Quote Originally Posted by BC_MoM
It's difficult for me to approach people, so I'm not sure if I should write her a letter or just contact the city.
My advice is to get over this as soon as possible. Otherwise, you're going to have a long, frustrating life.

I checked our Animal Welfare webpage where I live and here's what they suggest... It sounds like the best approach is to assume (even though you may feel differently) that the owner isn't aware of the problem. Explain to her that your pets are frightened. If she truly is an animal lover, she will understand. Perhaps you guys can work out a schedule. She lets her dogs out certain hours of the day then you let yours out for different hours:

Few things in life are as annoying as having to listen to the constant bark, howl, whine or cry of another person's dog. The noise from barking can disrupt sleep, lower the quality of your leisure hours, disturb your work, and make being at home unpleasant. The first reaction of many people faced with a barking dog problem is to call the authorities. Believe it or not, this is not always the best route to resolve the problem. This problem has been looked at nationally and the conclusions reached have been uniformly the same: Barking is a neighborhood problem. Here are a few facts about the owners of barking dogs that may help you deal with what the situation:

  • The owner of a barking dog often doesn't know the dog is barking.
  • Owners may leave for work with a quiet dog in the back yard and return home to a quiet dog. The dog may only be barking because its owner is gone.
  • The dog barking may be a comfort to the owner. Barking may tell the owner the dog is well and the property is protected. The owner may assume it gives neighbors the same feeling.
  • The owner may be desensitized to the barking. People that are around barking dogs all of the time learn to tune out the noise.
    The owners may assume that because they haven't had anyone complain about the noise, that the barking doesn't bother anyone.

Owners of barking dogs falling into the above categories are best dealt with as neighbors. Letting the owner know, on a personal level, that the dog's noise is disrupting your life can be very effective. People that do not first attempt to solve the problem as neighbors often begin long-term neighborhood feuds. Tell the person, very politely--in person, in writing, or by phone--exactly what the nature of the annoyance is. Communicate things such as "I can't sleep"; "I can't hear my television"; "I work nights and sleep days"; or "I can't study because of the noise your dog is making". Neighborhood communication is a very important part of neighborhood security. Even the act of telling someone his or her dog is bothering you can further communication.

If these methods fail then you should call the Anchorage Animal Care & Control Center at xxx-xxxx. Do not try to silence the animal yourself or wait until you can no longer handle the barking. Tackle the problem early on. Animals are family and disciplining someone else's family member can result in violence.