Noisy dogs drive neighbours barking mad

Law enforcement officers say they are inundated with complaints about noisy dogs in Brackenfell.

People complaining about barking dogs should speak to their neighbours first before calling City law enforcement.

This is according to Peter Lorens, law enforcement’s principal inspector in the northern suburbs. He told a Brackenfell Community Police Forum meeting last week that they were inundated with complaints about noisy dogs in Brackenfell.

Residents should first try to resolve the problem with their neighbours before involving the authorities, he said.

“Please get to know your neighbours and go and speak to
them before you or they are running to us.”

Brackenfell CPF chairman Victor Werner said dealing with the barking complaints could be “very painful”
as he had seen how officers had to use a stopwatch to time the barking.

Neighbours could resolve the dog-barking problem themselves without involving law enforcement, he said.

“There are products on the market to solve the problem. There is a collar, with pheromones, being sold that helps to control a dog’s behaviour.”

Wayne Dyason, the City’s law enforcement spokesman, said his department had its hands full with complaints about barking dogs. There had been more than 550 in the
northern suburbs in the past three months. It was one of the most common complaints reported to law enforcement.

Owners of noisy dogs can be fined up to R1 000 if their dog barks longer than six accumulated minutes in an hour or three accumulated minutes in half an hour. And in some cases, if the problem, persists the animal can be impounded.

Complaints can be made by calling law enforcement’s area north office at 021 444 9973.