This Week's Barking News Roundup - 09/13/12

Ask A Cop: Can I Call the Police on a Barking Dog?

Question: When can a person call the cops on a neighbor's barking dog?

Answer: We don’t go out on barking dogs at all. It’s a nuisance complaint so we are not going to respond in person. If there is something else going on, like the person can see the dog and it doesn’t have food and water or it is tangled, that would be different. That would be a neglect call. But if it’s simply barking, we won’t respond in person.

Tip: This story is open for comments. A lot of commenters aren't too happy about how the police and animal control are handling this community's chronic barking noise. Follow the above link to share your experience.

Owner of Barking Dogs Receives Conditional Discharge

Excerpt: [That famously irresponsible Tonawanda dog owner] said she learned her lesson as she left Town of Tonawanda Court Wednesday night after a judge handed down a one year conditional discharge instead of sending the 77-year-old to jail for one day. Since 2009, she has been cited by town officials more than 30 times.

On a more positive note...

There are a few police departments that have a more enlightened approach than the one featured in this week's lead story. Here, for your reading pleasure, is the Canby, Oregon Police Department's Barking Dogs page.

The Department of Shameless Self-Promotion. Do you wish that your local officials would get a clue about the harm caused by barking dog noise? Well, head over to my QuietBarkingDogs store. It has tee shirts and bumper stickers that quietly and firmly get our point across.