Barking Dogs

Council understands that barking dogs may become a nuisance for some of our residents and in accordance with the Domestic Animals Act 1994, has developed a process to deal with these matters.

What can I do?

We understand that a barking dog can cause a nuisance. We suggest approaching this in a two-step process:

1. Chat to your neighbour. If you don't feel comfortable, you can use this form to pop in their letterbox.
2. Fill out this form and send it to Council to make a formal complaint. After lodging your request you will be provided with a Customer Request Number to assist in any follow-up enquiries regarding your request. At this stage of the investigation, your details will remain confidential. Once your request has been received it will be reviewed by one of our Community Safety Officers who will then contact the owner of the dog to discuss the barking. Please allow up to two weeks for any new training techniques to be introduced to the dog/s. You will receive a letter from the Officer to confirm the process and that the dog owner has been contacted.

What happens next?
If the barking continues after the initial two week period, please let us know. As the complainant, you and/or your neighbours may be required to complete a barking dog diary, but this will be determined on a case-by-case basis.

Who else can I speak to?
For further information regarding dispute resolution, you can contact the Dispute Settlement Centre on 1300 372 888 or visit www.disputes.vic.gov.au