Wheelchair-bound man says his neighbors' pit bulls interfere with daily life

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AUGUSTA, Ga. (WJBF)- Basil Jarrett lives with cerebral palsy, but he says he can't live with his next-door neighbors' pit bulls, which regularly escape into his yard. He lives by himself and goes to work everyday, but he says the dogs make it difficult.

"It hinders my independence," he said. "I shouldn't have to chase a dog or come home from work and want to go take a shower and have to run to my mom's house because I had all these dogs behind me."

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He also worries about the mess that dogs can leave behind.

"Anybody that has a disability, their immune system is not quite as strong," he said.

Jarrett has tried to patch up the holes in the chain link fence that borders his neighbors' yard, but the dogs keep escaping. He's been struggling with the problem since he moved into his house five years ago, but he says complaints to his neighbors have fallen on deaf ears.

"At one time they had over 20 dogs over there," he said.

The 32-year-old says animal control hasn't helped either.

"They me, ‘well sir, we've been out there numerous amounts of time. We have reports in our computer, but every time we go out there, there's no one there'."

Jarrett says he doesn't know what else to do.

"I even went as far as calling 911, and they sent a deputy out," he said. "The deputy said, ‘well, we can't do anything.'"

He's even considered moving.

"This house has been in my family for years," Jarrett said. "My deceased grandmother used to live in this house. My sister used to live in this house. I grew up in this house. So I can't move because I own it."

He says although the dogs have been aggressive, they have never bitten him– but the possibility makes him nervous.

"They're pit bulls, and pit bulls grow."