Gloria Riggsbee used to sit in her front yard for hours. Now, she cannot even stand looking out her front door.
"They think it's a city dump out here, and I don't appreciate people coming out here and dump in my yard," she says.
Just a few feet away from Riggsbee's home is Buddy Barefoot Road, an unpaved path in Southern Harnett County. It is also an illegal dumping ground.
"They'll stop in the curves where you can't see anyone. Next thing you know, there's garbage piled up," she says.
Old appliances, beer cans, even dead animals are thrown on the side of the road. Riggsbee found so many animal carcasses, she started her own pet cemetery.
"They dump them out when they don't want them anymore," she says.
The Harnett County Sheriff's Office says it is very easy to dump trash in the area and not get noticed. That is why deputies are stepping up patrols, along with Riggsbee.
"I chased one man 85 mph one morning, trying to catch him. I couldn't catch up with him to get his plate number," she says. "Between me and the Sheriff's department, we're going to get them one way or the other."
If you get caught dumping trash, you can be fined anywhere from $100 to $1,000. Dumping is also a felony if you throw away more than 500 pounds of garbage, any hazardous materials or if the dumping is near a business.
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