Upset over 'coward's complaint'

LETTER: We have had our RSPCA dog for three-and-a-half years. He has a few problems and does bark a lot at certain noises.

On my 70th birthday, on March 20, we had a phone call from Severnside Housing who had had an anonymous call complaining that our dog was barking continuously. Severnside asked if he was left on his own all day, even tied up outside.

I told him my husband is disabled and I am a pensioner so, no, we do not leave him all day, except for a few hours while we go shopping when he is left indoors.

I said to the caller other dogs surrounding us bark and his reply was perhaps our dog sets the other dogs barking. I said, 'Right, we had better put an "anti-barking collar" on the dog', to which he replied: "We don't really believe in these collars."

So how can you stop a dog from barking? I had to spend nearly £100 on a collar.

If only the anonymous caller could see how much it is affecting our dog. He is so scared all he wants to do is hide. If he barks he runs to hide, he is frightened to go outside.

My husband had a cancer operation a short while ago. He is recovering slowly but for how long we don't know. He adores the dog and it has upset him tremendously.

This person will not realise they have put our tenancy at risk or we will have to part with the dog.

I hope whoever made that call is satisfied by the amount of worry and upset it has caused us. Haven't they got any backbone? They could have come and spoken to us.

Instead they used the coward's way out. But they never know what's around the corner for themselves. Even if the caller reads this letter, they still won't have any conscience.

D L Hamer

Shrewsbury