A noisy dog can distress and disrupt neighbours. We receive complaints about excessive barking, howling or whining.
Rīpoathia ina tautau rawa he kurī Report excessive dog barking
If the owner is unaware their dog is barking
Before you make a complaint, consider the following:
- Is the barking loud and persistent?
- Is it safe to speak with the owner?
- Can you leave a note in their mailbox?
How to make a complaint about dog barking
Read more about the complaint procedure and see a letter template if you want to leave a note in a dog owner's mailbox.
If you have contacted the dog owner and there is no improvement, or if you believe it is unsafe or do not feel comfortable approaching the owner, then call us to report excessive barking.
What we do when we receive a complaint
We:
- notify the dog owner of the barking complaint
- give the dog owner advice, information and encouragement to help prevent excessive barking.
If there is no improvement and we receive more complaints, we will investigate further.
This may lead to the dog owner being issued a nuisance abatement notice and other enforcement actions.
To report excessive barking, call us on:
What happens next
If we find that the dog is barking to a nuisance level and the owner has not made improvements to the situation, we can:
- send a formal letter to the owner
- issue a barking abatement notice
- issue an infringement for breaching the barking abatement notice with a $200 fee
- impound the dog for breaching the barking abatement notice
- keep the dog until we are satisfied the owner will address the barking effectively
- prosecute the owner.
If we prosecute the owner for breaching the notice, the court can impose a fine of up to $1500.
For a list of infringement offences and fees, see the Dog Control Act.