Woman sprays weed killer on neighbor's property, kills pet rabbits

We all know the nosey neighbor trope. Anytime you want to have a character that's a subject of ridicule for some easy fun and mean potshots in a TV show, just throw in an annoying next-door snoop. From Gladys Kravitz in Bewitched to Suzy Nakamura in Dead to Me, these busybodies are so excruciatingly annoying it's hard to believe that anyone like that actually exists.

But the truth is, they do exist. Yes, people that infuriatingly pushy are real.

This post from the AITA subreddit relates a story that seems like a plotline lifted straight out of a domestic-life drama. User tdog945's neighbor is a very particular woman who has some strong opinions on lawn upkeep and the rightful place of dandelions in this world.

Tdog is a self-proclaimed animal lover and has several pets who like to frolic and play in their backyard, which includes some cuddly rabbits.

They're so cuddly that Tdog often lets their nosey neighbor (one that they call a "Karen,") along with her son to hang out in the backyard so he can play with the little fuzzy wuzzies. Tdog also has a bunch of other pets, including dogs, cats, and a tortoise. It basically sounds like a dream scenario for any kid to happen upon and an even better situation for the kid's mom. Their child gets to chill with animals and she doesn't have to deal with any of the upkeep. 

But that little fact may've been lost on this particular Karen, who had an issue with the fact that Tdog had dandelions in their yard. Tdog liked keeping them on her property because bees enjoy pollinating them. Not that she needs to explain. 

One fine day, Tdog noticed that "Karen" was in their backyard, spraying herbicide all over her grass, which prompted OP to understandably freak out.

Their pets hang out in the backyard and are rolling around in and licking grass, as animals are wont to do. So not only was OP forced to bring the animals indoors for an extended period of time until the weedicide is completely gone — but two of their rabbits had died and another is in critical condition.

So now, they want to sue Karen for damages even though she acted like she was doing OP "a solid."

However, they feel a bit conflicted about taking the woman to court, since their parents and girlfriend think they're being "unnecessarily cruel" and that Karen's killing of the rabbits was an accident and it only happened because "she was just being a good neighbor."

They also urged OP to only ask that Karen pay for the vet bills, but they're still livid that the haven they created for their pets is now destroyed due to a nosey neighbor's decision to get trigger happy with poisonous chemicals.

OP also provided an exchange that pokes a hole in the entire "oh she was just helping you out" theory. They recalled a conversation where Karen had specifically asked about the dandelions and OP informed her that they enjoyed the "natural look" of their lawn. Then Karen quickly changed the subject to talk about OP's new car while probably plotting a way to get rid of those nasty dandelions. 

And even though OP was on the fence as to whether or not they should throw the book at Karen for what she did, it seems like their fellow Redditors weren't. Everyone overwhelmingly informed OP that they were, indeed, not the a-hole and were completely justified in getting fair compensation for the woman's decision to spray poison all over their lawn. 

While laws vary from state to state, the person's neighbor could face some serious crimes depending on the judge's ruling. Animal cruelty, for example, is a federal offense and a class 6 felony with a maximum penalty of $100,000 in fines and up to 18 months in prison. Trespassing on private property in some states could also carry up to a year in prison, as well. 

What do you OP should do? Should Karen be taken to court? Or should they only be on the hook for the vet bills?