An East End resident who has endured “six months and counting” of an apparently unlicensed pitbull stalking her property said the lack of enforcement since her first complaint in April was posing “a real problem” for her safety.

“The dog wardens said they have to get a warrant to go on to the premises and collect the dog,” the woman said of the animal. “Not only am I in danger, I have relatives also in danger.”

She claimed the Department of Environment and Natural Resources seemed unable to keep up with dog complaints, but the DENR log this month showed the number of incidents overall was falling.

A spokeswoman said that Animal Control had recorded 844 complaints in the most recent fiscal year, compared with 899 in 2024-25 and 1,050 in 2023-24.

She added: “The number of complaints has therefore declined over the past two years.”

She said changes to the law were in progress to boost the powers available to animal wardens.

However, the complainant said the warden had told her last week that they were “still awaiting a warrant to remove the illegal dog”, which continued to encroach on her property.

The Government has also been under political pressure since July to release a report on illegal dog breeding, after recommendations from the Canine Advisory Committee were handed over in December 2024.

Speaking initially to The Royal Gazette on September 2, the woman said: “I don’t want my name published but imagine being a law-abiding citizen, doing what’s expected of you and you keep going outside to a pitbull barking at you.

“It’s an illegal, unlicensed pitbull on my property. It has no dog tag or collar, which is the law. It’s not the first time; it goes back to last year.

“I reported it to the dog wardens on April 16. They said I should send pictures, so I did. I sent pictures and video.

“It happened again on August 26. I was in my bedroom, minding my own business and when I looked outside, there was a loose pitbull at my window, just running around.

“It’s the same dog, just roaming around my home like it lives there.”

The woman said she had to cancel maintenance work at her yard over the summer because the nuisance dog was a safety hazard.

She said the dog warden in August had seemed to be “getting frustrated, saying I wasn’t the only citizen he had to deal with and the dog pound was crowded”.

She added: “He even asked me at one point if I could trap the dog in my yard.”

The resident said she had called police over the matter, but was told that “they can’t do anything” — although she was advised to “put up fences”.

“Do I have to get harmed for them to do something?” she added.

The woman praised the warden’s conduct and said she understood that officers “can’t always come to the phone”.

“He has returned calls and responded to e-mail, but I think he’s just overwhelmed,” she said. “I don’t feel like he has an adequate team in place.”

The woman added that she had been told by DENR that wardens required a warrant to go on to the property where the nuisance dog came from, but she was “still waiting for results”.

“I know I am not the only one this is happening to.”

She added: “If they are overworked, that’s not my problem.”

DENR said that Animal Control at present had five animal warden positions: four assistant wardens and one head warden.

The spokeswoman said: “One of the assistant animal warden posts is vacant following a recent resignation.”

She confirmed that animal wardens “generally require a warrant to enter private property in relation to a dog”.

The spokeswoman said: “There are exceptions in certain circumstances, including where public safety is at immediate risk.

“Wardens regularly obtain and execute warrants as part of their enforcement responsibilities.

“Animal Control is operating with one vacancy and continues to manage its significant caseload, with an average of two to three new matters arising each day.

“These range from straying and barking complaints to licensing matters, animal welfare concerns, dog attacks and enforcement cases.

“Some matters are resolved rather quickly, while others require investigation, evidence gathering and legal processes.”

She said the DENR “continues to support the animal control team while the vacant position is addressed”.

“The Government is also advancing legislative amendments intended to strengthen the powers available to animal wardens and provide them with better tools to address irresponsible breeding, animal cruelty and other animal-control concerns.”

As of June 2025, tougher legislation for dog control remained under review.

The spokeswoman said: “Alongside enforcement, DENR will continue to promote responsible animal ownership and greater public awareness, with the aim of preventing problems before they occur and reducing both the number and severity of animal control complaints.”