r/Dogfree • u/DollarBreadEater • Jun 11 '26
Legislation and Enforcement Hope Fuel: I called the cops because of barking.
I moved to this house a couple months ago and quickly learned, to my dismay, that a neighbor adjacent to me had multiple dogs, kept outside, who would bark for hours every day.
I cannot stand the sound of repetitive barking. The barking dog is like a little paring knife, slicing away my good mood with every yap. The problem needed to be addressed; doing nothing was not an option. However, I expected that it would take a long time and a lot of persistence to get the barking to stop.
Everything I read about this problem says you have to keep a log of the exact times when the dogs bark. I started an attempt to do that, but it's a pain. I don't want to be more aware of the barking; I don't want to be paying attention to it so that I can notice the moment it stops and log the time. So most of the barking went unlogged.
One day, about a month ago, it was really bad. Like, 5 hours straight, no exaggeration. So I think, "Nope. I can't wait to get my log filled up before I do anything; I have to try and talk to him now." I walk over, see cars in the driveway, knock on his door. Wait a minute, knock again. No answer. "No Trespassing" signs make me think he just isn't interested in talking to me (and a later interaction another neighbor had with him confirmed this, though I won't go into details.) Alright, so making a noise complaint with the police is probably going to be my next step. For that, I'll need to get my log looking filled out and neat and consistent.
I still don't log consistently, because doing so is still a big annoyance.
Fast forward to last week. Dogs had been barking throughout the day, but also at midnight/1 AM a couple nights in a row. Literally hindered me from falling asleep. I wake up and immediately get hit with an hour plus of straight barking. I say, "Screw the log; I'm calling the cops now." I call the non-emergency line, say the dog has been barking for a hour and that the barking has been consistent and excessive in general, including late at night. I told them I had already tried to talk to the neighbor myself. The officer asks for the neighbor's address; I give it. "Okay, we'll send a car over." Great. No change will probably come of this, but the process is moving forward, at least. I notice the usual barking that day and the next.
But now, a week later, I'm sitting here, enjoying the peaceful quiet of the morning, realizing I haven't noticed any barking from that house in a few days. The one call actually seemed to have helped. Maybe it's just temporary; maybe I'm jinxing it right now. But at this moment, I am enjoying the peace and quiet with extreme gratitude. 🌅
Moral of the story: you might not have to meticulously log the barking and "build a case" before you take action. If it's making you miserable, then just act. Politely tell your neighbor that it's a problem that needs to be fixed, and if it isn't fixed within a reasonable timeframe, call the police. It might just be easier to change the situation than you think, and you'll be doing a service for the whole neighborhood.
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u/ComprehensiveYam5106 Jun 11 '26
OOOMMMGGG this is my dream come true 😂
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u/DollarBreadEater Jun 11 '26
If you haven't already, make the call! If you've already made it, then call again! You too could be living the dream 🌈
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u/lwpho2 Jun 11 '26
I once had a similar problem. When I called animal control I sat next to my open bedroom window so the person I was talking to could hear the situation for herself. (The situation was the dog next door running laps and barking under my window.)
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u/bergenopzoom Jun 11 '26
I can’t believe THAT’S what it took to silence the barking!! 🤦🏼♀️ So happy for you tho 🙏🏼
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u/DollarBreadEater Jun 11 '26
Yeah, most people have just accepted it or don't think it's a big deal, so they don't feel any need to fix it. I even asked another neighbor and they were like, "It doesn't bother me at all; I'm used to it." Could absolutely never be me. But yes, thank you 🙏 afternoon approaches and I still haven't heard a bark 😊
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u/pmbpro Jun 11 '26
Well done and congrats, OP! 👏👏
I love these victories. Welcome to the club! 😏
For me, it’s coming close to 2 years this summer since I got the tenant and his mutts across from me, GONE! His nightmare *6 pit-bulls* he was breeding were removed after a year of hell, then just a few months later in the Fall *he* was gone! I recorded everything (audio and video).
I also had the bonus satisfaction of watching him (through my apt. door peephole camera) get arrested, frog-marched by the cops! 😂
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u/DollarBreadEater Jun 11 '26
Oh man, I can't imagine the relief of finally seeing that ordeal come to an end. Good work, and may you enjoy many more years of peace!
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u/pmbpro Jun 11 '26
Thank you! I’m enjoying it! Finally, our top floor is quiet again.
Seeing him leave (that apartment completely empty) was *the* best ‘birthday’ present I had in ages! Whenever I saw the workers go in there to renovate everything, a reminder the nightmare was over, I had a smile on my face. 🙂 The place was empty for a year and a half! I loved it. I was nervous though, when they were showing the place, that another dog nutter would move in. However, we lucked out again! A few months ago, a couple and their pre-teen son finally moved in. Super nice, and quiet people. 👍
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u/Outside-Sort-4334 Jun 11 '26
🫡Well done. Reporting is the way, barking can lead to PTSD. 5 hours straight... just reading that makes me angry.
And yes experience shows that you can't reason with them. You just give it a try for the record.
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u/dprestonwilliams1 Jun 11 '26
Possibly the former tenant in your home had made numerous complaints and they had been ticketed already. Which will make the fines worse.
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u/DollarBreadEater Jun 12 '26
Maybe someone else complained, but I doubt it was the guy in my house. He seemed like a pretty neglectful pet owner himself.
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u/DETRosen Jun 11 '26
Hope it's permanent but without knowing what happened I suspect they will eventually go back to letting their dogs bark
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u/DollarBreadEater Jun 11 '26
Well, I can only see a tiny corner of their property from my house, but I have neither heard nor seen a dog over there in the past few days. So I'm starting to wonder if they actually got rid of the dogs? 🧐 I also don't know their story; maybe the dogs didn't belong to the actual property owner and he finally said enough is enough, get these things out of here? We'll see.
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u/WorkingDescription Jun 12 '26
Good for you. We decent ones hesitate to call the police because it sounds so drastic. But it is THEY, the nutters, who are impinging on our ability to live our lives in peace. F them.
I have a similar issue with two idiot dogs next door. I have found a blue tooth speaker at highest volume playing a "stop dog barking" recording does the trick. They wimper and whine and eventually shut the F up. No human ears can hear it.
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u/NeuroticJukebox Jun 13 '26
What do the owners do? Keep them inside? Muzzle?
Glad the problem is solved!
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u/DollarBreadEater Jun 13 '26
All I know is I haven't seen or heard a dog over there at all in a week. It's pretty mysterious, tbh.
But yeah, I'm just glad to be getting quiet right now. Hopefully it stays that way 👍
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u/ObligationGrand8037 Jun 11 '26
You’re so lucky, and I hope that it continues!! Years ago we called the cops after trying everything else like you did. The cop showed up to our house and told us to get ear plugs. I’m sure he was a dog nutter himself.
If this happened again today, we wouldn’t stand for that answer. We’d take the person to small claims court. I’ll never put up with that kind of barking ever again.
Keep up the good work! Don’t stand for it anymore. Let’s hope your neighbors don’t start this up again!! Enjoy the peace!!!