A LEAFLET has been launched to tackle noise nuisance from dogs barking.
The Department of Environment, Food and Agriculture has produced the leaflet in conjunction with the police, to give advice to both dog owners and people suffering from noisy dogs.
It comes as the department continues to receive ‘numerous’ complaints.
DEFA Minister Phil Gawne MHK said: ‘It is unfortunate that a handful of irresponsible dog owners allow their dogs to bark incessantly and significantly disturb their neighbours.
‘Through this leaflet we hope to provide advice to those affected by such nuisance as to how they can get the disturbance stopped.’
Police Inspector Mark Britton, from the central neighbourhood policing team, said: ‘We work closely with DEFA in respect of noise nuisance and in particular dog nuisance which can become an issue in people’s day to day lives.
‘We are happy to support the department’s environmental health team in this initiative.’
Sections aimed at owners, include why dogs bark, what can be done to stop it and advice on how to leave dogs for longer periods. For those disturbed by dogs barking, it gives a range of advice, and sets out what DEFA can do to help.
The department’s environmental health officers can issue advice and assistance. And in extreme cases, formal action can be considered under the statutory nuisance abatement provisions of the Public Health Act. There are other legal provisions included in the Dogs Act 1990 and Noise Act 2006.
A department spokesman said resolving disputes in a friendly manner was preferable to legal action which ‘inevitably can sour relationships between neighbours’.
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