Brinek: Are sledge dogs too noisy?

The neighbours of an adventure- and sledge dog-farm complained to the Austrian Ombudsman Board about the unacceptable noise disturbance caused by the barking dogs. Around 30 huskies were barking and howling day and night. More than 70 decibels had been measured by the Federal State. The residents felt let down by the inaction of the authorities and requested that the business be shut down.

The Mayor of the municipality defended the "Mountain-Wolf-Farm" tourist attraction and affirmed that all the authorisations for this business were available. In her investigation, however, Ombudswoman Brinek discovered that there was no authorisation for the kennel. According to Brinek: "From my perspective, the construction was not installed legally. I request that the proper procedures be followed for the designation of zones, followed by the obtaining of a building permit. In this proceeding, the neighbours are parties that have the right to be heard."

The operator of the Mountain-Wolf-Farm showed his willingness to follow these procedures. But the responsible Mayor was of the opinion that the kennel did not have to be authorised and that the current designation was therefore sufficient.