Living together in harmony in close proximity takes understanding and effort from all parties involved. We should realise that we all have a responsibility, not causing situations where other people are disturbed by our activities. For example: playing loud music in the middle of the night, while others are asleep, is obviously very inconsiderate and disrespectful. It is really important to bear in mind the consequences of our actions if we wish to live in harmony together.
Owning a pet is a personal decision that we make, but our choices should not have any negative effects on others living near us. In general, if you are a responsible pet owner (see other chapters regarding responsible pet ownership on this website), then in most cases, you probably won‘t have a problem.
There are several situations which can cause a lot of problems and irritations, not only among people, who don‘t choose owning a pet, but also for those, who do love animals but are just very bothered by the whole situation.
EXAMPLE
CASE-1
A person, who owns 1 or 2 more dogs but allows their dogs to go in and out of their house without any supervision. Their dogs poo/pee in front of other residential houses, their dogs bark at people passing by, their dogs chase other dogs that are on a leash with their owners or simply like to cause fights. The owner‘s argument is that they feel sorry for the dogs to be locked up and they refuse to understand why their dog‘s behaviour upsets other people. The pet owner automatically assumes his neighbours don‘t love animals, but in fact, all people are bothered by it. We can easily conclude that this is not responsible pet ownership. On top of that, it‘s also very dangerous for the dogs to be unattended, because they could be caught by the dog meat resto‘s or simply be caught to be sold forward. In general, the end result is that people dislike the dogs and are upset regarding the current situation.
EXAMPLE
CASE-2
A person, who owns one or more dogs but has them tied or caged most of the time or all the time. Dogs that are tied or caged are very frustrated, so they tend to bark a lot. Obviously this is horrible for the dog, but its also pretty horrible for the neighbours having to listen to the non–stop barking.
These dog owners get sometimes offended when spoken to, because they feel that it‘s their business as it‘s on their property. They tend to forget the barking of their dogs can be heard from afar.
EXAMPLE
CASE-3
Walking your dog and letting it poo outside, but not picking up after your dog. You choose to have a dog, not your neighbours; the least you can do is pick up after your dog
Please be a kind, responsible and considerate human being. Mutual respect and consideration goes a long way!
And as a pet owner, please be a responsible pet owner for the well being of your pet and also for the well being of your neighbours !!
