[spank_inferno]

Its probably a common story....

We live in a tightly packed terraced street.
Our neighbour already owning a terrier which runs loose on the road most of the time has also acquired a golden labrador.

The thing spends most of its day in their small back garden barking and howling for hours on end.

Our issue is two fold:
1) our houses are very small, and having a large heavy dog barking non stop day & night is driving us nuts.

2) I don't blame the animal because its so sad to see it cooped up all day every day, the thing must be driven to distraction with the boredom.

I approched my neighbour, using the angle of 'is there something wrong with the dog?' Their response was.... "its a dog & dogs bark".
I suggested if it had spent the last 7hrs barking non stop (which it had) then something must be wrong.
This was responded with a "well you know what you can do.....<insert abuse>!".

We don't think we are in the wrong here
I dont think its fair to have a big dog baying all day about 20 feet from where I'm sitting now, thats no quality of life to have.

I also think the dog wouldnt act like that if it was treated properly & with care & stimulation.


Has anyone any advise on how we should approach this or what to do next?


Many thanks

[Discodog]

Well it appears that your neighbour isn't going to listen to reason so I would make a noise/nuisance complaint to your local Council. Keep a diary of when it barks so that you have some evidence.

I have just come back from a friends & their neighbour's dog barked non stop for 4 hours. The sad thing is that the owners were in & just ignored it. People have this amazing ability to ignore a sound that is driving their neighbours nuts.

[time lord]

Most if not all councils will not do much for you bar check the neighbours dog licences. They usually advise you its a civil matter and you have to take the case yourself.
On the upside as its a civil case it is good place to get a judgement as the burden of proof is not huge and the judge will go with who he believes in my opinion a bit like judge judy ha ha but do not be scared of this route as it may well be your best option in this senario.
Sometimes nobody will fight your corner and its up to you to pursue it. I can't and havn't seen the councils do it for anyone.

[JustAThought]

If they re scum & not willing to talk like adults there not a lot you can do.
I'm sure your other neighbours are fed up too .. Give it a few days & see then if they might approach them also. My neighbour down the road used let their highly sensitive alarm go " off" behind them as they went off late for work & it would ring all day. One day, after MANY repeats of this, there wS a Q if people waiting to knock at their door at half hour intervals to complain & give them
Loads. Worked amazingly; it never happened again.

Same approach might get them caring or considering the dogs noise as something worth fixing, but if they won't walk the dog you re in a loosing battle

Suggest day care for the dog even on a half day basis to tire it out.
How old is the lab; dd they rescue it or are they minding it for someone? Maybe it can be " unrescued" from them. Poor dog

[gu1nness]

I am in the same boat, next door neighbour from hell, ignorant, vicious streak and a bully with a vicious Alsation that never shuts up when me and the kids are in the back garden. The hateful c#@t never scouls the Dog for excessive barking, in fact I think he encourages the dog. The neighbour on his far side is a night duty nurse and can't sleep. She approached them nicely and was told to f@#k off 'dogs bark' so she got onto council. They came, checked for licence and could do nothing more. Now I want to act, get the guards but I know it will end up in court as a civil matter. It is the only route to go but how much will it end up costing me 'even though we are not in the wrong', but it is our quality of life being destroyed

[Discodog]

Originally Posted by gu1nness

I am in the same boat, next door neighbour from hell, ignorant, vicious streak and a bully with a vicious Alsation that never shuts up when me and the kids are in the back garden. The hateful c#@t never scouls the Dog for excessive barking, in fact I think he encourages the dog. The neighbour on his far side is a night duty nurse and can't sleep. She approached them nicely and was told to f@#k off 'dogs bark' so she got onto council. They came, checked for licence and could do nothing more. Now I want to act, get the guards but I know it will end up in court as a civil matter. It is the only route to go but how much will it end up costing me 'even though we are not in the wrong', but it is our quality of life being destroyed

Why don't you & the nurse take a joint action in the District Court ? If you both keep detailed noise records then you will have some very strong evidence. Also it would be less intimidating if you back each other up.

[unclebill98]

Having been a dog owner and being on the other side this will not end well.

More or less the same as the op. JR, small housing estate etc.

Never knew it was an issue till the neighbour tried to set up trap to kill the dog. Only then after me calling in to see what the hell was going on did I get a glimpse at there frustration.

Turned out over the previous weeks they had an issue and made it worse by kicking fencing, throwing water and stones etc at the dog.

He called the warden, nothing they could do as the dog was well looked after. So I took the dog in all the time. When I came home I'd let the dog out, as soon as he knew this he would come out of his house, my dog would bark and he would start shouting at me. In the end the dog was only out to go toilet, in the morning and night and when needed. Always with someone. Did not matter, as soon as I'd do it he would be out with the cam corder etc etc. Got solicitor letters the whole lot.

