Citizens living in an apartment building is subject to certain rules and requirements. People must respect each other, therefore it is not allowed to disturb the peace or tranquility of neighbors. But at the same time, citizens often face the fact that neighbors are too noisy or immoral. Often, a dog howls at the neighbors. What to do in such a situation? Initially, it is recommended that you try to resolve the differences in a peaceful way, but if you can’t reach a compromise, you will have to turn to the district police officer for help, as well as draw up an application to the Federal Service for Supervision of Consumer Rights Protection and Human Rights and Justice or file a lawsuit.
Conflict features
Many people prefer to bring dogs in residential premises located in apartment buildings. And often they choose not some decorative miniature breeds, but rather large animals. Some dogs hardly tolerate separation from their owners, so often enough during the day, evening or even at night they bark or bark loudly. This brings discomfort to people in the neighborhood. Therefore, citizens have a question where to turn if a dog howls at their neighbors.
The owner of the animal bears responsibility for his pet, which may be administrative or, in some cases, criminal. Therefore, the content of the animal should not contradict the rules of public life. This applies not only to feeding or walking, but also to domestic behavior.
Legislative regulation
The rules on the basis of which the keeping of animals in an apartment is regulated are contained in the following regulatory acts:
- The law on silence in apartment building No. 52-FZ, on the basis of which it is forbidden to make noise after 22:00 on weekdays.
- The Constitution of the Russian Federation, which allows everyone to keep pets at home, but additionally gives citizens the rights to peace and quiet in the house.
- Numerous provisions of the Criminal Code and Civil Code.
- Laws relating to the protection of animals and their keeping in urban environments.
Dog owners must consider the information contained in the above regulations. Only in this case they will be able to observe the rights and interests of other people living in neighboring apartments.
What rules should be followed?
Dog owners living in apartment buildings must comply with the following requirements:
- pets must not be abused;
- it is important to ensure safety for other citizens or animals;
- take into account the rights of neighbors who need peace and quiet, especially at night.
For violators of the above conditions, administrative liability is provided. If the dog does harm to another person, the owner is obliged to transfer the appropriate compensation to the victim.
Reasons for howling
If a neighbor constantly has a dog howling, then there may be several reasons for this. Most often this happens for the following reasons:
- the animal is bored without communication or cannot bear the absence of its master;
- most often dogs of such breeds as German shepherds, rottweilers or terriers bark;
- the owner of the dog does not give the animal the necessary loads so that it rests during the day;
- In the living quarters there are several animals that react with each other by barking;
- the dog is ill-mannered, therefore, does not know how to behave properly at home in the absence of the owner.
Sometimes barking is caused by cruelty to an animal. Therefore, if a dog really howls and whines regularly, then it is advisable for neighbors to try to identify the cause of this behavior.
How often howls?
Most often, citizens who are disturbed by noise from pets, refer to the provisions of the law on silence in an apartment building. If a dog barks only in the daytime, when most of the people are at work or study, then this is not a serious offense. Especially if barking lasts only for a few minutes.
Under such conditions, it is impossible to do anything, as the dog can simply react to any extraneous noise.
If the animal barks all day, in the evening and even at night, then the neighbors have every right to contact the local police at the address of residence, as well as the Rospotrebnadzor or the court.
Communication with the owners of the animal
If the dog constantly howls at the neighbors, what should I do? Initially, it is recommended that you try to resolve this conflict in a peaceful manner. It is advisable to just talk with a neighbor, as the following features are often revealed:
- often the owners of the animal simply do not know that their pets constantly bark throughout the day during their absence in the apartment;
- in the process of communication, it is important to behave in a friendly and calm manner;
- often just one warning leads to the fact that the citizen is really taking certain measures aimed at preventing the subsequent barking;
- you should not threaten a citizen with a call to the police or other actions, since such words can only cause aggression and discontent.
When communicating peacefully with a neighbor, you can recommend him several solutions to the problem. For example, if a dog howls in a private house near neighbors at night, then you can suggest running it into the house at this time. If the noise comes in the daytime, then you can build a comfortable booth in which the dog will feel comfortable and safe. It is advisable to first enlist the support of other neighbors, since if several people come to the owner of the animal at once, this will positively affect the result of communication.
