To live and bark in L.A.
The Los Angeles City Council voted unanimously this week to start imposing fines on the owners of dogs that bark excessively.
What’s excessively?
A dog’s barking would be considered excessive if it continued non-stop for 10 minutes or more, or intermittently for 30 minutes or more, Assistant City Attorney Dov Lesel said.
Fines would start at $250 for a first offense, $500 for a second and $1,000 for a third if a hearing conducted by the Department of Animal Services determines that a dog barks too much, the Los Angeles Times reported.
The new ordinance also gives animal services officials the power to ticket the owners of unlicensed barking dogs. Previously, hearings did not proceed against residents who did not have licensed dogs.
Despite concerns among some that the fines are too high, Brenda Barnette, general manager of the Animal Services Department, called them reasonable, and added that dog owners would have time to remedy the problem before a fine would be imposed.
“If a dog hears somebody or something and barks, that’s a good thing. That’s a warning,” Barnette said. “If a dog just stays out and barks and barks, that’s really not reasonable.”
Barnette said her department has a six-month backlog of hearings, most of which involve excessive barking cases.
Once signed by the mayor, the amended ordinance is expected to take effect before the end of the year.
(Photo: Los Angeles Times)
Posted by jwoestendiek November 4th, 2011 under Muttsblog.
Tags: animals, bark, barking, city council, dogs, excessive, fines, licensed, los angeles, neighbors, nuisance, ordinance, pets, tickets, unlicensed
Comments
Comment from Tina
Time November 7, 2011 at 5:10 pm
Seems reasonable to me. I work from home and an excessive barker causes me to lose money.
My neighbor had an excessive barker (a sweet dachshund who liked to bark at the world at 4am via her doggy door).
Once I explained to the neighbor that it was a sign of stress and boredom, and that if she loved her dog she would take time to understand the cause of the barking and rectify the situation, the dog has become much better behaved – and I think both dog and owner (and definitely neighbors) are much happier, now.
Comment from vida
Time November 5, 2011 at 4:38 pm
I have to agree the fees are excessive. And who times the barks? The neighbor who hates your pitbull or the officer who is in the driveway, causing the dog to announce a visitor? I have lived near barkers and know it can be grating but…this law looks like overkill from here.