KATHY MITCHELL AND MARCY SUGAR | Annie's Mailbox Readers let today's column go to the dogs

Dear Readers: Remember "Creeped Out in Charlotte, N.C."? She said her neighbor, "Lily," allowed her pet, "Rover," to do his business on her lawn. We heard from so many readers with their own solutions that we're letting today's column go to the dogs. Read on for more:
From Jeffersontown, Ky: I had to laugh when I read your response to "Creeped Out." Report her to the police? Puhleeeeeze! Let me tell you how that works in my town. The neighborhood association is sympathetic but powerless. The police say they can do nothing because they actually have to witness the violation. (Can you believe it?) The police will tell you to contact Animal Control. Animal Control will visit the neighbor but ultimately will tell you to call the police. Then you're back to square one.
You should have told "Creeped Out" that, unfortunately, there are plenty of clueless and inconsiderate people in this world and that she should consider herself lucky that Lily has the decency to at least pick up after the dog.
Pittsburgh: Our solution may help. Every day we had a few piles of dog doodoo in our backyard, thanks to neighbors walking their dogs through a back alley. We put up a sign on a tree that said, "Please keep your dogs moving, as we have our quota of dog poop here." It seems to have worked because the dog droppings have trickled to a bare minimum. We recently added a second sign thanking them for their cooperation in helping us keep our yard clean.
Vermont: I had the same dog problem. My lawn was about 80 feet of frontage on the road with no sidewalk. Every day, the neighbors let their dog do his thing on our grass. I put a sign at each end of my property that read: "Canine Defecation Abatement Area." Ever since, the neighbors have walked their dog on the other side of the road.
Las Vegas: Here's a simple, effective way to prevent this rude behavior. Buy a pound of the cheapest black pepper and sprinkle it on the lawn by the street. Dogs have good noses and will drag the obnoxious owner to another lawn. This nonoffensive treatment worked for us for many years.
Upstate New York: When I'd had it with my neighbors and their dogs, I put a nice wooden fence around our entire property. It may look like a fortress to others, but our lawn looks the way we want it to. As an added benefit, we can sunbathe without having everyone watch.
Morton Grove, Ill.: I once caught my neighbor letting her dog poop on my grass. I rushed outside with a plastic bag and said, "Of course, you'll want this to clean up after your mutt." It must have embarrassed her because she never walked her dog near my lawn again.
Riverside, Calif.: If that neighbor cleans up after her dog, who cares where he poops? A dog has to go somewhere. It isn't the poor animal's fault that he can't use a flush toilet.
Louisville, Ky.: The writer said, "Lily picks up after Rover." Obviously Lily is trying to be considerate. I doubt Rover hurt her lawn that much, and surely the police have better things to do than mediate this "dog fight." Instead, you should have told her, "When you live in the suburbs, there are certain things you have to put up with. If your neighbors are reasonably decent most of the time, just tolerate the minor irritations."
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