A dog that suddenly appears in your garden while your children are playing, growls or lunges at your own dog in the street, or keeps escaping through a gap in the fence. To the owner it is often “a lovely dog that only wants to play”; to you it is unsettling, because you don’t know how it will react. This article explains what you can do yourself, what you can agree with your neighbours and when to get help. Safety first Has someone been bitten, or is there immediate danger?

A rat darting along the fence at dusk, droppings by the shed, a burrow under the decking. When you then spot bird seed, bread or an open rubbish bag on the other side, it is tempting to join the dots. Yet you rarely know for sure where the animals come from, and your neighbours often have no idea that a long-standing habit attracts anything. This article explains what you can ask for and how to raise it without falling out. Why food and rubbish attract rats Rats and mice need

You have just planted out your vegetable bed, and the next morning it has been dug up and used as a litter tray. Or the cat from next door sits under your bird feeder every day. Many people love cats and still find this frustrating. In this article, you’ll find out why the owner may not know, how to raise it kindly, what you can agree, what UK law says and which humane deterrents can help. Why the owner may not know Cats wander, and most owners have no idea where theirs spend

Every morning they coo on your gutter, your balcony is covered in droppings and you would rather not hang washing outside any more. A neighbour feeding pigeons can make it feel even harder: they mean well, and you live with the results. This article looks at why the pigeons keep coming, how to talk to your neighbour about it, what you could ask for and what the rules in the UK say in general terms. Why the pigeons keep coming back Pigeons go where there is food and a safe pla

You open the front door and there it is again: a little pile on the path, in your front garden or by your gate. Your neighbour's dog fouling outside your home is a small annoyance that can feel much bigger when it keeps happening. This article looks at why it happens, how to raise it kindly, what to ask for and what the rules in the UK say in general terms. Why it keeps happening Most dog owners do not leave mess behind on purpose. Usually it is habit or convenience. The dog