S'pore man claims neighbour's dog poops outside his Havelock Road home for 2 years, neighbour points to faulty door

For the past two years, a resident at Havelock Road says he has been frustrated by a neighbour's dog regularly pooping along the common corridor.

It would happen two to three times a week, sometimes outside his house — even though they are not right next to each other — and sometimes outside other neighbours' houses, the man told Shin Min Daily News.

According to Shin Min, video footage from Sep. 28 shows a Pomeranian running to the man's doorstep at 4am and defecating before leaving.

Issue still unresolved

The man claimed that he had submitted a complaint to various authorities over the years, but to no avail. They apparently advised him to install a CCTV camera outside his house to get evidence.

Initially, when the issue first began, he would talk to the dog's owner and ask him to clean up the poop.

But later, the man started to have difficulties walking, and was unable to approach the dog's owner directly each time it happened.

He had to resort to informing the authorities to come and clean it up instead.

That does not solve the root problem, the man said.

"We don't think that it's a problem to keep pets," he added, "but people need to take responsibility and ensure that the common areas are clean."

However, other neighbours Shin Min spoke to said the dog had not pooped outside their houses before.

Poop was tossed aside

In another video footage provided by the complainant, the Pomeranian again went to his doorstep to relieve itself on the evening of Aug. 11, Shin Min reported.

A man believed to be the dog's owner's son appeared on camera, and looked to be picking up the poop, then tossing it down the corridor.

That night, dog poop was allegedly found at another spot along the corridor, and the complainant had to ask the dog's owner's son to clean it up.

"The problem keeps happening," the man said. "I feel helpless and very troubled."

The dog's owner's response

The dog's owner, surnamed Lin (transliteration), explained to Shin Min that the problem arose because he has been unable to shut his front door completely.

He demonstrated this to the reporters. No matter how hard he tried to pull it shut, the door would still open, according to Shin Min.

"The door is faulty," he said. "I did not let the dog out on purpose, so it's not my fault."

He was also often exhausted after work to notice the dog slipping out, and his children did not pay much attention either.

However, his children would walk the three-year-old Pomeranian every day, he added.

"There's no way I would have specially trained the dog to go poop outside [the complainant's] house," Lin said. "As long as they inform us, we will go to clean it up."