Help! The neighbor's goats ate my trees!

[Java Guy]

LOL that is the best story ever! I don't know who got the worst part of that deal.

 

[marlingardener]

When we lived in upstate NY, a "neighbor" a few houses down our rural road had cattle. He didn't have good fences, and I'd look out to my backyard and there was a cow! I took the cow home several times and asked him to please check his fences. The next time the cow showed up in our backyard I simply led it about a mile away to an empty field and left it. He actually called to ask if his cow was in my yard! I truthfully told him"no".
How about a little stroll with a goat?

 

[alexiskilgannon]

Hmm...one in particular is quite the escape artist...you are right that they need extra fencing...or maybe leashing them inside would help manage them without so much expense to my neighbors.

I don't think it would hurt to ask them to do something. You can't help that their goat is an escape artist. They should be nice enough to do something about it, since it's their responsibility. I know I would feel bad if one of my animals destroyed something in my neighbor's yard.

 

[ChiliPeppa]

Call the sheriff.

 

[Chuck]

I can hear the sheriff's dispatcher now. " A trespassing goat?" ChilliPepper, the cops have more important things to worry about like Meth Labs, home invasions, burglary and assault. Unsolved murders and drug dealers coming across the border in droves and possible terrorists too! Remember that Beatles song, I Can't Get No Satisfaction? Well..........................................................................................

 

[Beth_B]

In Texas if this were to happen, the aggrieved party can legally hold and restrain the animal, whether it be a horse or cow or goat or any type of livestock and charge a daily fee for keeping the animal and charge for any damages the animal incurred.. If the owner of the animal does not respond within 45 days the animal becomes the property of the damaged party and can be sold (or eaten). If the owner does respond within 45 days but fails to reimburse the damaged party the courts can assess a fine of up to $10,000 and the loss of all animals involved. This is not a common occurrence but does happen, especially in the case of cattle getting loose

And in some parts of the US (and also the UK where I lived for years) it is perfectly legal for the landowner to kill, be any means necessary, the encroaching animals. A single small dog can run an entire herd of panicked sheep - they panic easily - off a cliff to their deaths, literally. (Most sheep in Scotland anyway are unfenced and on common grazing land.) And lots of cliffs in Scotland!

We had a billy who was very, uhhh, amorous & aggressive, and he got relegated to a smaller yard with a sturdy 6' fence. Assuming your neighbors have unaltered goats....well love can conquer all LOL. But the bottom line is,anyone with animals, be it cats or cattle, has a responsibility to keep and contain such animals so as not to cause stress to their neighbors. That's just common sense and courtesy, no?

And I say this as a former farm kid, who has continued to have various animals for decades even in the city. I'd be mortified and would feel very responsible if any of my animals were on my neighbors' property, let alone damaging it.

 

[Corzhens]

I

I like the idea, and would love for the owners to give up their goats as they aren't keeping them in. But in reality, wouldn't capturing these goats and selling them be stealing?

That's clearly stealing but in fairness to my husband, it was just an empty threat so the owner of the goat wouldn't let them loose again. It is heart-breaking to see your garden ruined by stray animals. You know, neighbors would be knocking on our gate to ask for camote tops (sweet potato vines) or banana leaves or even cassava roots. But after that ravaging, there was no more left.

 

[headfullofbees]

LOL that is the best story ever! I don't know who got the worst part of that deal.

The peacocks, I'd have thought.

 

[Mamasan]

That's clearly stealing but in fairness to my husband, it was just an empty threat so the owner of the goat wouldn't let them loose again. It is heart-breaking to see your garden ruined by stray animals. You know, neighbors would be knocking on our gate to ask for camote tops (sweet potato vines) or banana leaves or even cassava roots. But after that ravaging, there was no more left.

So very true. I am sorry for your loss!

 

[marlingardener]

Fortunately, in rural parts of Texas, everyone is pretty familiar with the laws pertaining to loose livestock, stock-running dogs, feral cats, etc. Most folks are responsible and keep their pets or livestock confined, and in the rare instances when something gets out, they come corral the animal and take care of any damages. In the rare instances when someone refuses to take responsibility, the landowner can take care of the problem him/herself.
We share so much of our vegetable/herb gardens that we really don't have a problem with loose animals--no one wants their source of goodies cut off! We do have a feral cat problem since new neighbors from town moved in with lots of cats "to keep the vermin down." Hey, that's why we have coyotes!

 

[ReadmeByAmy]

If you are the owner of a certain animal it is your responsibility to take care of your animals and if they are causing disturbance or damage to your neighbors property you should do something about it at once so that the situation will be solve at once. In your case even though you had already informed the owner of the goat still they are not responding and cooperating with your request about this matter. And this is really something that we cannot avoid sometimes in our neighborhood that we will encounter neighbors with different personality and behavioral traits..

 

[Corzhens]

If you are the owner of a certain animal it is your responsibility to take care of your animals and if they are causing disturbance or damage to your neighbors property you should do something about it at once so that the situation will be solve at once. In your case even though you had already informed the owner of the goat still they are not responding and cooperating with your request about this matter. And this is really something that we cannot avoid sometimes in our neighborhood that we will encounter neighbors with different personality and behavioral traits..

That was actually what my husband was planning when he caught the goats in our extended garden. He asked someone to inform the owner who lives about 10 houses away from us. And if that owner didn't come as per the summon, my husband would catch the goats and sell them. Fortunately, the owner came and deeply apologized for the damages done to our crops. And he promised that there will be no next time for the neglected goats.

 

[Ashanti Duggins]

Call you local animal protection service and tell them there are stray goats on your property and have them come get the goats.

 

[ReadmeByAmy]

That was actually what my husband was planning when he caught the goats in our extended garden. He asked someone to inform the owner who lives about 10 houses away from us. And if that owner didn't come as per the summon, my husband would catch the goats and sell them. Fortunately, the owner came and deeply apologized for the damages done to our crops. And he promised that there will be no next time for the neglected goats.

Maybe if the owner did not came the goats are already sold by your husband. Sometimes in our neighborhood it is hard to deal with the different kind of people living in our place like what I had said. And even if you are the kind of person who had the patience you will probably lose it in this kind of situation.

 

[Corzhens]

Maybe if the owner did not came the goats are already sold by your husband. Sometimes in our neighborhood it is hard to deal with the different kind of people living in our place like what I had said. And even if you are the kind of person who had the patience you will probably lose it in this kind of situation.

You made me realize that our place is a melting pot. One neighbor (in our very street) is so rich that he has 7 cars and a security guard. On the opposite end of the street are the poor squatters who don't have a land of their own. That place is where the suspected criminals are residing. So there is a mix of people here that's why we do not socialize because we are not comfortable with the squatters.