Dog owner faces R500 fine over barking

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Cape Town – A Brackenfell resident faces a R500 fine after law enforcement hauled him to court over his dog neighbours said was a nuisance. Residents complained that the dog had been barking incessantly for the past year. Resident Jenny Reid said: “We’ve been fighting this for over a year, 70-plus emails, numerous phone calls, constantly phoning law enforcement, nothing has worked. “When the guy leaves for work, the dog won’t stop barking until he gets home. That is from 7am in the morning until 6pm at night. “I work from home, my entire income is based on the premises. I am going to start teaching English online and the barking is a problem.”

The dog’s owner said he had sought the services of a trainer to mitigate the situation.

“My dog is seeing a trainer and will see the trainer again this Saturday. This is very upsetting for me because my dogs are my children. What am I supposed to do? I have to work.

“She said to me ‘why don’t you just put out your dog?’ How must I feel. My dog is not the only one barking the other neighbour’s dogs also bark.

“I don’t know what she wants when I get home they don’t bark and I have someone who cleans two days a week and they don’t bark.”

Law Enforcement spokesperson Wayne Dyason said the case had been in process for almost a year.

“Initially, Law Enforcement issued a compliance notice and started observations in order to compile a case docket. After numerous complaints from the complainant and non-compliance by the offender, a fine was issued to the offender in an attempt to resolve the matter,” he said.

“Law Enforcement received feedback from the complainants that the dog was quiet for approximately two weeks.

“We then compiled a docket, including observations and statements from the complainants, and submitted these to legal people for processing.

“The offender will appear in court on November 1.”

Dyason said they were now awaiting the outcome of the court proceedings.

Cape Times