It's a small yappy dog who started getting out of their yard last fall.
The first two times it happened when I went out there it ran back under the fence and I knocked on the door and no one came.
Eventually they figured out that it was getting out from under their fence and they would go out and get it.
A couple weeks ago they had a nice new tall fence installed so I thought ok problem soved... Until you realize that the fence is very uneven at the bottom in order to make the top of it look nice so there's large areas that the dog can get out from.
They do know this is the case since I have seen them going out to get the dog after it has gotten out from under the fence.
It has been happening daily now and most of the time they don't know immediately or by the time they come out it has just gone back under the fence.
Now I'm not afraid of it or anything but I also am NOT a dog person so I'm not going to go trying to get it.
It goes into the road and it wanders around my yard.
I fear that if they don't fix the problem soon it will either get hit by a car, get into a fight with a dog being walked by, or potentially even decide to nip one of my family members on the leg.
If I get bit we're gonna have some serious problems!
Not to mention the possibility of it pooping in my yard and me stepping in it. It has already peed in my yard.
I keep wondering why they don't either have the fence issue fixed, put the dog on a nice long lead in the back yard, or at the very least go out with the dog so if it does run under the fence they can immediately get it.
Doesn't it seem irresponsible for them to let this continue to happen?
**ETA**
We do not share a fence.
They have their own fence on their own property for their backyard.
I have my own fence on my property for my backyard.
Their dog does not come into my fenced backyard.
Their dog comes into my FRONT yard which is not fenced as no one's is fenced in my neighborhood.
Also I do not plan on calling animal control unless the situation escalates. I do not want to "punish" them nor do I want to have an unfriendly neighbor relationship.
Is the dog aggressive? To me, that is the main issue that is your concern. Normal (nonaggressive) dogs don't come up and bite or nip people who are minding their own business, not invading the dog's family's property. So unless you've seen the dog act aggressively or you go onto the neighbor's property without the neighbor present, you don't need to worry about being bitten.
Has it ever pooped in your yard? If so, that is a valid, specific complaint that I would mention to the neighbor, & ask if they can do anything to prevent a recurrence. As far as peeing...well, dogs will pee everywhere even on leashed walks, so there isn't much you can do to prevent dog pee from ever being in your front yard, short of building a pretty white picket fence (you might want to seriously consider this, given how annoyed the current situation makes you feel).
The dog possibly getting hit by a car is not your responsibility at all. Not legally, not morally, not in any way. If you've ever seen this almost happen, then I would alert the owner to the danger, and whether or not the neighbor changes behavior is up to him.
Bottom line: different dog owners have different styles of dog care. Like parents, some are more permissive than others. 50 years ago, it was much more common for family dogs to roam through neighborhoods. Times have changed, but if the laws in your town and county haven't changed & there is not a leash law in your area, then I recommend ignoring the situation. The dog is not hurting you or your property, even though it's clear that you don't like having it around. If there is a leash law, then call in an anonymous complaint each time you see the dog out.