What to, uh, do.

[Sundae]

I live somewhere where the norm is to let cats roam, but all dogs must be controlled. Any dog left to wander the streets is immediately deemed a stray. So I have little sympathy with your neighbour and do not see the dog/ cat situation as equal. Also no cat I know would poop anywhere near as public as a porch!

I understand that you've taken back your statement about walloping the dog (I understand, I posted about killing a rude butcher like a pig the other day) but honestly, it's not the dog's fault. Your first step should be to speak to the owners. It might be acceptable to let dogs run free there, I don't know. But poop on the poch is unreasonable, and after all dogs can be trained. I would expect owners to walk their dog at some after feeding, and collect any resulting faeces in bags for disposal. Again, YMMV, but to me it's part of being a responsible owner.

And, yes, Diz has a litter tray, so I get to be all holier-than-thou.