C**** S***** 10 am
Tayloring to address the issue of a neighbour throwing dog waste into your yard, you should
take a calm, documented approach, starting with communication and escalating to authorities if the behavior continues. Do not retaliate by throwing the waste back, as this can lead to further legal trouble. Recommended Steps
- Document Everything
- Install a security camera: This is the most effective way to capture clear video footage and photographic evidence of the incidents, including the person's face and the act of throwing the waste.
- Log incidents: Keep a detailed log of the dates and times each incident occurs.
- Collect evidence (carefully): Collect and temporarily store the bagged waste as evidence of the ongoing issue and its severity.
- Communicate (Non-Confrontationally)
- Have a calm conversation: The neighbor may mistakenly believe the waste belongs to your dog or may not realize how much of a problem it is. Approach them politely at a good time and explain the issue, the health risks (dog poop is considered raw sewage and can spread diseases like E. coli and Salmonella) and express how it affects you.
- Send a formal letter: If a verbal chat doesn't work, send a formal, certified letter (keeping a copy for yourself) asking them to stop.
- Report the Issue to Authorities
- Contact your local council/authority:Uncollected dog waste is often a public health or nuisance violation and can be reported to your local council's environmental health department, animal control, or code enforcement. Provide them with your documented evidence.
- Report illegal dumping: Tossing waste into someone else's yard can be classified as illegal dumping.
- Contact police: If the behavior continues after you have reported it to the council, or if you feel threatened or the act could be construed as a form of assault or harassment, you can file a police report.
What NOT to Do
- Do not retaliate: Do not throw the poop back at them or onto their property. This will escalate the conflict and could land you in legal trouble for illegal dumping or other violations.
- Do not make threats: Avoid any confrontational or threatening behavior.
- Do not rely on informal methods alone:While signs or motion-activated sprinklers may deter some, formal documentation and reporting are essential if the problem persists.
By following the proper channels, you can address the problem legally and effectively while protecting yourself from potential escalation.
Man who dumped dog waste in police station garden loses appeal
Malvern resident shames poo perpetrators leaving dog defecation on his nature strip
A fed up Malvern man is flushing out the crappy culprits leaving doggie defecation on his nature strip, catching them brown handed and publicly exposing their dog act.
Gianni Francis
December 10, 2025
A Malvern man fed up with the crappy behaviour of canine owners letting their dogs defecate on his nature is filming their antics and publicly shaming the perpetrators.
Derek Graham has had enough of dodging dog poo, often unsuccessfully, outside his home and has decided to flush out the crappy culprits.
Mr Graham has begun to plaster the face of the poo offenders on a picket outside his home after he watched CCTV footage outside his home with a mixture of “disbelief and irritation” as a woman was heard saying “good girl, good girl” to the dog as it defecates on the nature strip.
The woman then looked around, “makes sure the coast is clear, then walks off”, he said.
To add insult to injury, the woman walks past in the other direction a few minutes later, “looks at the poo and keeps walking”, Mr Graham said.
A Stonnington City Council spokesman said the community was expected to do the right thing and clean up after their animals – which most people had no trouble doing.
“Under Council’s Local Law, failing to collect and properly dispose of dog waste carries a $200 infringement,” he said.
“For an officer to issue a fine, they must either witness the breach or be provided with clear evidence that identifies the individual involved.
“We encourage residents to report problem behaviour to Council with as much detail as possible so our officers can investigate.”
Mr Graham said he wouldn’t mind if a dog poo was deposited “once in a leap year” but Gordon Grove residents have been forced to pick up so much dog poo in recent months that he could no longer abide it.
“It really makes you mad that people leave a mess for you to clean up,” he said.
“It’s on the nature strips and the kids walk it into the house.”
He said his neighbours have also been terrorised by the turds, with several residents reporting stepping on the lavatory landmines.
“I actually caught one of them and had a little word to her as she walked past as well.
Being such a ritzy neighbourhood, Mr Graham said he and his neighbours were disappointed that the dog walkers were “too precious to pick up after their dog” and didn’t have more pride.
The sign now stands as a warning to dog walkers to pick up their pet’s poo.
