Hi Lemmy, My HOA sent out a email saying dogs are no longer allowed on any grass in common areas or front yards including grass between sidewalk and curb which is… everywhere except our own tiny backyards. The reasoning is some dog urine effected dead spots. Honestly I didn’t even notice them, it’s 95° here and all the grass looks sad.

It’s a walking town and we are not a gated community, non-residents walk their dogs here all the time, so this rule can only punish those who live here and has no ability to effect others.

Anyway, this seems like a ‘we have tried nothing and we are all out of ideas!’ moment so I wanted to see if anyone here had any suggestions I can pass on to maintain a “good” curb appeal ground cover-wise while allowing dogs to do normal dog stuff.

I can converse with the HOA board in good faith, but this rule is basically banning dogs from the neighborhood - which I super did not sign up for.

Pertainent info: PA, USA - Town Home style homes - small central common grass - owned for 8y.

Edit: it seems like people may have glossed over the question part and skipped straight to HOA bashing (which is warranted at times!) so I will rephrase:

What ground covering or neighborhood solutions to similar (perceived) issues have other communities employed?

  • sadreality@kbin.social
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    1 year ago

    It doesn’t look like HOA is telling OP, they can’t have dog piss on their property and looks like at least residents are not interested in providing consent here.

    I don’t think there is any legal right for dog owners to have their dogs piss in public or private areas accessible to public.

    Many people are tired of the increased costs other people’s dogs impose due to piss damage.

    • Captnkrk69@lemm.ee
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      1 year ago

      Wtf are you talking about… a animal doesn’t have the right to piss in public?? I really hope you did drop a /s. I’m going to assume you did, because this is not reddit etc…

      • Excrubulent@slrpnk.net
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        1 year ago

        Strange as it sounds, it’s possible to stop animals pissing in public. Our HOA just installed laser turrets on every street to establish a no fly zone for birds, and birdshit has largely stopped.

        There is a new problem of insect infesations and bird carcasses on people’s properties though. Several people have been fined for leaving them there for more than an hour, but on the plus side that’s helping pay for the turrets, which are EXTREMELY expensive to purchase, maintain and power.

        There’s also been an uptick of plane crashes nearby caused by sudden pilot blindness, but we’re told that’s an issue of personal responsibility on the part of the pilots. They’ve been advised to take regular eye tests.

        • kent_eh
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          1 year ago

          Our HOA just installed laser turrets on every street to establish a no fly zone for birds,

          Wtf? Please tell me this is satire.

          • atrielienz@lemmy.world
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            1 year ago

            Yeah. There’s no way they’re serious. The FAA would come down on that HOA like the CIA on an off the reservation drug cartel.

      • sadreality@kbin.social
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        1 year ago

        Animal is property, it has no rights per se. Dog owner has no right to take their property ie dog to someone’s else property to piss and shit.

        • atrielienz@lemmy.world
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          1 year ago

          This rules limits members from having their own dogs pee on their own property. Literally you own a dog and now cannot allow that dog to go to the bathroom in the front yard you own and maintain.

      • canihasaccount@lemmy.world
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        1 year ago

        In California, Arizona, and the like, dog pee will kill off grass at the park, too. Lots of places have grass that should have desert climate flora, and dog pee does damage there.

      • CmdrShepard@lemmy.one
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        1 year ago

        My inlaws have a herd of Chihuahuas and they’ve actually managed to kill big patches of lawn along with about half the shrubs bordering their yard with all the piss. I think this rule is stupid and HOAs are dog shit but this stuff can damage plants.