Dogs making neighbours barking mad

IN Arboretum’s Apiesdoring Street, neighbours’ dogs have been running around during the night, upsetting all the other dogs in the area.

I fully understand that barking is a dog’s means of communication, but the vast majority of people will tolerate a dog’s barking up to a point.

It is one thing knowing that a particular dog might be trying to alert its owners (and consequently, the neighbours) to something that is out of the ordinary or potentially dangerous, such as an intruder.

However, problems arise in a neighbourhood where a dog barks incessantly because of other roaming dogs running around in the street, causing a nuisance at inappropriate times of the night and causing people to miss out on sleep.

We all work hard and need to have a good night’s rest to be fresh for the next day.

The problem is what to do about it if you find yourself in this situation.

Basically there are three possible solutions:

• Direct contact with the neighbour to find a solution (which I have done on several occasions in the past).

• Report the matter to your local municipality’s nuisance inspector (Mr Freddie Horn), which I have done last Wednesday.

• Take court action – which will be my next step.

SLEEPLESS IN ARBORETUM

Robbie Robinson