pitbull

While I was away camping and having a lovely (and mosquitoey) time, my neighbours adopted a pitbull. Uggh. I came back to barking at the fence every time I brought a load from the car to the house, everytime I wanted to hang laundry on the clothesline and everytime I needed to get my bike from the shed. The kids and I became like prisoners in the house, afraid to go out.

Our community has a bylaw stating pitpulls older than the bylaw can stay if they're in a specially constructed pen, or muzzled and on a leash under the control of an adult At All Times. My neighbours prefer to let their dog run freely in the backyard, no muzzle, no leash, no adult. Our fence isn't strong enough to keep the nails from popping out if you even so much as bump into it; days like this I'd really like a strong privacy fence even if it does make the yard seem smaller. At least I can't see the teeth coming at me.

Several calls to the bylaw enforcement office and eventually the inspector made a trip out to their house. They were informed of the bylaw - hadn't had a clue - and I was assured that there'd be no further problems. The story goes that they're pet sitting for an out of town relation The warning didn't work. 4 hours later there was the dog again, running loose in the yard.

Inspector came out again and wrote up the first $500 ticket. The bylaws are there to protect us - these people wouldn't even have known if the dog had gotten out of the fence and went tearing down the street. The fence is not strong enough to stop anything that wants to get out. It's really just a decoration. If I was rich I'd build a new one - or Move. The ticket had no effect.

Friday night I called the hotline because Inspector had already gone home. I couldn't stand another weekend trapped inside. So much for the inflatable pool in the backyard: the kids were way to scared to go out the door let alone off the porch or have fun in the pool. Two inspectors came out after hours and there was no dog to be seen all day Sunday.

Well, Monday morning first thing, Inspector calls me to say petsitting is finished the dog has gone back to its owner's and there shouldn't be any more problem. Hah! 15 minutes later as I step out the door to bring the kids to their dad's there's the pitbull, loose in the backyard but this time wearing a muzzle. I call Inspector who says he'll be right over.

When I get back from walking the kids Inspector is on the porch and the dog is in the back trying to tear its muzzle off. It's doing a pretty good job and has it half off already. A little black poodle (another dog that seems to live there some of the time) is helping by pulling fiercely on the buckle. They get the muzzle off so the pitbull has it around his chin like some weird goatee. So much for the muzzle.

It's been a couple of hours and there's no sign now of any dog, the Inspector, or the owner. I'd love to hear "there won't be any more problem" but I'm not sure I'll believe it. We did enjoy the swim last night thinking that the dog was gone and we were safe; it would sure be nice to go back to living like our biggest threats are the smog and the thieves that are basic to the community - but who knows where the dog is now?