Nosy neighbors.

Man, I can't stand nosy neighbors. I was sitting on the couch today, studying, when the door bell rang. I could see through the window beside the door that it was an adult, not one of the kids friends, so I answered it rather than send one of the kids and it turned out to be a cop! He asked me if I owned a sheltie (a type of dog) and I told him no. He then asked if I owned a dog, and I turned to the side and little and said, "Yes, she's right here trying to say hello and she's a collie." He then proceeded to tell me that a neighbor called and reported a dog at my address that is left outside in our terrible weather (I'm in MN) all day long with no shelter except what little can be gotten from under the porch. I gestured to my dog again, and told him that clearly it wasn't MY dog since she was inside and spent most of her time inside the house and they must have the wrong address. He said it was definitely ours that was reported and I told him that there was another house with the same address right down the street, but apparently he was quite sure it was ours. The man was pretty much laughing the entire time we were speaking, obviously found it very amusing that the dog was inside and greeted him at the door when he came to investigate, but I couldn't find a reason to laugh. John and I checked on line and the sheltie breed does look a good bit like our Jessie, though it is a much shorter dog, so whoever called definitely meant to report our house. I couldn't believe it! One neighbor chains one of her dogs out on the front porch all the time regardless of weather, but were the cops called on her? No, they weren't. And don't think I don't know exactly who called the cops. It's the same horrible woman who has called the cops on us at least two other times and threatened to have James arrested when he was three or four because he got away from the house and went to her place and rode on her grandchilds bike (whom she provides daycare for, poor kids). The same woman that claims that her grandkids are NEVER out of her sight (she says she even takes them into the bathroom with her if no one else is home) and yet I've sent them home several times this past summer because she didn't know where they were. Same as I do with all the kids in the neighborhood, "Does your mom know where you are? If not, go tell her and then you can come back to play." I will admit straight out that New Year's day wasn't a good one for us with Jessie. We went to a friends, stayed longer than expected, and were worried about her being outside for so long (it was in the negative 20's). I hate sticking her in the kennel when we are gone but she can't be allowed to roam free in the house. BUT, when we realized how long she had been outside we sent Kimberly (my sister) to the house to pick her up and take her home with her and warm her up until we got back to town. Jessie goes outside first thing every morning to use the bathroom and stays outside until she asks to come in or starts barking at the school kids. She then goes outside several times throughout the day, whenever she asks to go out, and is brought in whenever she comes to the door and waits to be let in. If she's cold, she asks to come inside. If she's not cold, she stays outside and runs around and plays. I don't see what the problem would be with that. If my kids are playing outside, they do the exact same thing. Play until they are cold, and then they come in. Anyway, I have half a mind to go to that terrible womans house tomorrow and make it clear that I know that she is the one that called the cops and put the fear of ME into her. Like, calling the cops every time she goes zooming past the house scattering kids left and right, not waiting for them to get out of the way and almost hitting them, and honking at them even if they aren't near the street. Maybe I should call the cops every time one of her grand kids wander over to our place and she doesn't know where they are. I've never been the kind to let cops solve my problems, especially since my hubby used to be one, but I am very tempted to start a war. One which I know I will win. The only thing stopping me is the fact that we are trying to buy a bigger house and move out of state and it wouldn't be worth it to make a point in those circumstances. Otherwise, it would so be on.