What recourse? I'm surrounded by neighbors who leave their dogs out at night....

**kyrmyt** · 11-13-2011, 04:04 PM

On three sides my property borders on neighbors who each have two or three dogs which are out all night - AND BARK! Talking to their owners is useless. What now? We REALLY need to be able to sleep at night!

**ColeenH** · 11-13-2011, 04:43 PM

You can file a complaint with Animal Control -- Animal Ordinance Complaints

**toxigal** · 11-13-2011, 07:03 PM

Originally Posted by kyrmyt

On three sides my property borders on neighbors who each have two or three dogs which are out all night - AND BARK! Talking to their owners is useless. What now? We REALLY need to be able to sleep at night!

ear plugs. seriously. ear plugs keep me sane by keeping me slept.

**arjay** · 11-13-2011, 07:58 PM

Originally Posted by toxigal

ear plugs. seriously. ear plugs keep me sane by keeping me slept.

In part, I agree. Annoying neighbors are annoying, but many times in these circumstances the best way to deal with the situation without conflict is a white noise generator or ear plugs. A lot of times, that will do the trick.

**übercraft** · 11-13-2011, 08:07 PM

two or three dogs which are out all night .

A-holes like this shouldn't have dogs.

**Worm** · 11-14-2011, 09:45 AM

Get an air-horn, every time the dog barks after 10 pm, respond with a blast of the air horn directed at the neighbors bedroom window.

**harvey** · 11-14-2011, 01:08 PM

Originally Posted by toxigal

ear plugs. seriously. ear plugs keep me sane by keeping me slept.

How do you intend on hearing your fire alarms?

**toxigal** · 11-14-2011, 01:23 PM

Originally Posted by harvey

How do you intend on hearing your fire alarms?

I buy 33 dB earplugs. Fire alarms are generally around 85 dB. If my dogs park (inside) I hear my alarm, but it muffles sounds enough that dogs barking and other street noise does not wake me up.

**longtimephilly** · 11-14-2011, 02:24 PM

Originally Posted by ColeenH

You can file a complaint with Animal Control -- Animal Ordinance Complaints

This. If it gets really bad call the police.

**kyrmyt** · 12-01-2011, 02:05 PM

Originally Posted by ColeenH

You can file a complaint with Animal Control -- Animal Ordinance Complaints

That's precisely what I did. The answer "Barking dogs are a REALLY low priority". I entered my complaint, with addresses, on their website - they supposedly never received them, this after ten days. And of course there is no reference number, and I failed to make a copy of the entry into their system...

It appears that there are no guidelines for what, if anything, rates as a curfew or noise ordinance.

The community relations officer of District 14 promised to 'look into the matter'. But he warned, that there isn't really anything they can do either.
Now what? The dogs are STILL out at night, they STILL bark and I STILL think that the neighborhood should not have to suffer because of these uncooperative dog owners....

**Politburo** · 12-01-2011, 02:17 PM

Originally Posted by kyrmyt

It appears that there are no guidelines for what, if anything, rates as a curfew or noise ordinance.

The noise ordinance is very clear about what constitutes a violation for animals:

No person shall cause or permit more than 5 expressions of sound from one or more animals (such as individual barks from one or more dogs) during a five minute period from any property audible at a distance greater than 50 feet from the property boundary.

**PhillyTex** · 12-01-2011, 05:35 PM

I know you said in the first post "talking to them is useless" but I'm not sure if that means you actually DID talk to them, or if you just assume that no good can come from trying. I've been in similar situations and I know it can be intimidating to try to get someone who has a "nothing to lose" mentality to respond politely, but unfortunately that's usually what needs to be done to resolve these things.

Talking to the offending dog-owners may *feel* useless, but the first thing the cops are going to ask you is, "Did you try talking to the owners?" You have to start there if you really want the authorities to help you out. Otherwise they feel like you are making them do your dirty work, which means they'll just be called back out the next time someone plays their music too loudly or kicks a soccer ball over the fence into your yard. They'd rather have neighbors work these things out on their own and only call if it escalates beyond the nuisance level.

Try talking to the other neighbors who are probably dealing with the same effects. There are probably a dozen people in your situation who just don't feel like being the one to step up. Maybe 3 or 4 of you could walk over together and knock on the door(s) and explain that you are all losing sleep and it's not just one person who is "uptight" or whatever other likely response the dog owner might throw at you if you show up alone to complain.

**kyrmyt** · 12-02-2011, 06:50 AM

Thanks for your good advice!

Originally Posted by PhillyTex

I know you said in the first post "talking to them is useless" but I'm not sure if that means you actually DID talk to them, or if you just assume that no good can come from trying.

I HAVE talked to them - but the lame excuse is that the dogs are there for the owner's protection, and that HE cannot help it if they bark at stray animals, pedestrians and somesuch.

As far as recruiting other neighbors to appeal to the individual: that I haven't tried. It's a corner property where I'm the only one with a common fence. The side fence borders on an institutional residence, set far back from the road and not likely to be within ear shot. And the cattycorner fence-neighbor has his own two dogs out all night. So, I don't see much chance in that approach working.

**kyrmyt** · 12-02-2011, 06:52 AM

Originally Posted by Politburo

The noise ordinance is very clear about what constitutes a violation for animals:

No person shall cause or permit more than 5 expressions of sound from one or more animals (such as individual barks from one or more dogs) during a five minute period from any property audible at a distance greater than 50 feet from the property boundary.

Please tell me where I find that written down!

**PhillyTex** · 12-02-2011, 02:13 PM

Paragraph 6 here:
http://www.phila.gov/health/pdfs/air...ill_050749.pdf
EDIT- It's para. 6 of Section 2 (page 4 of the document.) Also, Section 3 tells you who is responsible for enforcement. It sounds to me like you can call the cops, and if it's a recurring problem that isn't resolved, L&I can cite the owner for being a public nuisance.

If you make complaints and they aren't taken seriously by Animal Control or the PPD or whomever, try contacting your councilperson's office. While they won't handle the noise complaints directly, sometimes a quick phone call or email from their office to the responsible department can get things moving.

**JasonMcElroy** · 12-02-2011, 03:14 PM

Originally Posted by PhillyTex

If you make complaints and they aren't taken seriously by Animal Control or the PPD or whomever, try contacting your councilperson's office. While they won't handle the noise complaints directly, sometimes a quick phone call or email from their office to the responsible department can get things moving.

This is good advice.

Sad truth that it is, it's typical that people need to goad city gov agencies into doing their da mned job.

Jason