'Time to get to work!': Fed up homeowner builds fence to block neighbor's 3-year-old neglected child from entering his property and feeding his dogs literal garbage

Author image for Blake Seidel
Blake Seidel • Managing Editor & Brand Manager
Jul 10, 2025 10:00 AM EDT

We have a few rules that we live by in our lives - one of the main ones is to treat people the way you want to be treated, and our dogs, our problem. If our doggo mistakenly steals a kid's ice cream while on a walk (this actually happened), we would of course offer to pay for a new ice cream for the kid. The same goes for the opposite scenario - if something was happening that put our doggos in a compromising situation, we would do whatever it took to keep them safe from it instead of waiting for someone else to fix it.

In this scenario, a frustrated homeowner is having trouble with his neighbor's terrible toddler, who has taken advantage of a hole in their fence to have unsupervised interactions with the homeowner's doggos and has even fed them literal garbage (because he's a kid and doesn't understand). Not everyone liked that decision, so scroll down and read all the juicy drama below!

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  • 01

    [Would I be wrong for] for purposefully blocking child's view from my yard/dogs?

    'I really can't stand this kid but I feel sorry for him.'
    via Mikel Martinez de Osaba

    This image is for illustration only, and the subjects are models; the image does not depict the actual subjects of the story.

  • 02
    Childless person here. My neighbor's 3yo is a handful.. we've had issues with him throwing food, garbage, jewelry, stuffed animals, toys, ect into our yard. The parents won't do
    via Semi_charmed_
  • 03
    anything about it, I've told the child to stop.. we remain friendly enough with the neighbors but the child has been a source of stress on our neighborly relationship.
    via Semi_charmed_
  • 04
    We have a gap in our shared fence where kiddo loves to visit/sticking his hands and face against the fence to interact with me and my dogs.
    via Semi_charmed_

  • This is just downright irresponsible. You never know what somebody's dogs are like. We're too accustomed to cute dogs on social media, but there are a lot of reactive and fearful dogs out there. Never let a child have an unsupervised interaction with a stranger's dog!

  • 05
    I don't enjoy these forced interactions and I don't want him calling for my dogs and coaxing them with food/toys/whatever he has in his hands. He has given them
    via Semi_charmed_
  • 06
    things that are not dog safe and I'm always having to pick up pieces of chewed food garbage and wrappers, which I find disgusting and disturbing that they could eat something toxic.
    via Semi_charmed_
  • 07
    www.www
    via Lisa McCabe

    This image is for illustration only, and the subjects are models; the image does not depict the actual subjects of the story.

  • 08
    My ask of WIBTA stems from I know the kid enjoys these interactions... His mom is not super interactive with him and he is left to entertain himself until the father and brothers get home. I really can't stand this kid but I feel sorry for him.
    via Semi_charmed_
  • 09
    I want to block the fence strategically with a trellis and by blocking my dogs from the fence line by installing a secondary fence. I am doing this under the guise of new landscaping, but the overall goal is the block this child from my yard.
    via Semi_charmed_
  • 10
    Background: we have had several incidents where the kid came into my property (front yard) unattended and drew on my car and house with a permanent marker.. issues where he broke a planter.. the parents view it as him being a
    via Semi_charmed_
  • 11
    child and I really shouldn't have a problem with their kid doing anything because he is a kid. That's really why I am wondering if it would seem like
    via Semi_charmed_
  • 12
    an obvious move to block the kid.. just trying to avoid more drama. Sorry if that sounds immature to some people, it's hard beefing with your neighbors lol
    via Semi_charmed_
  • 13
    Cheezburger Image 10526539776
    via Lolostock

    This image is for illustration only, and the subjects are models; the image does not depict the actual subjects of the story.

  • 14
    Update: This blew up a bit, but I wanted to thank everyone for the tips and advice... And most of all, the overwhelming response that I would indeed not be an a h le. I was expecting the opposite response, or parents telling me that this is normal... I'm glad
    via Semi_charmed_
  • 15
    that my experiences are not normal and there are good parents out there!! We have a camera in the back to help watch the dogs but as many suggested, we will get one in the front of the house to capture any wandering/leaving half
    via Semi_charmed_
  • 16
    eaten food/future damages to our property. The father tries to keep the kid in line, but the SAH mom does nothing to keep him in check.. I feel like she is overwhelmed and stuck in her situation. I will look into CPS, but am of course fearful about
    via Semi_charmed_
  • 17
    anonymity (I understand that is not an excuse not to report). I was looking at this as avoiding another rift with the neighbors, but the comments about ab were very eye opening to me, as neglect is a form of a se.. I appreciate being reminded of e that and am now thinking about
    via Semi_charmed_
  • 18
    this much differently. I am going to move forward and do more than originally planned to create a barrier between the property lines and will let them know I'll be adding a post (we're talking literally a fence post size gap) to block kiddo from being able to
    via Semi_charmed_
  • 19
    stick arms and face through. Our fence is a box fence so if you stand a certain way you have full view and he does stick his little hands between the posts in other areas, so it will be best just to prevent contact
    via Semi_charmed_
  • 20
    along the entire fence line. I appreciate the tips on adding more of a barrier.. I will be implementing those, thank you to those who offered those suggestions.. I am taking them! Time to get to work!!
    via Semi_charmed_
  • 21
    Electric_bugga_boo Absolutely nta - if kiddo got bitten, you're the one having to pay the price, likewise if something toxic ends up hurting the dogs. Block the fence and keep your pups safe. You are NOT responsible for mum's inattention, but you ARE responsible for your dogs.
    via Electric_bugga_boo
  • 22
    jetblakc I think you're thinking about this all wrong. this isn't an issue of a h le or not, for your dog's safety you have to block that, yesterday.
    via jetblakc
  • 23
    The kid's life will not hinge on whether it has contact with your dog for some short period in toddlerhood.
    via jetblakc
  • 24
    Hopeful-Artichoke4... Toddlers should never, ever be allowed to interact with a dog unsupervised. I wouldn't give this a second thought- your property, your choice.
    via Hopeful-Artichoke449
  • 25
    JuJu-Petti Great fences make great neighbors.
    via JuJu-Petti

  • This guy is being much nicer than we would be. If a neighbor's kid drew on our car and house with a permanent marker… there would be words. Lots of words. A fence is a much nicer solution.

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dogs neighbors work fence homeowner garbage property dog owners animals
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