Dealing with barking dogs
Try discussing your concerns with your neighbour first. They may not realise their dog barking is creating a nuisance. By raising the issue with them first, you are more likely to maintain a good relationship.
You may find your neighbour genuinely wants to resolve the problem and in most cases, barking can be effectively controlled. Understanding why a dog is barking can help to find the best solution.
Writing to the owner
If you find approaching your neighbour directly too confronting, you may wish to send them a letter notifying them of the issues.
Download a template letter(DOCX, 61KB).
What if my neighbour doesn't resolve the problem?
If your neighbour fails to take action you may wish to contact the Disputes Settlement Centre of Victoria (DSCV). The DSCV is a free service that provides practical solutions to resolve disputes in the community without the need for expensive legal action. In certain cases this may include mediation between disputing parties.
How can Council help me?
While we encourage residents to talk to their neighbours to resolve issues, we understand this does not always work or can be impractical for a variety of reasons.
If this is the case, you can lodge a complaint by contacting Council’s Customer Service Centre on 03 8290 1333.
Our customer service staff will record your contact details, the issue location and a brief description of the problem. Our Animal Management Team will investigate and contact you within 10 business days.
What happens next?
An Animal Management Officer will speak to your neighbour about the issue and provide advice on how they can best reduce the barking and resolve the issue.
Most barking dog issues are resolved at this stage. If not, we will begin a process of collecting evidence. Officers will provide you with a barking dog diary to record the date, times and duration of the barking. They may also randomly attend the property to observe barking at this time.
Once a barking dog diary has been completed and returned to Council, the officer may take a variety of actions to address the issue. This may include revisiting the property and discussing the issues further with the owner, issuing a Notice to Comply requiring the owner to abate the noise or issue an infringement notice to the owner.
Will Council take the matter to court?
We only take a matter to court if:
- all other attempts to resolve the issue have failed
- the complainant is prepared to go to court
- appropriate evidence has been obtained to take the matter to court.
Evidence you give may be subjected to cross-examination.
What can a court do?
A court may issue a fine and orders with specific requirements to address the issue. If the owner fails to abide to the requirements of the order, they may be found in contempt of the court order, which carries significant penalties.
Council will not get involved in a domestic dispute between you and your neighbour. If this occurs, you will need to take your own legal action.