San Diego man dumps several pounds of chocolate chips on his lawn to scare off defecating dogs

A San Diego, California man dumped several pounds of chocolate treats on his front yard to ward off what he says are irresponsible dog owners who leave animal waste on his grass.

John Robinson said on 2 June that he dumped the chocolate chips on the yard to scare off pet owners. It is not an action that Robinson's neighbours approve of.

"They are scared of what he might do. This is like animal genocide pretty much, he's putting it out for animals to ingest and get sick," said Sarah Fisher, who is concerned about the health of her dog.

Robinson says he dropped the chocolate treats on his grass 29 May as an experiment, insisting the chocolate will not harm the animals even if many believe that chocolate can be toxic to dogs.

Now pet owners are steering clear of his home, an action that was Robinson's intent.

"They can walk on the other side of the street. I am tired of it. People's disrespect of my yard. I'm tired of the stuff," he said.

The neighbourhood pet owners are not standing still. Local media outlets reported that San Diego County Animal Control and San Diego Police are looking into the complaints by the area's dog owners.

Robinson says he intends to mow his lawn in the next couple of days to eliminate the remaining chocolate chips.