Several years ago I wrote a song called “Sleepy Tirade,” about being too tired and distracted to sleep. One line from the song is, “Someday, someday, those barking dogs will die.” This is not my general sentiment towards the neighborhood barking dogs, for I fault them not for being who they are. But that doesn’t mean they’re not a problem.
Our church’s vacation Bible school was this week. In addition to leading the VBS music, I was in charge of the offering project, which was to buy animals for Heifer International. We ended up collecting enough money to buy a pig, honeybees, rabbits, and geese. (Geese, according to Heifer’s literature, are good watchdogs.) Anyway, on Tuesday evening, while we were at church, our house was shown. According to our agent’s report, the walk-through went very well, but only until the prospective buyers reached the back yard and were blasted by the barking of dogs.
Now our dilemma is this: What should we do?
Nothing? After all, maybe the next shopper will love barking, and who needs annoyed neighbors?
Call the sheriff? I researched the ordinances again and yes, we would be justified, and maybe the neighbors would eventually tire of paying the fines, and get rid of the dogs.
Write a letter? Dear Neighbors: We have appreciated your kindnesses over the past years and will be sorry to leave our good neighbors. This week our house was shown to some prospective buyers. Our real estate agent said that the showing went really well until they went out into the back yard, where the barking dogs prompted them to say they will continue looking at other houses. We are, of course, disappointed, and wanted to express our frustration about the barking dogs. Not only have they been a nuisance to us personally, it appears that now they are a deterrence to potential buyers. Please get rid of the dogs, or put barking collars on them, or something (or maybe buy our house–it’d make a great rental!).
Talk to them? Maybe if they knew of our dilemma, they would willingly–tearfully?–repent and send their canines to faraway places.
We’re still thinking. Any ideas?
2 Comments
Anonymous
You might want to sedate the dogs prior to any visits by prospective buyers. Of course you will have to get permission from their owners. The local vet can help you with this.
Were the dogs barking when you bought the place?
current typist
Dear Dr. Perfection,
You have pointed out a very keenly observed fact: Yes, the dogs were barking when we bought the place.
Indeed, just WHAT were we thinking? And what will the next people, if they ever materialize, be thinking?
And thank you for the sedation suggestion. We’ll keep that option in mind!