Barking dog keeps Gold Coast residents awake all night

A NEIGHBOUR’S barking dog is making life so unbearable that long-time residents are talking about moving their bedroom to the opposite side of the house. SEE (AND HEAR) THE VIDEO

RESIDENTS in a Gold Coast complex say they are being left sleepless and in tears thanks to a barking dog that begins at 3am in the morning.

Despite official complaints and a noise abatement directive issued by council, residents at the Villas North complex off Greenacre Drive, Arundel, claim the dog continues to bark for at least two hours most mornings.

Janine and Ted Thorstensen are over their neighbour's dog constantly barking. Picture: Jerad Williams

Resident Janine Thorstensen said she and her husband were at their wits end after listening to the dog, a black poodle called Scooby, for years.

“I started recording it barking back in December 2016,” she said.

“During the day people put up with it but as soon as he goes (at 3am), it starts barking.”

The dog generally stops barking around 7am in the morning — four hours after it has begun.

According to Gold Coast City Council statistics, the city receives at least eight complaints every day related to nuisance animal noise.

Last year there were 3144 complaints — and there have already been 1140 complaints so far this year.

The barking dog has left the neighbours “at wits end”

Ms Thorstensen said she and other sleep-deprived neighbours had finally filed complaints in December last year, which eventually resulted in a noise abatement directive being issued.

But even that hasn’t stopped the tenacious pup from barking the house down.

“The dog used to be outside,” she said.

“(The owner) locked it up in the depths of the house ... it’s not as loud as when he was outside, but we can still hear it. We lie in bed and start recording. Once you hear it, it’s like a dripping tap, you can’t unhear it.”

Ms Thorstensen said she had tried to drown out the noise by closing windows, listening to mediation music with earphones, putting the fan on and going to bed as early as possible to get a good night’s sleep.

Plenty of people in the street are sleep-deprived.

She said her husband was even considering shifting their bedroom to one of their back rooms.

“My husband drives heavy machinery, it’s affecting his quality of life,” she said.

“It’s definitely made us more tired and emotional. It’s come to the point (that) my neighbour cried at work last week, she was so tired.”

Ms Thorstensen said she was a pet owner herself and had also tried to remedy the situation with the owner — but the dog still continued to bark.

She said she didn’t want the anxious dog to be put down, but said the issue was so bad it should be removed.

The couple say they are considering moving their bedroom.

Scooby’s owner, known only as Steve, said the situation was breaking his heart as the 9-year-old shih-tzu cross poodle was “like his son.”

“I’ve just ordered a barking collar last night on eBay,” he said.

“I’ve spoken to vets, I’ve looked at citronella sprays, gotten advice from petbarn (and AWLQ). He’s very intelligent ... but he has attitude, I raised him that way.

“He’s a guard dog, he’s been trained to protect the home too.”

Steve said he inherited the dog after his son couldn’t look after him anymore and confirmed council had issued him a notice for barking.

Janine and Ted Thorstensen. Picture: Jerad Williams

He said he would look at all the options, even euthanasia if it was the only way to resolve the issue.

A Gold Coast City Council spokeswoman said they were unable to provide specifics about the complaint, but confirmed they were continuing to investigate the matter.

According to council’s website: “Should the keeper of the animal fail to comply with the notice, we may issue fines (maximum of two).

“Further violation will result in us taking further action, such as seizing the animal or commencement of legal action.”