My neighbor has a dog that barks all night long and keeps me awake. Is there anything I can do about it?

Jen M., Washington Heights


It’s not against the law for your neighbor to keep his or her dog outside at night, as long as it has food, water, and shelter from bad weather. However, sticking your head out the window and screaming, “Shaddup you stupid dog!” usually just makes the dog bark louder, so there are a couple of other things you can do. The ASPCA recommends calling the New York City Police Department Quality of Life Hotline at (888) 677-5433 or the Department of Environmental Protection at (718) 699-9811. If you call the DEP, be prepared to give them the address of the offending neighbor; the DEP will then issue a written warning. If the barking persists despite the warning, then they may take action.

The ASPCA website has a lot of helpful answers for questions you may have about animals you see in your neighborhood, including what to do if that barking dog is being neglected.