If your peace and quiet are disturbed by the neighbour’s four-legged friend, then help may be at hand.
There are rules governing dog ownership, noise control, and nuisance dogs. And when it comes to dogs barking all day…Hume Council can help.
It may seem heavy-handed, but if a quiet word in your neighbour’s shell-like doesn’t get a result, then the Domestic Animals Act and the council can help.
Specifically, the law considers a dog a nuisance if its barking continues to such an extent that it unreasonably interferes with others’ peace, comfort, or convenience. The council takes these complaints seriously and has a process to investigate and act.
Here’s how it typically works…
First, the council encourages neighbours to try resolving the issue informally by talking to the dog owner. Often, owners might not realise their dog is barking all day, especially if it happens when they’re not home.
If that doesn’t work – or if someone’s not comfortable approaching the owner – they can lodge a formal complaint with the council.
It will usually ask the complainant to provide evidence, such as keeping a diary of the barking over a set period (often 7 to 14 days) to document when and how long it’s happening. This helps establish whether the barking is truly excessive and unreasonable.
Once the complaint is substantiated, the council can step in.
If the barking continues despite this, the council can take stronger action. It might issue a formal warning or a notice to the owner, requiring them to stop the nuisance.
If the owner still doesn’t comply, council has the power to impose fines, and penalties can apply for failing to control a nuisance dog, although the exact amount can vary.
In more serious or ongoing cases, the council could escalate the matter to court.
Council states the main reasons dogs bark include:
