A dog owner says ongoing complaints from neighbours about barking have left him feeling he might have no choice but to euthanise his beloved 16-year-old Fox Terrier.
By Linda Hall of Local Democracy Reporting
Dean Sewell has lived in his Havelock North home for 15 years.
His rescue dog, Dan, has lived with him for 14 of those years.
Sewell said the issue began about a year ago, following a change in neighbourhood dynamics after nearby properties were sold.
"Then the complaints started, and yes, he does bark for about 15 to 20 minutes when I go to work. But that’s what dogs do, they bark. He’s old, so he gets tired fast and then takes himself around the back and goes to sleep,” Sewell said.
"He has everything he needs, he is exercised regularly, he just gets a bit anxious when I leave for work."
A spokesperson for the Hastings District Council said there had been 23 complaints from six sources about Dan barking over 12 months.
“This matter has been going on for some time. In the middle of last year, there were lots of conversations with Mr Sewell, and site visits by council officers to the property,” the spokesperson said.
“Mr Sewell kept council up to date on his efforts to quiet his dog, including using a radio, a bark-reducing collar, and giving the dog access to a garage area.
“However, the matter has escalated again with complaints coming in regularly.”
The spokesperson said Sewell contacted the council on December 24, but the staff member who took the call went on leave, and attempts to contact him by phone after Christmas were unsuccessful.
However, Sewell disputes this, saying he has had only one site visit from an animal control officer and has done everything in his power to engage with both the council and his neighbours.
“I’ve dropped notes in the neighbours’ letterboxes asking them to contact me if Dan was being a problem for them, so we could work something out.
“I got one response. They said they had no issue with Dan. I’ve rang the council numerous times and been told someone would call me back. They didn’t.
“I’ve asked the council for times and dates of the complaints so I could try to control what was annoying the neighbours.”
He said during the period when complaints were being raised, tradespeople were on site and Unison was installing new infrastructure in the street, including a new transformer outside his property.
“There were underground drilling machines which were absolutely deafening and I did receive several complaints during that time about barking, but all the dogs in the neighbourhood were barking.”
He said he felt harassed, and said it was unfair he wasn’t told who was complaining.
“If it was just one or two complaints, it would be fair enough to be anonymous, but this has been going on for months and I can’t fix it unless I know what and when Dan is supposedly doing.”
The council spokesperson said names and details of complainants were private.
“While these matters may be triggered by complaints, Council carries out its own observations, and in this case, has observed the situation at least three times to confirm that the complaints are genuine.”
Sewell has been issued a $200 fine for failing to comply with the barking dog abatement notice, but it is his latest infringement notice issued on January 14, that is worrying him the most.
“It threatens to remove Dan from the property and gives me until January 21 to lodge an objection, which I have done by letter as per the instructions on the notice.
“I don’t have any family here to take him and realistically, he probably has only six months to a year to live. I don’t want him to live those days locked in the garage because that’s what I have resorted to doing so he’s not taken away.
“I just want the neighbours and council to engage with me so we can sort it out.”
The council spokesperson said in the past five years, they had removed one dog from its property.
In the past year, it has received 619 barking complaints, while 669 roaming dogs have been impounded.
– LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air.
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