A pet owner has been hit with a fine of more than £1,500 after ignoring repeated warnings about her dogs’ loud barking. Keira Marsh, from Porth, was taken to court after neighbours complained that the noise had made their lives a misery. One resident even submitted 225 recordings of the barking over just three months.
According to WalesOnline, Merthyr Tydfil Magistrates’ Court heard that Marsh continuously allowed her dogs to bark, causing serious disturbance to those living nearby. Rhondda Cynon Taf Council launched an investigation after receiving several noise complaints. Environmental health officers visited the complainant’s home and witnessed the “continuous barking” themselves.
They determined that the noise amounted to a statutory nuisance, meaning it was either harmful to health or seriously affected the use of a property.
Marsh was served with an abatement notice, which is a formal warning requiring someone to stop a nuisance.
But she failed to co-operate, ignored council requests, and didn’t attend scheduled interviews.
After the 225 recordings were reviewed, the case went to court. The council said the evidence “demonstrated that multiple dogs were left to bark for prolonged periods of time and the abatement notice had been breached.”
Marsh did not attend the court hearing and was found guilty in her absence of breaching the notice on six separate occasions, which is an offence under section 80(4) of the Environmental Protection Act 1990.
She was fined £300, ordered to pay £1,115.27 in costs and a £120 victim surcharge, bringing the total to £1,535.27.
Councillor Bob Harris, cabinet member at RCT Council, said: “The council’s environmental health team investigates noise complaints and, when officers have evidenced the noise constitutes a statutory nuisance, we always try to work positively with the subject of the complaint to offer advice and guidance on how to deal with the issue.
“In this case the council’s efforts to find a solution to the problem were repeatedly ignored, leaving officers no other option than to prosecute.”
A council spokesman added: “The occasional bark or ‘woof’ is usually not a problem for neighbours and others in the community, but when barking becomes excessive it’s often considered unacceptable and can materially interfere with use of a person’s property.
“The dog’s welfare may also be compromised but the owner may not realise their dog has been barking if they’re not around at that time.”
The council is encouraging people to speak to pet owners first if there’s a problem. If that doesn’t work, they say residents should report it officially as a noise complaint.