Please or to access all these features

Add post

Watch this thread

Save thread

Start a new thread

Flip thread

Hide thread

My feed

Active Unanswered threads

Getting started FAQ's

Unanswered threads Acronyms Talk guidelines

Hide shortcut buttons

Talk

Legal matters

Mumsnet has not checked the qualifications of anyone posting here. If you have any legal concerns we suggest you consult a solicitor.

Flip

1 2

Original poster

Friend getting sent to court for dogs barking.

38 replies

K1092902 · 22/07/2017 13:59

Can someone help me please?

My friend has been in an on going battle with her housing association for 2.5 years over her dogs.

She has two- a German shepherd who is actually as good as gold (you honestly wouldn't even know it lived there until you saw it) and a small cross breed that she rescued last year.

This dog suffers from separation anxiety and will bark continuously while left alone. Friend had to work and care for her terminally ill mother so the dog can be left for a couple of hours at a time. I will stress the point that she knows this isn't ideal but is very attached to it.

Friend suffers from MH issues and has been signed off sick from work it is that severe. Me and DH have had to call the police twice in the past 2 months to send someone to check on her as we have been unable to leave work and do so.

She is totally skint, been sent a £2k bill from a solicitors who are representing her HA and can't even afford legal representation for herself.

They are seeking an injunction against her keeping her dogs.

She has left her smaller dog at her mum's for a week until she goes to court and the other dog hasn't made a squeak.

OP posts:

ijustwannadance · 22/07/2017 14:03

Seems like the best solution would unfortunately be to rehome the dog. It's not just about your friend, but her neighbours too.

specialsubject · 22/07/2017 16:49

Sorry, but that amount of barking is cruel to the dog and would affect other peoples mental health. She should have rehomed it a long time ago. She had plenty of warning before it got to court.

People are more important than dogs. She might be attached to but the neighbours won't be.

MeanAger · 22/07/2017 16:51

She needs to get rid of the barker. If he is barking he is stressed and she is causing that by leaving him alone when she knows he has separation anxiety. She hasn't addressed it in 2.5 years so she obviously isn't going to. The poor dog.

BIWI · 22/07/2017 16:54

What help do you want?

It sounds like an awful situation - for your friend but also her neighbours.

Justhadmyhaircut · 22/07/2017 16:55

Unfortunately she is the neighbour from hell. . .
Sorry as a dog owner I make sure mine aren't left to bark. . Its called being a responsibie dog owner and nice neighbour.
Sorry your friend has problems and may lose her dog though. .

fleshmarketclose · 22/07/2017 16:55

It's not fair on either the dog or her neighbours though. She could have got support from a behaviourist as soon as she knew there was a problem so I'm not sure she will get much sympathy in court tbh. If she has only had the small dog since last year why has she been having problems with the HA for two and a half years?

Smartiepants79 · 22/07/2017 16:57

No one is winning in this situation at the moment. She isn't able to give the dog the environment it needs and it's unhappy. Her neighbours are rightly miserable and pissed off. She is being dragged into a court case she can't afford.
She needs to start looking for somewhere else for the dog to go.

twoheaped · 22/07/2017 17:03

If a dog is reported to be barking, the person who reports is asked to do a 3 week noise diary, the dog owner is informed.
This must have been going on a long time for it to have got to court.
My sympathy is with the neighbours and the dog who us in obvious distress.
She needs to do the decent thing and give it back to the charity who rehomed it to her, they can then find it a more suitable home.

TheRollingCrone · 22/07/2017 17:03

The dog and her neighbours must be terribly stressed. Maybe best all round would be to re-house the stressed dog?

My cousin who's a midwife wrapped her car round a lamp post after months of nuisance dog noise and shift work. I really don't think people realise how noise can affect mental and physical health of others. It really is quite selfish.

