Q: My neighbors let their dogs wander around wherever they want
My neighbors let their dogs wander around wherever they want and I frequently have to slam on my breaks or swerve to avoid hitting them when they wander into the road. I'm afraid someone is going to hit them some day. What can I do? They also look underfed to me but that is just speculation.
A:
What do you want to have happen? It sounds like you want to have the neighbors pen in their animals and treat them well. There is not much from a legal standpoint that you can do however. If the dogs are trespassing onto your property or are destroying your property you can bring a lawsuit against your neighbors for the destruction the dogs are causing. If you injure yourself because you had to swerve to avoid hitting the dogs, you may have a claim against your neighbors.
More likely than not though the solution here is going to lie outside of a courtroom. If you believe the dogs are being mistreated, contact your local animal control, the humane society or SPCA. Animal abuse and neglect is a crime in Indiana so if it is severe you can also contact the police. I would advise contacting the police to ask about what to do about her roaming dogs, especially if they are running out into traffic.
Justia Ask a Lawyer is a forum for consumers to get answers to basic legal questions. Any information sent through Justia Ask a Lawyer is not secure and is done so on a non-confidential basis only.
The use of this website to ask questions or receive answers does not create an attorney–client relationship between you and Justia, or between you and any attorney who receives your information or responds to your questions, nor is it intended to create such a relationship. Additionally, no responses on this forum constitute legal advice, which must be tailored to the specific circumstances of each case. You should not act upon information provided in Justia Ask a Lawyer without seeking professional counsel from an attorney admitted or authorized to practice in your jurisdiction. Justia assumes no responsibility to any person who relies on information contained on or received through this site and disclaims all liability in respect to such information.
Justia cannot guarantee that the information on this website (including any legal information provided by an attorney through this service) is accurate, complete, or up-to-date. While we intend to make every attempt to keep the information on this site current, the owners of and contributors to this site make no claims, promises or guarantees about the accuracy, completeness or adequacy of the information contained in or linked to from this site.
