Is this BOP’s newest neighbourhood nuisance?

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Tue, 28 Jun 2011 7:00p.m.

Dogs have lived amongst us for tens of thousands of years, but man's best friend now lives in increasingly urban environments while it's sniffing, chasing, barking behaviour is much as it ever was.

This can cause neighbourhood annoyance, but at what point does your neighbour have the right to get your dog removed simply because it makes too much noise?

In the case of the town of Maketu one person's complaints are about to lead to the third dog being removed from the same street.

It has left reporter Natasha Utting wondering what's the nuisance here - dogs or neighbours?

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Comments

11 Jul 2011 07:31p.m.

michael wrote:

these white-trash people and their dogs... train your dogs not to bark so much or move to the actual "country" and then you'll be sweet.

06 Jul 2011 01:08p.m.

Good dog owner wrote:

We had the same problem, our neighbour complained as she thought our dog was left alone all day! She got caught out - the the dog warden came he met the person in our house looking after our dog(dog of course wasn't barking!). The woman who complained has taken an instant dislike to us! We knew immediately who it was who complained! Those people who hide behind Anonymity are cowards and should at least address the owners first hand before going in guns blazing! Some people are just naturally intolerant - maybe they should move out of the towns and back into rural areas! The thing that upsets me the most is that they can complain as many times as they want to - whether the dogs bark or not - then it is up to us as owners to prove otherwise! Totally unfair!

05 Jul 2011 04:20p.m.

Paula wrote:

I think it is ridiculus to think that dogs dont bark, that is what they do. I am in the same situation that Maureen is in, with a complaining neighbour who reckons that my dogs bark constantly starting at 6am in the morning, well hello my dogs are snug and warm in bed at that hour of the morning as I am. I have against my belief trialled the bark collar, and yet still the neighbour complains. And low and behold the animal control officers do not listen to me, instead believing the lies of the complainer - who we as the dog owner are not allowed to know who it is.
Best of luck Maureen, and lets hope the council sees the light and leave pippa with you

01 Jul 2011 07:24p.m.

Cracker wrote:

I live in Maketu. I'm with the neighbour although I don't know any of the people involved. The place is full of barking crapping unregistered dogs. Some of these owners think they have a god given right the allow their mutt's to disrupt and ruin the quality of our lives.

01 Jul 2011 12:45p.m.

Michelle griffiths wrote:

These people ned to live next to a young family they are not quiet but this is life. As long as it doesn't happen at night all is just normal life

01 Jul 2011 09:27a.m.

sharma wrote:

GET RID OF THE NEIGHBOUR, she obviously has nothing better to do & clearly has a canine problem, I will even pay her counselling session costs

01 Jul 2011 08:22a.m.

ursi wrote:

I am just sooooooo happy she is not my neighbor...Leave the dog alone and let them be....

30 Jun 2011 01:05p.m.

KW wrote:

For all of you that assume the owner is chaining her dog up whilst she is going to work you are all wrong!! Maureen is studying and is home most days with Pippa. Pippa is inside with Maureen for some of the day and is exercised daily. When the complaints started, a family member was home with Pippa all day every day - she is not neglected and lonely as assumed by some. Maureen has complied with all requests imposed by the council including Pippa wearing an anti-bark collar (against her beliefs). The initial Council officer whom investigated Pippa on a number of occassions after complaints from the neighbour found Pippa's barking was not excessive or unreasonable. The removal notice was only issued when another council officer started investigating - I can only assume that this was whilst Maureen was in Auckland by her father's bed side when he was gravely ill in hospital and a friend was exercising and feeding Pippa while she was away - certainly not the norm.

29 Jun 2011 11:57p.m.

Jenny wrote:

I cannot believe this! It is out in the country and only 1 neighbour complaining, if it was the whole street it would be a different story, but it is just one person being all uppity about it. Also some of the comments about a majority of dog owners not being responsible is a major generalisation, dog owners are not all bad and out to leave poo and let there dogs bark just so people who hate dogs can be annoyed. Dogs tend to bark for a reason and sometimes you cannot control them every second of the day

29 Jun 2011 10:04p.m.

Mary wrote:

Perhaps if it was this one dog then you would think perhaps the dog is a disturbance. But three dogs? C'mon council that's just ridiculous, these are family dogs! I think I'd be out in her backyard at night using roundup on her lawn spelling out a few carefully chosen words...