Noise pollution from dog barking

THE EDITOR: There are now more than a million dogs in Trinidad and Tobago. The noise pollution generated and forced upon neighbours is phenomenal. This is a serious problem to mental and physical health. Noise is a form of stress. It is known that stress increases your chances of cancer and of artery or heart problems. No dog should be allowed to bark for longer than ten minutes and be left unattended while disturbing your neighbours.

Dogs are ineffective as burglar alarms or for non-human-monitored security purposes. More than 99.9 percent of the time, dogs bark at other dogs or bark at innocent neighbours or passersby in the street. Imagine having an alarm (your dog) that is 99.99 percent wrong. They are easily spayed or killed or put to sleep. Bandits feel proud and glorified in successfully attacking or burglarising a dog-protected house. Dogs give us a false sense of security. Therefore, I am begging the authorities in the country to make every effort to control the pet population. This is done in every developed country of the world. The constant barking of dogs is a nuisance. Neighbours need to keep an eye or ear on their dog. Neighbours have a right to quiet time to read, study for exams or to sleep in the day or the night. Didn’t God say to love thy neighbour! If you hate your neighbour then you really hate yourself. Imagine treating your neighbour worse than a dog! No wonder we have crime, which is also a selfish act, so rampant in the country.

MICHELLE FERREIRA
Point Fortin