Dog barking
Dog barking can cause a statutory nuisance. If we receive a complaint about dog barking, we send a letter to the owner of the dog advising them we have received a complaint. We also ask the complainant to keep a record of the noise, using diary sheets.
If the noise continues and we believe it could constitute a statutory nuisance we serve an informal notice on the owner of the dog. If this doesn't work, and a nuisance is witnessed we can serve a legal notice under the Environmental Protection Act 1990. If an officer witnesses a contravention of the notice we can prosecute the owners.
What you can do
There are many reasons why dogs bark including loneliness, boredom, attention seeking, defending their territory and medical problems.
If you have to leave your dog for long periods:
- feed and exercise it before you go out and leave it some fresh water
- make sure its bed or basket is comfortable and its favourite toys are around
- check that the room is not too hot or too cold and that there is adequate ventilation
- leave a light on if you are not coming back until after dark
Pollution enforcement team
3rd Floor Zone B, Bernard Weatherill House,
8 Mint Walk
Croydon CR0 1EA
United Kingdom