Portsmouth police were called to 16th Street after a report of a loose dog running through the neighborhood.
The call came in around 7:15 a.m.
The caller reported that a black dog with white spots had broken its chain and was loose.
When officers arrived, the homeowner said the dog had already been hooked back up.
But the loose dog call quickly turned into a neighborhood argument over whether the dogs should be chained at all.
The homeowner told police he believed someone had entered his yard and unhooked the dog. He also said he has been having ongoing problems with neighbors on both sides of the property because they do not agree with him keeping dogs chained.
According to the police log, one neighbor inserted himself into the conversation and was upset that officers were not treating the situation as animal abuse.
Police advised that the dogs had food, water, and shelter.
The neighbor disagreed and went back inside.
Officers advised the homeowner to look into a no-contact order due to what he described as ongoing harassment from the neighbors.
Loose dogs can become a safety issue fast, but so can neighborhood feuds over animal care. If someone believes an animal is being neglected or abused, the best move is to contact Animal Control and document the concern — not go onto someone else’s property or unhook the dog.
In this case, no citation or arrest was listed in the log provided.
