Assisi animal sanctuary forced to find foster homes for dogs after noise complaints over barking

UTV News reporter Emma Patterson visits Bangor's Assisi animal sanctuary.

A Northern Ireland animal sanctuary has been forced to find foster homes for the dogs it takes care of, after being hit with a noise complaint about barking.

Staff at the refuge in Bangor were stunned when they were told someone had complained about the dogs' noise to Ards and North Down Borough Council. Assisi, who have provided refuge for more than fifty thousand animals over its many years helping critters big and small, has been flooded with offers of support from animal lovers across the country. “In all the years we have been here we have never received a complaint”, charity worker Anna Morton told UTV News.

“It was a bit of a shock and it was disappointing but it is what it, and we have to work with the authorities to deal with it and make sure we can reduce those noise levels”

Assisi are temporarily fostering as many dogs as possible off site in order to reduce noise levels. After putting an urgent call out for foster homes on social media, staff and volunteers have been overwhelmed by the response. Ms Morton said: “It is very heart-warming to know we have such support in such backing from our community and are supporters, we never realised quite how people respected what we do. “We are absolutely overwhelmed and blown away by it but delighted at the same time that people care enough to want to support us. “We want to be able to take dogs in on a daily basis, we don’t want to stop being able to take those dogs, so having alternative kennels that we rent in the interim will allow us to take dogs in.”

While foster homes are providing temporary respite, the charity is looking for a more permanent solution. Assisi currently has plans to build a new sanctuary and is prioritising a full rebuild of new kennels to mitigate noise levels so they can continue their mission of providing help for the helpless. In a statement, Ards and North Down Council said that under the Clean Neighbourhoods and Environment Act, the council has a duty to investigate noise complaints and cannot comment in relation to any ongoing investigation.