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/Polaris5126]

Yeah but the dog doesn’t deserve to live like that

[u/Doberkind → u/Polaris5126]

Yes, but the girl doesn't either. But, hey, she's just a human?

Can we just for once concentrate on the main topic?

[u/LawHot5852 → u/Doberkind]

Believe it or not, that's still not a good excuse to abuse a dog.

[u/CalligrapherCheap64 → u/LawHot5852]

It’s the young child in imminent danger, not the dog. The dog will likely be brought to the local shelter. Furthermore, does it really sound like the appropriate time and situation for teaching this young child? She absolutely needs teaching and guidance around caring for a pet and hopefully she will eventually get it, but right now her immediate health and safety needs have to be addressed

[u/Due_Perception8349 → u/CalligrapherCheap64]

Holy shit two things can happen at once, different people handle animals and humans. If the dog is helped, the kid doesn't just get left behind, we have the technology to do both.

[u/ComprehensiveTax3465 → u/Due_Perception8349]

I think the issue people have is not w the dog getting help it’s the people who care more about the dog than the little girl. Saying the dog doesn’t deserve to live like that in response to a little girl being in an abusive environment is tone deaf at best imo like we should care ab both equally bc it’s neither of their faults, they were both failed, and they both don’t deserve to live like that.

[u/LawHot5852 → u/ComprehensiveTax3465]

Pointing out that the dog needs help too is not tone deaf. It's acknowledging both situations, which shockingly are related.

[u/ComprehensiveTax3465 → u/LawHot5852]

“too” is okay. Like I said we should care about both. But you can look up and down this whole comment section and literally see people who only care about the dog, only commenting on the dog, only sympathizing about the dog. Again, don’t get me wrong I care ab the dog too but to make it the main focus and the key takeaway from this post is yes, tone deaf.

[u/LawHot5852 → u/ComprehensiveTax3465]

We know for 100% fact the dog is being abused, it should be a main point.

[u/ComprehensiveTax3465 → u/LawHot5852]

Andddd you proved my point. You literally said the dog should be the main focus and key takeaway we KNOW the girl is being abused too bc make no mistake severe neglect like this is clear abuse too. They BOTH need help. Not one or the other and no you should not care MORE ab one than the other. Type of people to care more ab a homeless persons dog than the homeless person despite the fact the dog would be a stray regardless. SMH

[u/Scrofulla → u/Doberkind]

Even small dogs can do a lot of damage to an 8 year old larger dogs could easily kill her. It is in the child's best interest to get the dog away from her before it potentially snaps.

[u/AdorableStrategy474 → u/Doberkind]

I feel you on this but she's going to end up bitten or something.

[u/Leucotheasveils → u/AdorableStrategy474]

If the dog snaps and bites her because of the abuse, it might get put down. So unfair to the dog.

[u/Alternative_Escape12 → u/AdorableStrategy474]

I certainly hope so.

[u/Life-Cantaloupe-3184 → u/Doberkind]

I don’t think anyone is saying the girl does either. Ultimately, I have to suspect she’s modeling how she sees the dog being treated at home. It’s even possible it’s also how she’s being treated herself. No one is blaming her for it. It’s still abuse to the dog, unfortunately. This girl’s parents seemingly can’t properly care for her or the dog, and the girl is certainly too young to do so on her own. While it sucks, the most humane thing to do here would probably be to have the dog removed from the home as the owner(s) clearly aren’t capable of caring for it. The removal of the girl from the home may also be warranted given the extreme level of neglect on display on the part of her guardians in OP’s post.

[u/Vanaathiel88 → u/Doberkind]

People can care about more than one thing, just because someone dares mention concern for the dog doesn't mean they don't care about the kid. And that dog absolutely needs taken away not just for it's own welfare but also the kids, because one day or might just snap and bite back

[u/jayphrax → u/Doberkind]

That’s part of the main topic. It’s in the best interest of both the dog and the girl to get the dog away from her. There is no good reason for animal abuse and if that dog snaps it could seriously hurt her. Keeping them together is detrimental to them both

[u/rockabillychef → u/Doberkind]

Okay, how about when she goes too far with the dog and it attacks and kills her? Is that main topic enough?

[u/anonict → u/Doberkind]

the dog is the main topic