Dog owner forced to pay over £12,000 for nuisance dog barking

A man who made his neighbours’ lives a misery by keeping a house full of dogs has been fined almost £10,000 for failing to comply with a noise abatement notice.

On Monday (24 June) Basildon Magistrates’ Court heard Abdullah Al-Hassan Chowdhury had been keeping up to 20 dogs at a house in Lea Road, Chadwell St Mary, with concerned neighbours having to log their complaints on an almost daily basis.

Following an investigation by Thurrock Council, a noise abatement notice was issued in October last year in relation to dogs barking, however Chowdhury failed to comply with the notice.

In his absence at court, he was fined £3,300 for three separate breaches of the notice, totalling £9,900, and also ordered to pay £2,367 costs and a £170 victim surcharge.

The council is now considering further action in relation to alleged nuisance caused by dog waste odour and is continuing to pass on concerns about animal welfare to the RSPCA and Essex Police.

Leader of Thurrock Council, Cllr Rob Gledhill said:

“This is one of the worst noise nuisance cases relating to dogs barking that we have ever investigated and what people living near this house have had to endure is completely unacceptable.

“I am very pleased with the outcome, which sends a clear message that both the council and the courts take noise nuisance extremely seriously.

“We will continue to take whatever action is necessary to protect our residents from all forms of nuisance and anti-social behaviour.”