Dogs and noise

Years ago I had a problem with noisy dogs and was told by the police that there was nothing they could do, but I spoke to a policeman friend who told me to quote the "Dogs and Cats Ordinance". I think that was the name - if not, it was something pretty similar. I spent the next eighteen months calling the police out every time the noise became unbearable. They were generally unhelpful. The second time I called them, I was asked if I had called them before. When I said yes, I was asked for the case number - and of course I couldn't give this because they hadn't told me. This happened on a few occasions because whenever I asked for a case number I wasn't given one - then the next time I called, I was asked to quote the case number. Eventually I realised what was going on - each time I called them out they treated it as a new complaint. If I'd been able to quote the case number each time it would have been treated as an on-going complaint, and after three police visits they would have had to take action.


I visited the police station once (this was in Sai Kung) and was told by a local policeman that barking dogs were not against the law and there was nothing they could do. I got angry with him and demanded his name and number, which he refused to give me.


After speaking to another policeman friend I was able to get the name of the Superintendent and made an appointment with him. Lo and behold, he had a file about two inches thick on my complaint.


Eventually the dog owner was taken to Court. I was asked to go and give evidence, which I did, but by that time was already in the process of moving out because I couldn't bear it any longer. I found out later that he was fined $500.


So I think it's pretty much a waste of your time and energy trying to do anything, unfortunately. Oh, I forgot to mention that I also called in the SPCA because I knew the dog in question was never taken out for a walk - it lived on the roof. I had asked the owner's wife one day why they never took it for a walk and she said that walking dogs was "dirty". But the owner told the SPCA man that he walked the dog every day. The SPCA man told me he knew he was being lied to, but as he had no evidence he couldn't prove that the dog wasn't being looked after properly.

If you are in an apartment complex, it would be worth checking the management rules on keeping pets (although this may affect your dogs too). Our previous building did not allow pets although I saw plenty of dogs being taken to and from the apartment in the service lift for their walks. If they are not permitted then you should complain to management about the noise. In my experience, management are generally willing to turn a blind eye to pets as long as they are quiet and they don't get any complaints. If dogs are permitted then I agree with idavy that the SPCA might be a good place to start. If the 8 dogs are kept in cages dirty in confined spaces then it sounds like cruelty to me. This would be enough in some countries to have the dogs taken away from the owners.

Waste of time contacting the SPCA. I contacted them a while back complaining about a dog being kept in a small cage (JUST big enough for it to turn around in), standing in excrement etc. An inspector went to see the dog and rang me saying there was no evidence of cruelty because the dog had water and could stand up in the cage. So obviously what is classed as cruel in HK compared with other countries is vastly different. As far as I'm aware government bodies don't have much respect for dogs and their welfare and they appear to not care.

I think the SPCA is very concerned with hard-done-by animals. The problem is that they need evidence before they can take any action.

The barking is a rewarding behaviour for the dogs because there's nothing for them to do. It's also allelomemetic where on starts the others join in. You MIGHT get somewhere with the SPCA, especially if the dogs don't have water. This sort of situation definitely wouldn't be acceptable in other countries like UK, Australia, NZ, but this is HK, so a different story.

I would like to know the rules of having pets in apartment complexes. There is a family in my complex that had two dogs but decided to add another to the barking lot. I love dogs, but I don't like dogs that continuously bark without anyone having any manners to stop them. They are quite troublesome and the owner respects NO ONE! I witnessed someone telling her about the dogs and she wrote a nasty letter to my neighbor who complained. Also she lets them run wild without a leash. It has been posted that the dogs must be a on a leash, last Sunday I took a picture of her with the three dogs running wild. They come up to you and bark right at your feet. She says nothing-she calls them back now becasue she knows I get right mad... Is there anything I can do?

DEAR EVERYONE:


THE REASON DOGS BARK NOT BECAUSE OF THE DOGS BUT THE OWNER. TO BE HONEST, MY DOG IS AN EXTREMELY ACTIVE ONE YEAR-OLD LABRADOR. SHE NEVER BARKS. I HEARD A LOT OF COMPLAINTS FROM PEOPLE ABOUT HOW DOGS BARK; HOWEVER, I NEVER HEAR ANY COMPLAINTS ABOUT HOW COME THE DOGS OWNERS DON'T TEACH THEIR DOGS TO STOP BARKING. WHEN I READ THAT SOME DOGS ARE POISONED, I THINK THE ONE WHO SHOULD BE POISONED IS THE DOG'S OWNER. PLEASE NEVER MISTAKEN ABOUT THE PROBLEMS ABOUT DOGS BARKING. DOGS BARK BECAUSE THEY DON'T FEEL SECURE OR SAFE. ALSO IT MAY HAPPEN BECAUSE THE DOGS' OWNERS LET THEIR DOGS TO HAVE VERY HIGH STATUS IN THE FAMILY. THAT'S WHY THEY BARK TO PROTECT THEIR HOME. SO BECAUSE THE OWNERS CAN NOT PROVIDE SECURITY FOR THEIR DOGS, THEY BARK. SO IF YOU FIND OUT SOME DOGS BARKING, THE BEST THING TO DO NOT TO CALL POLICE OR POISON THE DOGS(YOU WILL BE PUT IN JAIL), BUT TO RECOMMEND SOME DOGS TRAINER FOR THEIR OWNERS. TO TEACH THE OWNERS HOW TO LET THE DOGS TO BEHAVE THEMSELVES. THEN, PROBLEM SOLVE.

IKEABOY, it sounds like you're a dog lover, like many of us, but I think everyone already knows its the owners' fault and not the dogs', and no one has expressed hatred for the dogs or any intent to poison, so shouting at them won't really help. I suspect that if the owners can't even be bothered to give these dogs the most basic of care then they certainly won't go to the effort and expense of taking them for obedience classes (if that's what you meant) and would be hostile if the OP offered any sensible suggestions.

Just noticed that this thread is from almost a year ago, so I guess it's pretty much closed now anyway