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Several Tasmanian victims of long-term barking are preparing an account of their experiences for publishing here. If you feel that publishing your own experiences may help others deal with their own situation please join one of the anti-barking discussion groups that you can see listed here |
A resident of Kingston (Kingborough council) was plagued with day and night barking for 12 years while his council refused to address the general problem in his area. It would investigate a complaint about a specific dog if it was formalised with a fee, as per Tasmania's Dog Control Act 2000, but while "monitoring from a distance" occasionally confirmed the offence the usual result was a letter from the council declaring that the offences alleged were not confirmed during these periods. "These periods" were random attendances by council's animal control officers briefly stationing their vehicle some distance from the premises allegedly containing the dog. The implication behind such a manoeuvre is that a dog barks continuously, and no dog ever does that. The statistical probability of confirming an offence under these conditions is extremely low. Fearful of adverse repercussions against its reputation should something go awry, this council refused to addess the general problem in the area. The resident eventually moved out. |
A resident of Glenorchy (Glenorchy City Council) was distressed by chronic barking from dogs left unattended across the road. His wife was similarly distressed and so were this couple's neighbours. Complaints to the GCC were futile. Eventually they became so numerous that the council started to investigate. Tasmania's Dog Control Act contains simple provisions whereby barking and other offences may be stopped within one hour of notification - the time it takes authorised persons (generally a council's animal control officers and/or the police) to arrive at the premises and remove the dog. The extremely defiant offender was able to continue offending because the council's prosecutions failed until eventually, they succeeded. The offender was ordered to pay fines and penalties estimated by the complainant to be in the vicinity of $50,000 The Glenorchy City Council's incompetence allowed this problem to continue for SIX years before peace and quiet were finally restored to the area. |
An elderly resident of Grindelwald village is still distressed by nearby dogs barking at the local wildlife. Half a dozen formal complaints to the West Tamar Council have not resolved the problem and it has now been ongoing for six years. Because this council claims its investigations have not substantiated the offences it has swiped all this pensioner's complaint fees and refuses to return them. On one occasion it refused to accept her complaint fee at all. Enquiries reveal that the council has no intention to alleviate this pensioner's distress which is sometimes so severe she has to sleep on her kitchen floor to reduce the impact of the disturbance. |
Here's a succinct comment from another lady tormented by next-door barking for seven years: Noise that is transient is totally different from noise which goes on endlessly. Knowing we have no control over a dog's barking is something which generates anger. Knowing someone else (the owner) could excercise control over it, but doesn't, generates even more anger. You can tolerate something you know is only temporary, whether it's for a few minutes, or even a few hours. But when it continues like a life sentence it becomes unbearable. |