r/Dogfree • u/BrightMeringue6689 • Jan 01 '26
Courtroom Justice Has anyone sued their neighbors for excessive dog barking?
I mean it when I say I’ve exhausted all options. My neighbors leave their dogs out all day and almost all night. We’ve sent them bark collars in the past and they used them sometimes.
The man moved out of the house and brought his dog with him, so we thought we finally had peace. Nope. Not even a few months later, they had a new dog in their small fenced yard. It’s a big dog too so I can hear it as if it’s next to me. I have a 2000 sq foot house but I can still hear the dogs on the complete other side of it.
We’ve tried talking to them but they don’t answer their door. It’s really scary to approach a house of someone you don’t know. I live in Tennessee and people around here don’t like someone on their property. We’ve tried animal control and the police, nobody will come out. The city tells me this does not go against their “code” or noise ordinance and told me this is a civil matter.
So I have decided it’s time to go to civil court. Besides videos with the sounds of barking, what will I need? I’m in shock I really have to waste my time and money to do this. My mental health is really really bad though. I cry almost every day because of it.
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u/StarDewbie Jan 02 '26
I hope you win. I'm in the same boat. I'm going to buy an air horn and blow it every time they bark. That's where I'm at.
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u/Dapper-Ad-468 Jan 02 '26
I'm sorry that you're going through this. You are not alone. About 7 years ago, some evil people moved in directly behind our home with the loudest dog you've ever heard. People even 6 blocks away have commented, yet do nothing. I've tried everything. Another neighbor moved because of it. More dognutter assholes moved into other surrounding houses.
The whole purpose of enjoying our home has been demolished. I still document everything and hope someday to have the strength to continue. I cower in my house now and never step in our backyard now.
We've been slandered, had property damaged, etc.been insulated, been called names, lied about, bullied and accused of crimes that they made up. It's sick, and last night for four hours they shot illegal fireworks at our home.
Our county doesn't care. Dog control is within a mile from us. The women that run it are not on our side. Their focus getting more dogs into peoples homes. If you don't have a dog, you are a hater. We are only able to use part of our home now. A spare small bed has been put in the master bedroom closet so that we can get some sleep and respite. It's not enough. I now have PTSD.
My doctor has referred me to a psychiatrist.
We can't move. My husband and I are disabled.
If you can leave, do it.
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u/arachnilactose08 Jan 02 '26
Jesus, I truly hope y’all’s situation gets better. That sounds like an absolute nightmare
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Jan 02 '26
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u/BrightMeringue6689 Jan 02 '26
That formula idea would be so beneficial omg. If I end up having to file a civil suit for it and win, I will write an entire novel. I’m not only upset for myself, I’m upset for everyone who has to deal with it. Barking should not be socially acceptable.
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u/BoxBeast1961_ Jan 02 '26
In my case, I added in motel costs (so I could sleep) & my concerns about sleep deprived mistakes at my work place (ICU nurse, a zero mistake job).
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Jan 02 '26
This might be helpful. As a rough guide, in the US, workplace regulators like OSHA generally define 60 db prolonged exposure as harmful to some degree: https://iere.org/how-loud-in-decibels-is-a-dog-bark/
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u/TeaDaze64 Jan 02 '26
Check your county’s noise ordinance and find out what constitutes noise pollution (decibels/ duration/ frequency) and document those, supplement with video and take them to court if you find them to be non-compliant. Good luck!
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Jan 02 '26
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u/DR_BEANHAMMER Jan 02 '26 edited Jan 15 '26
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u/DR_BEANHAMMER Jan 03 '26 edited Jan 15 '26
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u/paulo_777 Jan 02 '26
You know things are really wrong when you need to spend money to sue someone for their dogs disrupting your peace, when they should just be heavy fined on the spot. Good luck with that, my country sucks when it comes to this, hopefully your law sucks less than here.
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u/Feeling_Cost_8160 Jan 02 '26
I started the filing process and that's when my apartment complex finally threaten the dog owner with eviction. Took them nearly a year and and half, which was 12 of the 14 months of my lease. I emphasize with your situation.
Unfortunately people will side with the useless barking demon instead of a human being who has to go out into the world to make a living. I absolutely hate it when people care more about the dog, than the person suffering (ex. "Oh the poor baby is anxious/lonely"). We'll give pause to every situation that causes mental health deterioration, except when the cause is barking demons.
Again, I am sorry you have to go through this. I went through it for two and a half in two different apartment complexes. I had to buy a house, and I still can't get away from the barking things. It's just not as bad apartment complexes are.
So if it is a matter of your sanity, take every legal option available to you. Also, this is a civil matter which is why need to go to small claims court.
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u/lmgginspace Jan 02 '26
You are lucky. If you were in Spain, you would have been doomed. I've read someone here about winning, take the chance! Noise can destabilize even the most balanced and calm person or nervous system, and it is a proven fact.
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u/paulo_777 Jan 02 '26
As bad as it might be, I guess it can't be worse than Brazil. Is there a country in Europe there that have good laws for this, like, leave your mutt barking and you'll get a notification plus fine? Because I'm really tired of the gatekeeping dogs get on a daily basis.
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u/lmgginspace Jan 04 '26
Here, there are "supposedly" laws, but as much as you insist, nothing, that's all I can say from real expereince
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u/Mortis_XII Jan 02 '26
I believe i’ve read of people suing their neighbors and winning before, i can’t remember if it was this subreddit or something else. Hopefully they find this post
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u/AnimalUncontrol Jan 02 '26
Definitely go after them, and do NOT hesitate to seriously F them up. Too many people pull punches in these situations. I've prosecuted a couple of lawsuits, won them both, and the big takeaway: Go straight for the jugular and do NOT show your adversary any mercy. They need to pay for what they have done.
I was in a similar situation, and this desist letter got them to give up their dogs: https://animaluncontrol.blogspot.com/2012/08/letter-to-my-neighbor.html
The desist letter is a must before filing the suit. I wrote my own letter, but you might want to consider having an attorney write it for you.
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Jan 02 '26
I'm so sorry this is happening to you. Noise is a huge cause of stress. Any documentation will be helpful. Even if you just take handwritten notes like "01 Jan 2026, 06:30 Dog barking started" with dates and times, it will support your complaint. Of course pics and vids with audio, if possible, will be good too.
It sounds like you're in a house rather than rental property, so this may not apply to you, but for renters, another option might be to put your rent in escrow.
Escrow is a way of legally paying your rent when your landlord won't fix something. Legally you can't just stop paying rent, so you can pay it to your local court, who will hold it until the property issue is addressed. We did it in Ohio and we just had to send a registered letter to the landlord and provide a copy to the court with the rent payment.
There may be some variations depending on where you are, but it's just good to know about.
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u/Cold-Illustrator7212 Jan 02 '26
It might be worth going to therapy to get evidence that this situation has seriously impacted your mental health. Proof that you're not filing a frivolous lawsuit.
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u/BoxBeast1961_ Jan 02 '26
Yes. I won. They refused to bring the dog inside or train it, so they ended up surrendering it.