Contacting the local police officer at the address of residence
If communication with the owner of the dog does not give the desired result, then citizens have to resort to the help of law enforcement agencies. To do this, it is advisable to contact the department of district authorized police officers located at the address of an apartment building or private residential building. The following nuances are taken into account:
- it is preliminarily recommended to study the content of all normative acts related to keeping the dog in residential premises;
- Before going to the police, it is recommended that you first contact the owner of the animal with the information found in the law in order to warn that the neighbors will contact the law enforcement authorities to resolve the conflict;
- often such actions lead to the fact that a neighbor promises to establish communication with the dog or walk it regularly so that it stops howling in the daytime and at night;
- if communication with the owner of the animal does not give any result, you can initially call the police department to get information about who exactly you need to contact for assistance;
- then a complaint is filed with the specific precinct responsible for a particular apartment building;
- the police officer on the basis of such a statement must visit the owner of the dog to conduct a conversation and assess the situation;
- in addition, you can contact the department related to control over animals to notify employees of the organization that a particular citizen treats his pet too badly, so the dog behaves inappropriately;
- it is advisable to negotiate with the neighbors to file a collective complaint, which is considered the most effective in comparison with a single appeal.
Many people encounter annoying and loud, as well as constant and unpleasant sounds, if the neighbors howl a dog. Where to complain in such cases? To do this, you can contact the district police officer in charge of a specific area of the city.
What actions are performed by the district?
A police representative will regularly visit the intruder to determine the cause of the howl from the dog. If it is really revealed that the animal causes discomfort to neighbors even at night, this will become the basis for holding the dog owner accountable.
Practice shows that such actions lead to the fact that dog breeders try to improve the behavior of their animals or simply get rid of pets.
Drawing up a complaint to Rospotrebnadzor
If a dog howls at the neighbors, what should I do? To do this, you can draw up an appeal not only to the police, but also to the department of Rospotrebnadzor. The employees of this organization conduct a special examination, on the basis of which the noise level in the house is checked during the howling of a neighbor's dog. For this, special sound level meters are used, and their technical condition must comply with the provisions of GOST 17187-81.
The measurement procedure is carried out in several stages:
- Rospotrebnadzor employees visit the applicant’s apartment with the necessary equipment;
- verification is carried out using existing instruments;
- results are recorded;
- an act is formed in which information about the results is entered.
Neighbors must decide in advance when exactly the employees of Rospotrebnadzor will come to the apartment for measurements. If, as a result of the process, it is revealed that the dog howls too loudly at the wrong time, then the violator will be held accountable, so he will have to pay a fine and eliminate the noise source.
Filing a lawsuit
The presence of any noise at the wrong time is the basis for contacting various state authorities for help. If a dog howls at the neighbors, what should I do? If peaceful communication with the owner of the dog or contacting the police and Rospotrebnadzor did not give the desired results, then you can file a lawsuit. It is necessary to apply to the administrative court, and this procedure has the following features:
- evidence is applied to the lawsuit that the neighbor violates the requirements of the law and the peace of other citizens, for which purpose the act received from the employees of the Federal Service for Supervision of Consumer Rights Protection and Human Welfare, as well as all documentation from law enforcement agencies is used;
- it is important to correctly draw up a statement of claim, which sets out the basic requirements of a citizen;
- in court, you can demand not only the prompt elimination of noise at the wrong time, but even the transfer of moral compensation, since the constant howling of a dog leads to negative consequences, worsening the moral and mental state of any person;
- as evidence can be used audio recordings or video recordings on which the howling of the animal is perfectly audible, and even conversations with the owner of the dog can be recorded.
Often, plaintiffs enlist the support of other citizens, so they can provide written evidence confirming that the dog barks regularly, and not only during the day, but also at night. If the court decides in favor of the plaintiff, he will demand that the owner of the animal eliminate the problem, and may also recover fines and moral damages from him. Most often, dog breeders do not lead to such a difficult situation, but try to resolve the conflict situation in a peaceful way.
Conclusion
If the neighbor's dog barks regularly, then residents of the apartment building can affect the dog breeder in different ways. It is advisable to initially try to resolve the conflict in a peaceful manner.
If by talking it is not possible to achieve the desired result, a statement is drawn up to the police, Rospotrebnadzor or court. Using these government agencies, you can bring the perpetrator to justice and get him to start raising his dog.