'My unhinged neighbour threatened my dog over our walking routine and I'm livid'

Approximately 13.5 million households in the UK have at least one dog, representing around 36% of all households. It's almost impossible to take a walk in a park without coming across a few dog owners, and many of us who don't own a pooch ourselves still love ourfour-legged friends all the same.

Even those of us who aren't fans of dogs would never dream of hurting one. That isn't the case for one man's "obnoxious" neighbour, however. She has allegedly become so irate with the path he takes to walk his pet that she's threatened to "kick" the pooch if he comes near her property.

In a post on Reddit, the anonymous man said he and his partner moved into a new apartment last year in preparation for getting a dog, and in June, they finally picked up their puppy.

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He explained that while he lives on the second floor, the neighbour in question lives on the ground floor. Whenever he takes his dog for a walk, they pass by her windows, which leaves her fuming.

The neighbour particularly takes umbrage at the dog's frequent need to go to the toilet and its willingness to wee on the grass outside their apartment building. The owners have since coaxed their pooch to do its business slightly further away, but the neighbour is still fuming - and has begun threatening both the owners and their dog.

The man wrote: "She has demanded that we stop him from peeing near her apartment, including the grass by our staircase. We said no. She then demanded that we stop him from peeing on the grass near the parking lot. We said no again. At this point, her demands included most of the immediate grass around our apartment building.

"Since we weren't willing to be her doormats, she has escalated. She now yells at us whenever she sees us walking our dog. She has threatened to pee by our door to see how we like it, or to get dog poop and put it on the staircase, which is honestly unhinged behaviour."

The man contacted the apartment building management company about the situation, and they confirmed that he is in the right and that his neighbour is being unreasonable.

But that hasn't stopped the neighbour's threats, as the man added: "Two days ago she threatened to kick our dog if she saw him again. That was the last straw for us, and now we are working with the apartment company and the police to hopefully get her to stop her harassment of us."

Commenters on the post were firmly on the man's side, with many telling him to work with his property manager and even the police to have the threats taken seriously.

One person said: "Sadly, there are too many people that suck the joy out of life and the little things, like walking our dogs. Hope she gets fined, and evicted."

Another added: "In anticipation of her harassment, record as much of it as you can before going to the leasing office to file a formal complaint. Without evidence, it could just turn into a 'he said, she said' situation."

However, one saw the neighbour's side of the argument, stating: "She is definitely not in the right, but having your dog pee right by her window was just plain uncivil, especially in summer. Did you rinse everything with water before you left?"

What is the law on dog fouling?

Under the Anti-social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014, leaving dog fouling in a public area, including communal spaces, is an offence. The Litter (Animal Droppings) Order 1991, made under the Environmental Protection Act (1990), also places a duty on local authorities to keep certain areas clear of dog faeces, including any land laid out as a garden, any public walkway, any esplanade or promenade, and any picnic sites.

According to Keep Britain Tidy, anyone who fails to clear up after their dog could be issued a Fixed Penalty Notice of up to £100. However, if the case goes to court, this could cost the owner up to £1,000.

The law states that being unaware that a dog has fouled or not having a suitable bag to pick it up with are not reasonable excuses, and you could still be fined.