DameDiazepamTheDramaQueen · 22/07/2017 17:04

Imagine how awful it would be to live next to constant barking! The poor dog needs rehoming.

stuntcamel · 22/07/2017 17:20

My sympathy lies with the neighbours.

fruitbats · 22/07/2017 17:20

What help do you think you can get OP?
It must be hell for the neighbours and hell for the dog.

toosexyforyahshirt · 22/07/2017 17:22

I don't know what help you are looking for. She should have already rehomed the dogs. She will not win this case, and she will lose the dogs anyway.

They must have been a huge nuisance for a long time to get to court, it's diffiuclt and unusual to get a case through. Think of her poor neighbours having to live with constant barking for 2 and a half years!

Saiman · 23/07/2017 08:27

She will hace recieved warnings. This can not have come as a surprise.

She cant give the dog the care it needs. She needs to rehome the dog.

Rhubarbtart9 · 23/07/2017 08:32

It must drive her neighbours crazy. I guess she should arrange for her mother to look after the noisy dog while she's out. I can understand pets help with mental health issues but surely a cat would be cheaper and quieter.

tribpot · 23/07/2017 08:35

I don't think she really did rescue the cross-breed, did she? She can't give him a suitable home, unfortunately. So whilst I'm sure it's better than where he was before, it wasn't the rescue she imagines it to be. It's not always easy to do the right thing by our pets but that's the responsibility we take on as pet owners. The barker needs a new home.

Whether it's now gone past this point, and the HA will continue insist that she keeps no dogs at the property, is quite possible given she hasn't been a responsible dog owner in the past (making an exception for the quiet German Shepherd leaves the door open to her acquiring another dog and claiming he's as good as gold too).

The only other option I can think of is for her to move, but I'm assuming that is completely impossible, esp given the other pressures on her.

PenelopeFlintstone · 23/07/2017 08:35

Vibrating bark collar?

Rhubarbtart9 · 23/07/2017 08:36

The kindest thing for the dog and neighbours would be to find a nice home for the stressed dog. A pensioner who is at home a lot or an isolated farm owner might work. German shepherds are best as working dogs anyway.

Venusflytwat · 23/07/2017 08:37

She needs to rehome the small barking one now and tell the HA she's done so. Otherwise she'll end up being forced to rehome both.

If she's that skint two dogs isn't a brilliant idea anyway.

MrsSkeffington · 23/07/2017 08:38

As someone who lives next to barking dogs this lifts my heart and gives me hope that at last the issue of noise is being addressed

Bagely · 23/07/2017 08:44

If she wasn't skint, I'd suggest getting a behaviourist in to help address the issue with the separation anxiety; certain products (nothing at all attaining to dominance theory) and the right training regime may have helped.

Unfortunately, she's skint (unlikely to afford a good behaviourist) and this sounds like it has been left to go on for too long, which also means the dog has had more time to perfect and pair the behaviour.

My advice would be to rehome - through a good rescue

Franticfm · 23/07/2017 09:02

As someone who lives beside a constantly barking dog it's hard to sympathise. It is driving us crazy and has done for 6 years. Don't know how much more we can take.

JamAndBread · 23/07/2017 09:07

What a horrible situation for everyone involved.

I have no advice except to say that if she ends up having to pay legal fees make sure she sets up some sort of payment plan and sticks to it - she doesn't want even more stress from this.

IDefinitelyWould · 23/07/2017 09:10

My neighbours have a constantly barking dog. It literally barks 22 hours a day. It's awful to live next to. Does your friend have money for a behaviourist and training to tackle to separation anxiety? If not then unfortunately she cannot afford this dog. In its current state it clearly needs someone who can be with it all the time or someone who can afford to get the help to address the issues.

It sounds like the best thing would be to rehome the barking dog, giving her mental health a break from the ongoing neighbour and legal issues and easing her financial stresses. She may have to accept she is not the best home for this dog.

pynk · 23/07/2017 09:16

I'm sorry for her MH issues but otherwise I feel hard to sympathize- she will almost certainly been given lots of warnings and time to sort out the barking. Going to court is very much the last option.

She will have to get rid of the dog or move.

Flip

1 2