Feeding other people's pets usually comes from a good place, but there are many reasons that it can be damaging and harmful for the animal.
One pet owner has been left furious after discovering that their neighbour keeps feeding their two dogs over the fence, despite being asked not to.
The woman who lives next-door has ignored their pleas to stop and is continuing to throw bones and sausages to the pups, who are both on specialist diets.
A member of the family has taken to Reddit to rant about the infuriating situation, as it is making their beloved dogs sick and unwell.
The post reads: "I have two dogs that are outside most of the time, they eat twice a day because they simply won't eat more. They also get a few treats every now and then.
"We started noticing dog treats in the shape of bones in our backyard (we don't use them, our dogs don't like them) - we shrugged it off and thought they were old.
"Then my sister saw them throwing food at our dogs and kindly asked them to stop, and our neighbours said they thought we were struggling financially and wanted to help us out. My sister said thanks but no thanks."
A few weeks later, the family noticed more dog treats appearing in their garden, and told them to stop again.
"About 10 minutes ago, I went outside to bring my dog in and noticed the neighbour throwing hot dogs at her, and as soon as she saw me she walks inside," they wrote.
"As she's walking I'm telling her that it's not necessary for her to feed them but she completely ignores me.
"My dogs are on a diet their vet put them on, and they've gotten sick from the food my neighbours throw at them before.
"We've told them to stop multiple times before but they just keep ignoring us."
The dog owner is at a loss over what to do next, and has welcomed suggestions from Reddit users.
Ideas include sending the neighbour the vet bill, threatening to sue her and file a neighbourhood complaint.
One person said: "I would recommend putting up a security camera and let them know they're now being monitored and further violations will warrant legal action for potential endangerment of your animals."
Another user believed the neighbours may have a sinister objective, and they should protect their dogs at all costs.
"If they have their own agenda for getting rid of your animals, you need to get proper protections in place now," they advised.
Though few people agreed it could be a misunderstanding.
To reduce the tension, a person suggested: "One thing you could do is bring them some treats and tell them they can give two a day to your dogs. Instead of going to war with them try to work it out."
Some people were concerned about the dogs' welfare and if the family were actually neglecting them.
"It's not good for your dogs to be left alone outside all day, and if they bark a lot, throwing the treats might be your neighbour's way of trying to keep them quiet so they're not barking all day long," someone wrote.
What would you do in this situation? Let us know in the comments.
