A dog is barking persistently or creates noise to such a degree that it unreasonably interferes with the peace, comfort or convenience of any person in any place.
If the affected person/s feels comfortable, politely approach the dog owner to discuss the issue or leave a courteous note in their letterbox to outline when the barking is occurring.
If two weeks since notifying the dog owner have passed and the barking has continued to be unreasonable, the affected person should contact the City of Stirling via the Customer Contact Centre to lodge a complaint. Please be aware that it is essential you identify the property where the dog resides.
The Community Safety team will contact the involved parties by post. The dog owner will receive information on how to address the dog noise issue and will be given time to take necessary measures to reduce the barking. The complainant will be given a 10-day dog noise diary, information on how to complete the diary and other resources that may be helpful.
If the barking has subsided to an acceptable level after two weeks, no further action will be taken and the complaint will be closed.
If the barking has continued to be unreasonable after two weeks, the complainant will need to complete the 10-day dog noise diary. Please ensure that the actual number of barks/howls/whines is recorded in the diary as well as the length of time each day the barking has occurred. The completed diary is then submitted to the Senior Ranger for assessment.
Depending on the outcome of the dog noise diary assessment, the appropriate action will be taken. Please note, the complainant will be notified if a diary has been completed incorrectly, or if the dog noise is considered reasonable as per the guidelines for nuisance dogs.