bark

But the dog — Mushie — has yet to turn up and the determined couple are now having to endure scam calls and pranksters barking into the phone line.

A dog at the next table barks insistently, irate that its owner has abandoned it for the brunch spread.

Other sounds, be it his wife popping chewing gum or a neighbour's dog barking, and some smells, such as congealed fat or grease, and sights such as fluorescent lights, have always made him very uncomfortable.

“Tribute is paid to all grandmothers, great-grandmothers, mothers and traditional healers who in times past could cure everything from a broken heart to clinical illnesses with the help of herbs, flowers, bark, etc.”

The couple had confronted the intruders on the front lawn of their home, after being alerted by the sound of their dogs barking.