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My neighbours pets are causing me problems - what can I do?

2 min read

If your neighbour's pet is causing noise or damage, try and talk to your neighbour or write them a note. They don't know what you can hear in your home or how their pet is behaving when they're not there. You can also use our good neighbour card if you are not sure what to say

It’s normal for dogs to bark, especially if someone knocks the door or when the postman visits. We recognise that this might be annoying, but it does not necessarily mean the dog is distressed. Unless a dog is left to bark for long periods of time (or during the night), this will not be investigated as anti-social behaviour.

If you don't feel you can talk to them or if you feel threatened by them, speak to us.

If this is causing a serious problem for your household, that you haven't been able to resolve with your neighbour, we'll talk to you and the pet owner to try and find a solution. If this doesn't work, we may:

  • Arrange for an independent mediator to help you resolve the issue yourselves.

  • Withdraw permission for them to keep the pet in their home. Limit the number of animals they can keep.

  • Make them sign an Acceptable Behaviour Contract to be a responsible pet owner.

  • Involve the RSPCA or the police.

  • Get an injunction (court order) to remove the animal or stop the owner from doing certain things.

If you have concerns about the welfare of an animal, you should report this to the RSPCA Your local Council also have powers to deal with dog fouling and dangerous dogs, so you should contact them to report the issue.

Get more advice on dealing with nuisance caused by pets on the government website.

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