the day they chill out in the backyard or on the porch. Once a week we go around the yard and pick up their poo. The kids all adore them and some of the older kids have been allowed to take them for walks.

"We put a sign up on the gates saying to keep them closed and warning about the dogs for anyone who may be scared. The problem started when a lady we didn't know showed up at our house and started screaming at my wife.

"Apparently her six-year-old had come home with his friends and they had dog poo smeared all over their hands. She basically told my wife that if she didn't get rid of the dogs then her kids wouldn't come over anymore and she'd press charges for endangerment.

"My wife basically told her to go away and that it wouldn't have happened if she'd been supervising her child. The woman left and came back with a petition and around six signatures for us to get rid of the dogs.

"We told her to go away and that kids were now no longer welcome. We locked the gates and put signs up explaining and left it at that. Several of the nice neighbours have come by to beg us to change our minds but we don't want to risk it and we don't have the time to supervise the kids so the gates stay locked.

"We are now arguing with a couple of people who feel it's unfair that the entire neighbourhood is tarred because of one person's actions."

The man has been left pondering if he's in the wrong for keeping his gates shut following the incident, so turned to Reddit for answers. Most users agreed he can enforce whatever rules he wants on his own property, with many also blasting the woman for her demands.

One replied: "There is something seriously wrong with people who think it's OK to sign a petition telling other people to get rid of their well-behaved, confined, senior dogs. Like beyond simple entitlement wrong.

"I would just explain to your good neighbours that it's a decision you had to make to protect yourselves and your dogs and it would cause way too much trouble if you let some children in and not others.

"Honestly just telling the parents you aren't liable if their kids hurt themselves may not be enough to protect you, if you do choose to allow children in again, [I recommend] talking to an attorney first."

Another user pointed out: "They're mad they don't have free babysitters/playground. Not your monkeys and not your circus. I will never understand why people think they are entitled to other people's property.

"Just say: 'sorry your neighbours moved but that's not your property it's mine'. I would choose my dogs over any human - especially children. I'm child-free and love dogs more than anything. Make sure to tell them which lady it was."

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