Woman ticketed for sending cow poop to neighbor

After three years of complaints about a neighbor's barking dog, a south Burlington couple received a smelly response from the dog's owner a few days ago.

That response has led to the owner being cited by Burlington police for third-degree harassment after mailing a pile of "cow poop" to the couple's home by priority mail.

Kimberly Capdevila, 51, 2835 S. Main St., was given the misdemeanor ticket Monday by Burlington police for having a package of animal feces mailed to Steve Rowland and Mary Eipert, who live across the street from her at 2838 S. Main St.

Rowland said he and his wife received a package in the mail Dec. 13. He said he initially thought it was a three-pound package of sprouted flour - a health food ingredient - he recently ordered, but when he opened the package, he realized it contained about a quart of "cow dung."

He said there was a fake post office box address on the outside of the package, but no other identification or communication inside.

Rowland said he and his wife immediately suspected the package had been sent by Capdevila because of ongoing problems over the constant barking of Capdevila's Great Pyrenees dog.

Instead of approaching Capdevila, Rowland notified Burlington police and the U.S. Postal Service, who asked him to bring the package to them.

During a subsequent investigation, Burlington police determined the package containing the cow dung had been sent to Rowland by a web-based company called poopsenders.com.

"On Dec. 13, Rowland received a package in the mail from poopsenders.com," according to documents filed Wednesday in Des Moines County District Associate Court. "Inside the package was a substance that was identified as animal feces. On Dec. 29, (officers) spoke with Kimberly Capdevila, who stated she had the package sent to the Rowlands because of the ongoing problems between the two families."

According to the charge, Capdevila harassed Rowland by "communicating by telephone, telegraph or writing without legitimate purpose and in a manner likely to cause the other person annoyance or harm."

Capdevila was ordered to next appear in Associate District Court at 1 p.m. Jan. 6. If convicted, she faces up to 30 days in jail and a fine not to exceed $625.

Contacted Wednesday, Kim Capdevila said she intended it to be practical joke.

"In no way, shape or form did I intend this to be anything more than a practical joke," she said. "I was given a website that I thought was anonymous. I thought it would be a funny thing to do to send it to my neighbors.

"After all the problems we've had, I thought it would be a funny thing to do," she said. "I am sorry if they took offense to it. If they took offense, I apologize. I never intended to harass them. I look forward to having my day in court."

Authorities said poopsenders.com did not do anything illegal.

According to the company's disclaimer on its website, anyone using the company "may not use our service to threaten, constitute harassment, violate a legal restraint, or any other unlawful purpose. The customer agrees this is a gag gift, novelty service for entertainment only, and that is their only intention."

The website lists three types of feces it will deliver: cow, elephant and gorilla.

The prices are: cow dung: one quart, $15.95, plus $7.95 shipping; cow dung: one gallon, $24.95, plus $9.95 shipping; elephant poop: one quart, $17.95, plus $7.95 shipping; elephant poop: one gallon, $26.95, plus $9.95 shipping; and gorilla poop: one quart, $19.95, plus $7.95 shipping; gorilla poop: one gallon, $28.95, plus $9.95 shipping.

The company also has a new poop combo pack, with a gallon each of all three types of poop for $44.95, plus $9.95 shipping.

On its website, the company clearly states its primarily intended to be sent as a practical joke. However, it lists the top 10 reasons to send someone a package of poop:

To your ex-husband/wife/boyfriend/girlfriend; neighbor's pet pooping on your lawn; for your mean boss; for a salesperson or mechanic who ripped you off; a last-minute gift for someone who has everything; a gag gift; for a rich, gloating friend, to knock them down a peg; to the teacher that gave your son or daughter a D; someone left you negative feedback on your auction; or you just don't like them.

However, Rowland said he wasn't amused.

"I would just as soon be a good neighbor, but they wouldn't control their dog's continuous barking, " he said. "We tried to work with the police, but they told us the city code wouldn't allow them to cite the Capdevilas.

"This has gone on for three years. Any time we tried to resolve the issue by requesting they get a barking collar for their dog, (the Capdevilas) just threatened us. They were not interested in being good neighbors. They said their dog barking wasn't their problem."

Lt. Greg Allen, a Burlington police spokesman, said the department has been aware of the ongoing dispute between the two neighbors but couldn't resolve their differences.

"The way the city code is written, it had to be continuous barking," he said, indicating that wasn't the situation in this case.

"The dog would bark for a few minutes, and then the (Capdevilas) would take the dog back inside the residence," Allen said. "When I was there a few times, the dog barked for four minutes, and then they would take it back inside. To cite the owner, the dog has to be barking continuously."