A Galgate dog owner has been ordered to pay a total of £520 for allowing his dogs to cause a noise nuisance by excessive and prolonged barking on at least two occasions after being served with a Noise Abatement Notice by Lancaster City Council.
Mark Dodd, of Beech Avenue in Galgate, had allowed his dogs to cause a noise nuisance to his neighbours by leaving them in his garden whilst he was out at work where they barked for long periods of time.
A Noise Abatement Notice was served by the city council, requiring Dodd to take all necessary steps to abate the nuisance.
After a council officer witnessed two breaches of the notice, Dodd was subsequently summoned to appear in court on Monday, when he pleaded guilty to the two offences and was fined £290 and ordered to pay £200 towards costs and a £30 victim surcharge.
Councillor Karen Leytham, Cabinet member with responsibility for environmental health, said: “Dogs barking for long periods of time can not only be extremely annoying and irritating but can over time have significant effect on people’s health and their enjoyment of their homes.”
If a dog is constantly barking in your street and is causing a nuisance, there are laws to address this issue. However, few people take pleasure in upsetting their neighbours wherever possible and most would wish to take a ‘diplomatic’ approach to the problem first without resorting to legal action. Direct contact with the neighbour is one approach to find a solution; then report the matter to the Council’s Environmental Health Department if it’s not resolved.
• This page on the “Problem Neighbours” web site offers advice on the issue