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October 8, 2009
Dogs Barking...Constantly
I live on the top floor on a brownstone block, back apartment, looking out over the back of another brownstone block. There are several dogs back there, one or two of which will bark for HOURS ON END. Really: hours. Beyond the annoyance for me, I question whether there is some neglect happening.
The problem is that I can't see which yard they are in because of trees, fences etc, so I can't contact the resident or even call 311 (can I?) I wonder about the people who are even closer than I am, how they bear this and why they haven't made any complaints.
Does anyone have any ideas of how I can resolve this.
Comments
Knock on a few doors.
Posted by: daveinbedstuy at October 8, 2009 4:18 PM
I have had this identical problem for several years; there is someone who lives on the block behind me who raises dogs in his backyard. They bark and howl constantly. I have tried calling 311, the local police precinct, and the ASPCA, and they have all told me that without an address they can't do anything. I have tried walking that block during the day to try to figure out where the noise is coming from, but it can't be heard from the street! I met someone who lives on that block and she told me he knows who it is and that the police have been called several times to check out the situation, but that the owner, described as "a thug," refuses them access. Considering how lackadaisical our local precinct is about noise and other quality of life complaints I'm sure they've never pressed the matter. I asked this person what the address of the house is so that I could call the ASPCA and she told me she didn't know (or was afraid to tell me, more likely).
Posted by: babs at October 8, 2009 4:21 PM
Maybe you could see it if you went up to the roof?
Posted by: Arkady at October 8, 2009 5:18 PM
I'm not saying that you should do this, but I once owned a rental building that was next door to this house owned by a policeman who had this dog that he just left out in the back yard on a short leash no matter what weather conditions. The poor dog was past the point of howling and just looked scraggly and sad. I don't know how long this had been going on since the parlor floor apartment had a tenant and I hadn't seen the back yard in a few years. Once we saw the situation we got one of those animal rescue groups to came over to our place. They then jumped the fence and took the dog.
Posted by: bessie2 at October 8, 2009 5:55 PM
No access to the roof in my house, and yes, I have thought of calling one of those animal rescue groups, but I can't see the place from my house and no one will say anything about the address.
Posted by: babs at October 8, 2009 6:41 PM
do you not have a fire escape or interior egress ladder/hatch that you can climb to the roof? This should be your first cause for concern!!!
Posted by: bowl of dicks at October 8, 2009 7:40 PM
1. Stakeout the block in the morning when people often walk their dogs to find out where they live; or
2. Borrow a friend's dog and take them up/down the street and induce barking in front of each house... wait to see if the offending dog barks in return.
Posted by: SJ at October 8, 2009 8:34 PM
Dogs that are barking all day and night are not getting walked by owner.
Get on either google maps or oasis, find your house and use the map to figure out the address of the house rather than relying on walking the street. Look for the way their backyard abuts yours.
Posted by: vanburenproud at October 9, 2009 7:36 AM
What block/neighborhood are you in?
Posted by: Boerum Hill at October 9, 2009 10:11 AM
We must live on the same block. I have the same problem out my back windows. The dogs bark at each other incessently. The barking only stops when one of them starts howling for hours on end. Its disturbing because of the neglect issue and also extremely irritating to remain in my apartment with that kind of noise. I also can't figure out which building it is coming from.
Posted by: mksk at October 9, 2009 11:32 AM
Of course there is access to my roof, but if I went up there and my LL caught me I wouldn't be in his good graces, which is kind of important to me, considering he lives downstairs. As I said, apparently the police have been called there by others, but the owner refuses to let them in and they don't press the matter. They certainly are not getting walked by their owner; they're kept outdoors in the backyard all year long and bred repeatedly. Will try the Google maps thing to see if I can at least get an idea -- thanks for the tip!
Posted by: babs at October 9, 2009 1:59 PM
Do you mind giving the approximate location?
Posted by: starfish1948 at October 9, 2009 4:12 PM
Yes, please let us know what block/hood this is in....maybe we're dealing with the same dog! We are having the same problem.
We filed a complaint with 311 (the DEP handles these complaints) and they sent a letter to me and my neighbor listing how to 'curb' the dogs barking. Unfortunately, you have to give your address or they cannot file the complaint.
After the letter is received (7 days), we can follow up on the claim and the DEP will send out a noise inspector to evaluate the noise level.
Despite the beauracracy, this is the ONLY way to deal with this problem; the police do not respond to barking dogs.
If you believe the dogs(s) is neglected, the ASPCA might take it more seriously.
Try using Zillow.com to get the address. Simply type in your address and zoom out to click on the address in question...it's the only good thing about zillow.
Posted by: EastStuy at October 11, 2009 9:19 AM
Thanks everyone; I can get up to the roof - not sure I'll be able to see from there but it's definitely my best option.
EastStuy, I'm on Hancock b/t Nostrand/Bedford.
Posted by: herb e hancock at October 11, 2009 8:55 PM
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