Thinking on the dog in the street and getting hit - not sure if it like this where you are at, but here in NH I think the way it goes is whether it was the animal's fault or the driver's fault, the animals owner is at fault either way...We have a leash law, so obviously if the dog was off the leash, then it was the owner's fault...
The neighbors are pretty stupid for getting mad at you guys (especially seeing how the truck wasn't in use all day!!) Some crazies out there, that's for sure!
This reminds me of the story about a man who received a phone call in the middle of the night from an irate neighbor complaining about the man's dog that was supposedly barking loudly and disrupting said neighbor's sleep. The man thanked the neighbor for letting him know and hung up the phone. The next night about two o'clock in the morning the man called the complaining neighbor back. "I don't have a dog" he said and then hung up the phone and went back to sleep.
So sorry to read aobut this,and how they messed up a night out with your dh for your b-day. Be cautious. I was just reading my NFH email and it listed multiple stories of neighbors attacking neighbors. Some people can be so lame.
As for the dog issue I always thought that if your dog went into the road and was hit it was YOUR fault. In fact you could be looking at a ticket and the cost of repair for the car that hit the dog. If they were smart those neighbors would be HIDING their dog,because I think they could be charged.
Since they are so hostile and irrational I would be cautious.With so many people at the home,and a mix of booze(I am sure) they could egg each other on to do stupid stuff to you and yours. Time for a camera or 2!
The trouble from now on from them is what concerns me too. It's weird you picked up on the alcohol part. I hadn't mentioned it, but the man that owns the house is a full blown alcoholic. There are no sober parts of his day.
The dog coming out into the road is my issue too. It is their fault for not properly containing the dog. If he would have made my step son wreck on his motorcycle that time he ran out after him you better believe they would have paid! They just don't see this! I don't know how their brain works to think it's the fault of someone who hit the dog while it was in the street.
Luckily we live 900' of the road & have a gate at the top of the driveway. I do have 4 large dogs but fear for their safety with irrational people like this. For all I know they have an eye for an eye mentality & might do something to hurt them. We do have a trail camera set up at the gate.
All I can do is hope they did call the police and he explained it to them in a way they could understand that they were the ones at fault no matter who hit the dog & they better hope that person doesn't come after them for damages.
What a sad situation! They are responsible for their dog, though. One time many years ago, I was driving down the street at dusk and hit a HUGE black lab! I pulled over and was in tears. My children were in the car and were crying (the boys were 2 and 5 at the time). It was hard for all of us. Anyway, I got out of the car and the poor dog was still alive but very badly mangled/hurt. It was a country road where the houses are about 50 yards apart (not quite country, but not quite in town either, but a semirural area). The woman came out and started screaming at me for hitting her dog. The man across the street had been outside watering his lawn and was a postman, still in uniform, obviously had just gotten home from work. He runs out into the street and shakes his hand in the woman's face and says, "Stop yelling at that poor woman! This is on YOU! Everyone on this street has told you and TOLD YOU that if your dog doesn't stop darting out into the road after cars, one of these days he's going to get hit. And today was just his lucky F@*#ing day, wasn't it? Keep your dog in your own yard or don't cry when it gets hit. YOU are responsible for your animal and you know it." She ran in to call the cops. I waited, cops came (this was 20 years ago when they would still come when you called). Both officers told the woman that her animal was in violation of the county's animal code wherein all dogs must be either fenced in or, if out, on a leash or tie-out that does not allow the animal to be beyond the owner's control. She begged and pleaded with these cops to cite me, and they told her over and over that she should have kept her dog in her yard, that dogs that chase cars ALWAYS eventually get hit.
Animal Control had to come out and take the poor thing to the pound to put it down. It did not die, but it had non-recoverable injuries. I will never forget it, but now I'm left with this memory because this woman didn't keep her dog in her yard. Your neighbors bear that same responsibility.
If she didn't call the cops, maybe it's time you did... if nothing else, for the safety of that poor animal that they can't seem to be responsible enough to keep in their own yard.