We did a few letters back and forward, even had to challenge his filiming me over his fence on a ladder, got me in my boxers one morning!

So, the only thing is to document it and send a solicitors letter. Luckily for him I just wanted it sorted. Unfortunate for me the only thing he wanted was a dead dog. So try offer a solution if you can.

I the end we moved. There main challenge was they moved to the country for piece and quiet...they moved into a housing estate, where the first in.... I truly think they did not think this move through.

As of today it's safe to say it was a horrible situation to be in.

[spank_inferno]

I'm very sorry for the Sh*t you experienced Unclebill.

In terms of offering a solution though, thats not for me to suggest.
The owner of the animal should know what to do.
I doubt any solution I offer would be met politely anyway.

[JustAThought]

Originally Posted by gu1nness

I am in the same boat, next door neighbour from hell, ignorant, vicious streak and a bully with a vicious Alsation that never shuts up when me and the kids are in the back garden. The hateful c#@t never scouls the Dog for excessive barking, in fact I think he encourages the dog. The neighbour on his far side is a night duty nurse and can't sleep. She approached them nicely and was told to f@#k off 'dogs bark' so she got onto council. They came, checked for licence and could do nothing more. Now I want to act, get the guards but I know it will end up in court as a civil matter. It is the only route to go but how much will it end up costing me 'even though we are not in the wrong', but it is our quality of life being destroyed

Mr Gu1nness!! Sorry to hear about your awful story & frustrations. You DON'T have to get a solicitor & it should cost you less tha e15 ( yes; fifteen euro; no added zeros!!). You and your neighbour just have to get a singlenlage firm from the local district court office, fill it out and pay the small fee & they then give you a date to turn up & outline your experience to the judge. No solicitors required!!! You just have to be able to demonstrate that you have approached the owner; give the date & times & copies of any letters you may have written to the neighbour over the noise. You need to show that you have made reasonable effort to approach the owner & to resolve it. Ie ; advising him that there is a problem; that it is continuing; what remedy has s/he tried & has it had an impact/ noise continuing for x hours daily despite polite requests etc. Good idea to write at least one letter ( seeming to be reasonable!) & send it by registered post ( worth the fiver) if you havn't done so already. Get your nurse neighbour to do the same ; and to send a separate registered letter; it will prove s/he has got two at least registered letters of complaints they they won't be able to deny happened. Keep a log of the noise you observe that disturbs you and ask the nurse to do the same, separately so it dosnt look like a " me too" list & you should Have a very strong case.
Good luck. People should be responsible for the damage their pets cause including harassing neighbours into insanity. They shouldn't be allowed to get away with ruining your quality of life.
Good luck with it.

[gu1nness]

Thanks disodog And justathought for your suggestions
Justathought, what is a singlenlarge firm/form exactly

[Discodog]

Under the Control of Dogs Act you are supposed to notify the offending party using this form that you can get from your Council.

NOTICE OF INTENTION TO MAKE A COMPLAINT TO THE DISTRICT COURT IN RELATION TO NUISANCE ALLEGED TO BE CAUSED BY THE EXCESSIVE BARKING OF A DOG

District Court Area of ............................................................  District No..............


To ............................................................ ............................


(Occupier)


of............................................................ ...............................


............................................................ ..................................


............................................................ ..................................


(the premises in which the dog is kept)


Notice is hereby given, in pursuance of section 25 (2) of the Control of Dogs Act, 1986 , that I ........................................ of ........................................... intend to make a complaint to the District Court sitting at ........................ on the .............. day of ..............., at ........ am/pm, being a date within 7 days from the date hereof, in respect of the nuisance which I allege to have been caused by the excessive barking of a dog kept in the above-named premises, situated in the said court area and district.


Where it appears to the District Court that a nuisance has been created as a result of excessive barking, the Court may:—


(a) order you to abate the nuisance by exercising due control over the dog;


(b) make an order limiting for such period as may be specified in the order the number of dogs to be kept by you on your premises;


(c) direct that the dog be delivered to a dog warden to be dealt with by him, as if the dog were an unwanted dog, in accordance with the provisions of the Control of Dogs Act, 1986 .


Dated this ......... day of ................................, .


Signed ..........................................


Given under the Official Seal of the Minister for the Environment and Local Government this 19th day of November, 1998.


NOEL DEMPSEY


Minister for the Environment and Local Government

[Bullseye1]

You really have to wonder why people like these keep dogs. Its cruelty. Does the lab ever get brought for a walk?

[spank_inferno]

Originally Posted by Bullseye1

You really have to wonder why people like these keep dogs. Its cruelty. Does the lab ever get brought for a walk?

Not that I've ever seen.

Though we are at work every day, so perhaps, but I doubt it.