Report a Problem or Complaint

Report a Problem or Complaint
Report a dog attack to Council on 4732 7777 or to the police as soon as possible.  
 Report animal cruelty to the Animal Welfare League on 8777 444, or the RSPCA on  1300 278 3589 or 9770 7555.

Wondering what to do if a barking dog in your neighbourhood is causing a problem for you? We have some easy tips on how you can talk to the dog’s owner in a positive way.

  1. Discuss
    Contact the dog owner first. How you do this is your decision. You may decide to talk personally with the owner, telephone or write to the owner. The dog owner may not be aware their dog is barking, particularly if it only occurs during the owner’s absence. In most cases owners will want to do the right thing and cooperate.
    A Barking Dog Courtesy Letter can be printed and forwarded on to your neighbour without having to contact Council. Remember to be courteous when contacting the dog owner. Sometimes they may not know how to go about fixing the problem so be prepared to assist with information.
  2. Wait
    If the owner agrees to do something about the barking, allow time for the owner to take action to address the nuisance barking and wait a few weeks to see if they have been successful in their efforts. Dogs cannot be trained overnight and implementing training or strategies can be a process of elimination, therefore, extra time will be required to achieve the desired outcome.
  3. Lodge Complaint to Council
    A written complaint may be lodged with Council. You can lodge a complaint with Community or Neighbour Disputes and Grievances form. To help us investigate and help resolve the problem, we'll ask you to fill in a Barking Dog Diary which will be sent out to you. This diary must be completed over a two-week period and returned to Council within 28 days. Council will finalise the matter if you fail to return your completed diary. The accuracy of information provided relating to the reason, time, date and duration of the barking is crucial if the matter is to proceed.

Enquire about your lost cat or dog - call Hawkesbury Animal Shelter (Mulgrave Rd, McGraths Hill) on 4560 4644.

Report an animal you've found - call Council's Animal Services on 4732 7543 during business hours.