A DOG charity in Verwood that provides assistance dogs to vulnerable and disabled people has been criticised.

Woofability, which is based in Verwood is facing criticism over some of its training methods.

While a neighbour says the dogs bark for hours from the outside run and the cages inside.

David Edge, who lives close to the kennels at Woodlands Park Dairy said: "As a neighbour we witness the caged dogs distress audibly at many times as well as those left in the enclosed concrete pound.

"The dogs do not have a luxurious life. Being next door we experience the long hours of barking from dogs in the outside run and from the inside cages as well. This obviously has an affect on ourselves but we feel more for the dogs, which could be in a much better environment and given more homely acclimatisation with regular personal attention.

Woofability isn't registered with Assistance Dogs UK, which sets training standards.

Expert in assistance dog charities, Roger Mugford said: "The training is absolutely not good enough. It is very old fashioned.

"What we have is a really well intentioned but very naive charity that is doing things on a very small scale but needs to be doing things on a much bigger scale."

Head of Health and Housing at East Dorset District Council, Steve Duckett said: “We have been contacted about Woofability in the past and have visited the premises and investigated complaints of noise and alleged breaches of planning conditions.

"We have also established that they do not need a licence from this council to operate. Given the latest complaints about noise and planning we are undertaking more investigations and appropriate action will be taken, if required, once these are complete.”

A spokesman from Woofability declined to comment when approached by the Forest Journal on Monday.