‘We’re living in complete hell’ - Overwhelming dog poo stench from East Lothian address leaves neighbour trapped indoors

Puppies have been seen walking around in their own excrement.

A mother-of-two said the stench of dog poo coming from her neighbour’s house is so overwhelming her family cannot enjoy their own outdoor space.

Megan Thorburn lives next door to an unpopular pet owner who appears to not clean up after his animals – a female dog and her litter of puppies.

The concerned resident has footage showing the dogs walking around in their own excrement in a courtyard, where they sleep and eat, at an address in Prestonpans, East Lothian.

Recent images show the dog and her puppies walking around in their own excrement at an address in Prestonpans, East Lothian

Ms Thorburn said the intense smell of dog poo is so overwhelming her family feel trapped inside.

“We are living in complete hell.

“I can’t have my windows open because the smell is awful.

“And my outdoor space is on the other side of the fence to where this is happening, so my children have no outdoor space at all through lockdown.”

The mum of two boys, who has been overlooking the dog and puppies for the last two months, said she rarely sees the area cleaned and has concerns for the welfare of the animals.

“It's terrible,” she said.

“There’s poo and pee everywhere.

“It’s all built up in corners of the courtyard and not picked up for days on end.

“The mother dog is extremely skinny and tired, it’s incredibly distressing, and they are outside day and night.

“The puppies have been outside since they were six-weeks old.”

Megan said the constant whining and barking coming from the courtyard is making her family’s life a misery.

Her two sons, aged six and ten, find it hard listening to the dogs and dealing with the stench.

“I have two sons, one is autistic and my youngest has other additional needs,” she said.

“They get severely distressed with the noise the dogs make and the smell.

“It honestly hell here.

“Yesterday we were woken up at 5am by them.

“And it’s not just me, I know it bothers a lot of the neighbours.”

The worried mother said she has been in touch with SSPCA, police and the council about her concerns for the welfare of the dogs and the disturbance it’s causing to the community.

She said: “I've been trying to get someone out to check on the dogs for about two months now and had no luck.

“I have been complaining about this since February.”

An East Lothian Council spokeswoman said: “We are aware of the neighbours concerns surrounding the smell and noise coming from this address.

“We are following it up with the householder as a priority.”

SSPCA and Police Scotland have confirmed it is a council matter.