Dog owner shocked after reading the threatening note their neighbour left on their doorstep
- Replies 9
We have all had our fair share of troublesome neighbour stories. Whether it’s their constant mowing at indecent hours, their late-night gym sessions, or frequent parties that wake the entire neighbourhood up, a lot of us have had to deal with rowdy people who refuse to change their ways.
But imagine receiving a letter from your neighbour implying that harm will come to your beloved pet – now that is downright terrifying.
Unfortunately, this is also what happened to one Gold Coast resident who discovered a threatening letter left on their doorstep by an anonymous neighbour.
The unnamed resident was left dumbfounded after receiving the letter.
In the letter, the neighbour complained about the dog ‘barking in the middle of the night’.
It read: ‘Your dog is a f***ing joke. We have had to listen to this piece of s*** bark all night. It is now 2 am and it’s still barking. We will be emailing the council.’
At the bottom of the letter, it read: ‘By the way, it would be terrible if it got sick.’ (I just felt a chill run down my spine, folks.)
The resident said their pet wasn’t the one responsible for the noise, and further stated that there’s another dog behind their property that barks non-stop in the middle of the night.
‘We would appreciate it if they would not threaten our dog getting poisoned,’ the resident said. They later added that this act was a ‘criminal offence’.
The letter, which was posted on the Helensvale Community page on Facebook, caused outrage among the local community.
The admin of the community page stated that there ‘are better ways to discuss things like this with your neighbours’.
‘Threatening behaviour is not the way! Talk to your neighbours like adults or contact the council/RSPCA or police,’ they added.
Many community members expressed their anger at the ‘gutless’ and ‘disgusting’ note.
One said: ‘Hopefully whatever piece of s*** wrote this will be on this group and realise how low they are.’
‘That’s disgusting and it’s a threat to hurt an animal,’ wrote another.
Someone else commented that the anonymous neighbour was ‘absolutely pathetic’, while another shared that some people are just ‘spineless’.
‘I get that the barking would be frustrating, but get the facts right and then go speak to the person like an adult,’ one added.
Others wrote about how they would react if they received a similar letter, one even said they would go on a ‘rampage’ if their pet was threatened.
Similar stories were also brought up in the comments section. One family in Queensland also received a threatening letter in their mailbox, stating that their dogs will be poisoned if they don't stop barking. You can read more on that here.
The Gold Coast Council advised residents to talk to their neighbours first before reporting incidents like this one.
According to the council, a barking dog only becomes a ‘noise nuisance’ if the barking continues more than once and ‘disrupts or inhibits an activity ordinarily carried out on adjoining or nearby residential premises’.
‘Ordinary activities’ in this context include: holding a conversation, watching television, listening to the radio at an ordinary volume, or falling/staying asleep.
Council added that barking is a natural behaviour for dogs and ‘is one of the ways they communicate’.
When someone complains about a barking dog, the council will contact the owner and notify them of the complaint. The owner will then have to provide reasons why their pet may make excessive noise and would need to suggest ways it could be resolved. The owner is usually given two weeks to solve the noise problem.
If the owner fails to resolve this within the given time frame, the complainants will be asked to complete a Noise Nuisance Record Sheet, and the council will use this to determine if a notice should be served to the owner. If the owner fails to make the barking stop, the council may issue up to two fines as an initial warning. If it persists, the council may seize the dog or begin action against the owner.
What are your thoughts on this matter? Let us know in the comments below!
But imagine receiving a letter from your neighbour implying that harm will come to your beloved pet – now that is downright terrifying.
Unfortunately, this is also what happened to one Gold Coast resident who discovered a threatening letter left on their doorstep by an anonymous neighbour.
The unnamed resident was left dumbfounded after receiving the letter.
In the letter, the neighbour complained about the dog ‘barking in the middle of the night’.
It read: ‘Your dog is a f***ing joke. We have had to listen to this piece of s*** bark all night. It is now 2 am and it’s still barking. We will be emailing the council.’
Dogs are naturally curious creatures. Credit: Brett Sayles/Pexels
At the bottom of the letter, it read: ‘By the way, it would be terrible if it got sick.’ (I just felt a chill run down my spine, folks.)
The resident said their pet wasn’t the one responsible for the noise, and further stated that there’s another dog behind their property that barks non-stop in the middle of the night.
‘We would appreciate it if they would not threaten our dog getting poisoned,’ the resident said. They later added that this act was a ‘criminal offence’.
The letter, which was posted on the Helensvale Community page on Facebook, caused outrage among the local community.
The note in question. Credit: Facebook
The admin of the community page stated that there ‘are better ways to discuss things like this with your neighbours’.
‘Threatening behaviour is not the way! Talk to your neighbours like adults or contact the council/RSPCA or police,’ they added.
Many community members expressed their anger at the ‘gutless’ and ‘disgusting’ note.
One said: ‘Hopefully whatever piece of s*** wrote this will be on this group and realise how low they are.’
‘That’s disgusting and it’s a threat to hurt an animal,’ wrote another.
Someone else commented that the anonymous neighbour was ‘absolutely pathetic’, while another shared that some people are just ‘spineless’.
‘I get that the barking would be frustrating, but get the facts right and then go speak to the person like an adult,’ one added.
The note sparked anger among local community members. Credit: Yuliya Strizhkina/Pexels
Others wrote about how they would react if they received a similar letter, one even said they would go on a ‘rampage’ if their pet was threatened.
Similar stories were also brought up in the comments section. One family in Queensland also received a threatening letter in their mailbox, stating that their dogs will be poisoned if they don't stop barking. You can read more on that here.
The Gold Coast Council advised residents to talk to their neighbours first before reporting incidents like this one.
According to the council, a barking dog only becomes a ‘noise nuisance’ if the barking continues more than once and ‘disrupts or inhibits an activity ordinarily carried out on adjoining or nearby residential premises’.
‘Ordinary activities’ in this context include: holding a conversation, watching television, listening to the radio at an ordinary volume, or falling/staying asleep.
Council added that barking is a natural behaviour for dogs and ‘is one of the ways they communicate’.
When someone complains about a barking dog, the council will contact the owner and notify them of the complaint. The owner will then have to provide reasons why their pet may make excessive noise and would need to suggest ways it could be resolved. The owner is usually given two weeks to solve the noise problem.
If the owner fails to resolve this within the given time frame, the complainants will be asked to complete a Noise Nuisance Record Sheet, and the council will use this to determine if a notice should be served to the owner. If the owner fails to make the barking stop, the council may issue up to two fines as an initial warning. If it persists, the council may seize the dog or begin action against the owner.
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. But when I open my door, it wakes the two puppies downstairs and they start barking. 
