Online Reporter
Yeukai Karengezeka-Chisepo
Court Correspondent
Residents of Gardiner, Goromonzi, have lodged a complaint with Goromonzi Rural District Council over noise allegedly being caused by hundreds of dogs being kept at a residential property owned by Friends Animal Foundation (FAF).
The complaint, filed through their lawyers Machaya & Associates on behalf of resident Christopher Muyeve, has called on the council to intervene and have the dogs removed from Number 18 Gardiner, Goromonzi.
According to the letter dated September 16, 2026, the dogs’ last known number was 463 in August 2026, with residents complaining of persistent barking and whining, particularly at night.
The residents said they initially tolerated the noise because they believed the dogs had been brought to the property temporarily before being moved to a more suitable location.
However, after the noise persisted, residents raised the issue with FAF, resulting in a stakeholders’ meeting held on August 14.
The lawyers said FAF representatives admitted during the meeting that the organisation had not sought the consent of neighbours before bringing the dogs onto the property.
They also allegedly acknowledged that the noise would not completely stop and indicated that they had no alternative plan other than putting some of the dogs to sleep.
The residents were reportedly promised feedback on the way forward, but the lawyers said no such feedback had been provided by the time the complaint was lodged with council.
Muyeve, who lives at Number 6 Gardiner, is one of the neighbours to the property housing the dogs.
The residents argue that Number 18 Gardiner is a residential property situated among other residential units and question whether it can be used to keep such a large number of dogs for what they describe as commercial purposes.
They have since asked council to urgently intervene, arguing that the continuous barking and whining was affecting residents’ sleep, studies and enjoyment of a peaceful environment.
The lawyers said the noise could reportedly be heard by residents living as far as two kilometres from Number 18 Gardiner.
The letter gives council seven days from receipt to respond, failing which the residents said they would approach the courts seeking an order compelling council to act.
