26 May, 2010 @ 10:12
1 min read
9

Driven barking mad

ONE in four Spaniards are driven barking mad by noisy dogs, a noise pollution study has shown.

Some 50 per cent are infuriated by building work and the same amount also finds it difficult to sleep at night due to excessive street noise.

And a hefty 87 per cent of all Spaniards complain that they have to endure living in a noisy environment.

Cars, heavy lorries, motorbikes, planes and trains are among the biggest gripes, while discos, bars and general nightlife also featured highly in the most-hated sounds.

Interestingly, TV noise didn’t feature among the grievances, despite the Spanish being renowned for having it switched on around the clock.

The report – conducted by the World Health Organisation (WHO) – confirmed that seven in 10 Spaniards endure rackets in excess of the 65 decibels considered safe.

The report also confirmed that Spain consolidated its position as the world’s second noisiest country behind Japan.

“Noise pollution causes not only a deterioration of the environment but also physical and psychological disorders in people,” said a statement released by the State Platform of Associations Against Noise.

The group urged the government to enforce existing noise laws and take corrective action.

Jon Clarke (Publisher & Editor)

Jon Clarke is a Londoner who worked at the Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday as an investigative journalist before moving to Spain in 2003 where he helped set up the Olive Press.

After studying Geography at Manchester University he fell in love with Spain during a two-year stint teaching English in Madrid.

On returning to London, he studied journalism and landed his first job at the weekly Informer newspaper in Teddington, covering hundreds of stories in areas including Hounslow, Richmond and Harrow.

This led on to work at the Sunday Telegraph, Sunday Mirror, Standard and even the Sun, before he landed his first full time job at the Daily Mail.

After a year on the Newsdesk he worked as a Showbiz correspondent covering mostly music, including the rise of the Spice Girls, the rivalry between Oasis and Blur and interviewed many famous musicians such as Joe Strummer and Ray Manzarak, as well as Peter Gabriel and Bjorn from Abba on his own private island.

After a year as the News Editor at the UK’s largest-selling magazine Now, he returned to work as an investigative journalist in Features at the Mail on Sunday.

As well as tracking down Jimi Hendrix’ sole living heir in Sweden, while there he also helped lead the initial investigation into Prince Andrew’s seedy links to Jeffrey Epstein during three trips to America.

He had dozens of exclusive stories, while his travel writing took him to Jamaica, Brazil and Belarus.

He is the author of three books; Costa Killer, Dining Secrets of Andalucia and My Search for Madeleine.

Contact jon@theolivepress.es

9 Comments

    • Forget it. In Spain, dogs are appearently similar to cows in India. Everybody loves them, has at least 3, and dogs belong to the Spanish people as air belongs in their lungs. The only thing about Spain that I truly hate.

  1. I don’t know about the laws, but if the dogs are chained up and hungry or of a dangerous breed you might have a chance. La Patrulla Verde, Ciprona and even the Guardia Municipal take a keen interest. Even better if you can find a friendly vet to get involved; then you might get a result. In our neighbourhood there is a recurring problem with dogs being chained in the garden of an unoccupied house with insufficient food and water. There are dogs there at the moment, but the really noisy one has been removed. The authorities are trying to locate the person responsible for putting them there, and once that happens, they’ll be gone.
    Good luck!

  2. We have a couple nearby who have 11 of their own dogs and then they take in puppy rescue dogs. When we first arrived he had 35 dogs at the moment he has between 20-25 on total.
    They also work 4 days a week for puppy rescue and leave all the dogs outside unattended during that time of course when they bark and bark and bark. They also bark and bark when they are at home accompanied her shouts and scream of shut up. Is there nothing we can do ?

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