APRIL PET CORNER

As the good weather approaches tis the season for dog barking complaints.... When your pet is outside for any reason even if it is just so that they can enjoy the beautiful weather, please be aware that your pets way of getting your attention is to bark, and although you may be sitting in your house with the air conditioning running and busy getting things done, your neighbor may have their windows open and when Fifi decides that she would prefer to be in the house in the air conditioning with you, she may get rather vocal to get your attention, this may end up creating some neighbor feuds should the problem of barking not be quashed as soon as possible.  Sometimes as an Animal control Officer I feel that our job entails a fair share of peace making in the various neighborhoods.  I am always rather surprised how some pet owners can be so blind as to the actions of their pets and the often, frustrating effects this oversight can have on the entire neighborhood.

When we receive these complaints the complainant usually insists that they don't want to make any trouble and insist that they stay anonymous.

But they of course expect the Department to remedy the situation and abate the annoyance immediately.

The Department tries to handle these situations as diplomatically as possible, by either making a phone call to the offenders home and appraise them of the complaints being received by the complainant, or a letter explaining that complaints regarding violation of city ordinances are being received.

If the complainant still observes the behavior continuing, of course the Department will continue to receive complaints, the next step then is that the officer has to observe the violation behavior so that a citation can be issued, this can sometimes be a lengthily process waiting for the dog who is put out of the house late at night and left to do its ?business? and then trying to get its owners attention that the ?business is done and now they want to get back in the house, to be witnessed by the Officer.

And it is always incredible that when we get to the neighbor hood the only person who cannot hear the howling, cries and barks of ?Fifi? is the owner and then the owner always states that ? it is not their dog that was barking or howling, but the neighbors dog up, or across the street!

So please this spring and summer, be aware as a pet owner that with neighbors spending more time outside and windows being open into homes that your neighbors will not appreciate ?Fifi? trying to get your attention.  And if you have received a letter or call from the animal control department, be aware that in order to do the jobs we are hired to do we MUST abate the nuisance either by making you as the owner aware of the problem and working with you to abate the problem or by punishing you for not finding a remedy for the nuisance. Lets all have a happy and enjoyable summer and this includes ?Fifi?