Bark worse than bite for Council
Sydney residents are forced to put up with barking dogs for more than two weeks at a time while they keep detailed diaries to satisfy local rangers.
Council has received well over 400 individual dog diaries this year, an increase of more than ten per cent in just nine months – but some residents say the process is too difficult.
Local resident and retiree Suzanne Kerr, 60, of Pyrmont, had to complete a second diary because rangers said her first attempt was too long at 151 entries. “[City of Sydney] Council appears to try and deter people from complaining,” she said. “I believe Council sees ‘dog issues’ as time-consuming and not revenue-producing, so dog owners get priorities over locals.”
A Council spokesperson said: “For action to be taken, the barking must be persistent and interfere with your rest and well-being.”
But Ms Kerr has been dealing with this issue for nine months. She was forced to complete her second diary, now containing 191 entries because her initial complaint was dismissed for being too lengthy. She also had only one neighbour confirm her report.
Residents are asked to fill in a Barking Dog Diary, which the complainant must swear is correct in front of a magistrate. They are also required to contact and record the opinions of adjacent residents to substantiate their claim.
Kings Cross resident Lisa Lee, 29, agrees with Ms Kerr. “I know a lot of people who have problems with dogs in their buildings, but it’s just not worth the hassle when you have a six-month lease,” she said.
Owner of Paws Point pet store in Potts Point, Elise Schumacher, said the process did seem lengthy and onerous, but from the dog owner’s point of view, they were checking the validity of the complaint to ensure it is not from someone who has another grievance with the owner. “Sometimes domestic disputes can be petty,” she said.
Ms Schumacher said a lot of customers wanted to change their dog’s behaviour because it made life unpleasant in terms of dealing with other residents.
“That’s why we decided we would hire out the anti-barking collars to them, because the collars are quite expensive to buy, but we saw there was a need for people to be able to something about dogs barking,” she said.
Under the Companion Animals Act 1998, rangers can issue Nuisance Orders if the complainant provides sufficient evidence to convince a magistrate.
Mandy Farmer, 30, of Elizabeth Bay, owner of two year-old Morphy, said: “Judging by how overbooked dog walkers are during the day, I think owners are definitely becoming more aware of the need to keep their dogs stimulated.”
Though she believes most owners are responsible, Ms Farmer said keeping a Barking Dog Diary is unnecessarily difficult for those who already have to deal with an unreasonable neighbour.
“There has to be a more reasonable solution,” she said.
The City received 392 dog barking complaints in 2007-8 and 428 in 2008-9. As of June 29, 2009, there were 6,722 dogs registered within the City of Sydney Local Government Area.
The City of Sydney Council recently released a Home Security fact sheet. Its first piece of advice was to, “consider getting a dog”.
by Susannah Singh
