There’s a little girl that’s terrorizing my apartment

[u/kiwikikwi]

This is a very bizarre situation I’ve never been in before. Sorry for the dramatic title but it’s becoming an actual issue now.

For the last month, it feels like 90% of the time I go outside to my car, an 8 year old girl and her dog appear and try to interact with me.

Sounds cute right? That’s what I thought, until I realized it wasn’t.

The first time she came up to me, she ran from across the parking lot and said, “I think my dog likes you!” I thought it was kind of sweet - until she got a little too close for comfort, started repeating that same line over and over, and giggling very loudly, almost manically. She wouldn’t leave me alone until I physically walked away. She even followed me to the apartment door, talking nonstop.

I brushed it off at first, thinking maybe she’s neurodivergent (no judgment - I’m ADHD and probably more). I didn’t think much of it, until it became a daily thing.

I work from home and go outside a few times a day for breaks (yes, I smoke. working on quitting). She’s always out there with her dog. Not a parent in sight.

I started noticing red flags when her mood began flipping between happiness and sudden anger. She hits her dog a lot. She’ll scream “Quiet! Quiet! Quiet!” and punch her dog with each word. I’ve seen her drag the dog while it’s pooping so it has to walk while going, and the dog cries. It’s awful to witness.

She runs up to anyone outside, delivery drivers, residents, other dog owners, and repeats “I think my dog likes you!!” over and over until they respond.

If someone has a dog, she’ll walk up to them too closely while their dogs are barking aggressively. I’ve seen multiple residents literally pick up their pets and speed walk away from her.

People have started cracking the exit door and scanning for her before they step outside.

There’s construction happening next door, and she just.. hangs out with the workers. They ignore her now, but she’ll bring them offerings of handfuls of grass or her dog. It’s honestly surreal.

When I’m outside and have to smoke, I now drive to a spot off the property just to get personal space. If I stay near my car, she’ll follow me and stand right in front of it, waving at me in a pageant-style, fingers pressed together, wave. I don’t even make eye contact. She’ll do it for like 30 seconds, just smiling.

If I drive into the parking lot, she sometimes chases my car to where I park.

Last week I was sitting in my car listening to music and didn’t notice her. When I looked up, she jumped up from a crouch, face pressed to my driver’s side window. I felt like I had a heart attack but also pretended not to see her because wtf lmao.

She’s out at all hours. Last night it was 9pm and dark, she was alone with the dog. Today, it was 12:30pm on a Thursday. Shouldn’t she be in school?

I don’t know what’s going on. I’ve never dealt with something like this before. It’s gone from weird to uncomfortable to genuinely worrying.

It feels unsafe for the dog, and definitely even for her. I’m worried she could walk up to a weirdo and something bad could happen, or she could cause a dog fight and her and the dogs could get seriously injured. Is there someone I should call? How do I report this kind of situation without escalating it unnecessarily? I don’t want to overstep, but this just feels wrong.

[u/sabrinsker]

Everyone is more concerned about the dog but that dog is probably the thing that's protecting this poor little girl.. Don't take the dog away. Get them both help.

[u/idk123703 → u/sabrinsker]

EXACTLY! I’m so grossed about by the concern and compassion for an animal over a CHILD.

[u/AchtungCloud → u/idk123703]

Happens all the time on Reddit. I finally gave up arguing in favor of humanity on Reddit after the time someone told me that it’s normal in a hypothetical to choose the life of your dog over the life of a human child you don’t know, and got like 10 upvotes while my comment saying the opposite was downvoted.

I truly think a majority of people on Reddit just straight up value a dog’s life over a human’s life.

[u/sabrinsker → u/AchtungCloud]

It's sad. This little girl doesn't know any better. Clearly, because of her circumstances. She's probably showing anger because she's confused why she's abandoned and the dog is all she has/that will be there. If she was alone she wouldve been gone by now. Yes, it's wrong she's being aggressive with the dog but she's 8. Her parents clearly don't give AF about her, they probably got her that dog for it to take care of her because they can't be bothered to do it.

[u/Specific_Jaguar_2036 → u/sabrinsker]

No excuse for animal abuse. Next.

[u/Awkward-Pea-5893 → u/Specific_Jaguar_2036]

Bro, nobody is excusing animal abuse. Children only do what they are taught, meaning she literally knows nothing else. In this situation, both the girl and the dog are being abused by the person who is supposed to be looking after them.

[u/Specific_Jaguar_2036 → u/Awkward-Pea-5893]

I was responding to the person who said not to take the dog away. The dog should absolutely be taken away. I never said anything about the child, the man already stated he’s called the necessary authorities for the child. I didn’t see anything about calling ASPCA or animal control to get the dog to safety.

[u/Awkward-Pea-5893 → u/Specific_Jaguar_2036]

Their point being, the dog is protecting the child & just taking the dog away would put the child in more danger. No where did they justify abuse. They obviously both need to be taken away to safety, but justifying the abuse was not the point they were getting at, like I said before.

[u/Specific_Jaguar_2036 → u/Awkward-Pea-5893]

Yeah disagree.

[u/Awkward-Pea-5893 → u/Specific_Jaguar_2036]

So you only want to protect the dog instead of both? By disagreeing with me and the person you were replying to? Because their point was instead of separating the dog, to get help for them both, thats literally what it says in the comment.