Oh i am so mad! I walk a friends dog monday to Friday. She has a nerve problem with her leg and so can't leave the house, therefore she is there nearly all day every day. The dog is a 6 year old rescue who was abused in her previous life as a pup and as a result she has a weak leg and can only go for 20 minutes maximum walk a day. My friend is a complete animal lover, campaigning for animal rights, supporting charities and used to work with the RSPCA for many years.
Yesterday a car drove up outside a man got out and dropped a letter into the letter box and dashed back to the car and quickly drove off. The letter was completely typed, including the envelope which simply read, "to the dog owner." Inside was a completely anonymous letter complaining a bout her dog barking at all hours of the day and night. It started off "a dog that barks for long hours is BORED and a NEGLECTED ANIMAL." It then goes on to accuse my friend of not looking after her dog saying that they could not tolerate the barking anymore. It was really nasty!
The thing is the dog doesn't bark that much. She barks out of excitement for a minute maximum when i go to take her out which is usually 10 am, so its not early. I also walk past her house regularly as it backs on to a path by the stream. I have never heard her barking. My friend says that she only barks occaisionally in the garden when dogs walk past or people tease her but she soon stops. Also there are many dogs in that road so i'm not sure how they know it is her and not the others.
The worst thing about is how they wen't about it. If they were really bothered all they had to do was knock on the door and politely explain the problem. What they did was cowardly and completely unfair. IMO a dog barks for many reasons, excitement, fear, or just because it is fun. Boredom could be one reason but it is highly unlikely since she is with a doting owner all day. A dog at my training class barks constantly, she can't possibly be bored as she is doing an hour of training!
I would love to know who it is as it is so frustrating not being able to defend her. She wanted to write to the local paper but was advised not to as it could start something. But it is so unfair! Many dogs round here bark, but i wouldn't dream of complaining as its natural for dogs to bark sometimes. Its not one of her immediate neighbours as she is friends with most of them so it is someone who lives further away.
I wish there was something i could do but it looks like i might just have to be content with venting my frustration to you.

Maybe it is one of her immediate neighbours and one of their family may have done it on their behalf?
But i agree it is pretty appauling to say the dog is suffering from neglect, And i can't understand why they didn't contact her direct?
Oh tell your friend not to worry, it's not worth it she is safe in the knowledge that her dog is well looked after..

God help those people on Bonfire night ;)

I think whoever did this is very cowardly, but perhaps, like neighbours i have had in the past, have very low tolerance levels.

My neighbour used to sleep in the afternoon, and even one bark would wake him up, so he got very narked about it, whereas to me, although my dogs were basically quiet, the bark if someone knocked on the door etc was "allowed".

Hopefully nothing will happen now, the neighbour may have got it out of their system. The fact that the letter was anonymous shows that they probably would't want to get involved in further dispute as they would have to put their names forward!

What i would do though, is tell your friend to keep a diary of when her dog barks, how long etc and also note any nearby dogs who bark .... this may give her some ammunition if any is ever needed.

Your friend sounds a great dog owner, i hope she does'nt worry too much.

Lindsay

What an awful thing for someone to do!

I would tell your friend not to worry and like someone has suggested, keep a diary. If they go official on you, she will have the evidence to give to the environmental health. The EH actually understand that dogs do bark and if they are not barking for more than a set time (can't remember the exact time but it's quite a lot), they won't do anything about it.

Hope that's the last she hears of them though.

Helen

I have put a letter (not in the same tone , but on the same subject) through a neighbours letterbox. I was not being cowardly I was being legit ;) It was the precursor to informing the local council about the incessant barking (though I have to say here..it WAS incessant ..the dogs barked ALL day literally). I was not going to get into a slanging match on the doorstep (as so often happens) so I put a letter through their box to explain about the nuisance and asking them to please try and resolve the situation.

They did nothing so I informed the council who gave us (several neighbours - a LOT of us who own dogs) diaries to fill out for a few weeks. Then they sent someone around to the house to listen to the noise for themselves before contacting the dogs owners and giving them a noise abatement order.

Eventually the neighbours did in fact stop the dogs from barking all the time. They still bark when someone goes to the door etc , but that is normal for a lot of dogs :)

The point of my post is :

Tell your friend to not worry too much ...as long as she is sure her dogs are NOT making excessive amounts of noise she will have no problems. The council do not prosecute without proof ..and it sounds to me as though the neighbour will not be able to get that proof :)

Melody :)