Noisy neighbours and 'abandoned' dogs

[Morty]

Hi - wonder what the views are on the best course of action I can take. Moved into a lovely peaceful home in the Campo 18 months ago. Since lock down eased and at an amazing rate a builder from the local Town has built the frame of a new house.

He has now gone on Holiday and left his two dogs barricaded into the shell of the house. They are very distressed and howl all day and all night. I have spoken with him and asked him to take the dogs home but he says he has a friend who comes and feeds them every day so he can leave them there.

I now text him every day complaining but he is obviously not prepared to do anything - after all he is enjoying his holiday. Do I have any recourse or do I just have to accept this. It is very distressing to hear the poor dogs who should be at home with their family, so probably the dogs are more distressed than us.

Any thoughts on what can be done?

[elusive]

Seems to be common practice. If they are been fed then im not sure you have an recourse.

[costakid]

If they are not being starved of food and water you cant really do a lot. Perhaps look at the big picture and dont fall out with a Spanish neighbour over something that will or should be over shortly.

[Lyric]

Dogs left near or in property for sometimes days are a fact of campo life, get used to it *costakid* is right.

[Wicksey]

This is one downside of campo living. Since we moved to this house 9 years ago the number of people who have built casitas and installed a dog, or just put a cage up on land to house dogs, has increased enormously. A recent compound, way down the valley, has about 5 dogs in it plus a caravan for weekends visits. They can bark and howl all night long, although thankfully fairly distant, the sound does travel at night. Unfortunately, as Lyric says, this is one of the facts of campo life.

[katy]

We stopped visiting friends who lived in the campo because of the plight of their neighbours dogs. They were very visible through the iron gates. One dog always chained up, the other a smaller dog would come to the gate. It was hung down in ticks. I couldn't live seeing them every day, would have sold up. The worse places is where they keep the pack of hunting dogs.

[GerryinCajiz]

A neighbor near me had their dog stolen, first time I had anything good to say about a thief!

[El Cid]

We have a neighbour with about 7 dogs of various breeds kept in a big fenced compound outside his illegal unfinished house. The fence is electrified as well. He comes up 3 times a day to feed them and that’s the only time they make a noise when they hear him open the gates to the track down to his house.

I really don’t see the point of keeping dogs like that but at least he really looks after them.

There are two other possibilities. Either he wants to get away from his wife or he has an Eastern European sex slave down there!

Sid

[Lyric]

the sound does travel at night.

When our two did a runner at night, stopped it now as we have a fenced off area, but when they did they always came back to a dog whistle.
The whistle set off the "Tail" kennels at about 4km as the crow doth go, and all dogs in-between.

[Morty]

Thanks all. We don't mind the sound of dogs, some neighbours have them and no-one walks past our gate (although at the moment no-one walks past our gate) with a dog until I have been able to go out and make a fuss of their pet. I even 'enjoy' the late night trail of communication when Mr Fox has been spotted and news travels down the Valley.

I just hate animals suffering and these two poor town dogs are obviously so unhappy. I was hoping there may have been an RSPCA equivalent, but as your comments outline - they are fed so not much can be done.

[gerryh]

... I was hoping there may have been an RSPCA equivalent...

Seprona, a branch of the Gaurdia Civil, deal with animal welfare/ abuse here in Spain.
But, as others have said, if the dogs are not on short chains, have room to move, have shelter and are regularly fed and watered, then no crime has been committed.
Welcome to campo life.
Cheers
Gerry

[peteroldracer]

"Seprano, a branch of the Gaurdia Civil" Not being picky but rather than the Don Corleoni division it is Seprona...

[qe2ex]

In this case, the Don Corleone division would be much preferred I suspect.

[Manchesteral]

You mean "make them an offer they can't refuse" ??