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Location: B'ham (nr the airport)
Joined: Dec 2008
Posts: 2,963
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Environmental Health can and will do something. They will initially send a letter stating they have recieved a complaint about dogs barking/howling at night and that if the noise nuisance continues, further action will be considered. If nothing happens after a couple of weeks (give them time to actuially stop the dogs from making a racket) then contact them again.
An officer form the Department will go out to the property unannounced and will monitor any noise at the time. If the worst ofd the noise is between 1amand 3am then someone will come out then too. You (or your friend) won't know anything about this visit to begin with. This is because if a Local Authority officer visits someone because fo a complaint, then goes straight next door, they've inadvertently given away where the complaint came from. Also, because of Data Protection legislation, they cannot legally give out details of a complaionant.
What will add weight to the complaint is if both you AND your friend complain separately. Also, if either of you can get a recording of the noise and log down events such as when they make have escaped, it's all evidence.
If the noise isn't drastically reduced at least, then the occupants can be forced to get rid of their dogs - which if you inform the breed rescue, they can contact the Council and state they would be happy to take the dogs off them for rehoming. Alternatively, the dog warden may turn up with Environmental Health (& usually the police as most people don't appreciate their dogs being taken away). It depends on how things work where you live.
Please don't sit back and do nothing. There is ALWAYS something that can be done to help.