Council Tentatively OKs Law to Cut Down on Barking Dogs

The City Council has taken the first steps toward approving a new law to cut back on dogs that bark excessively.

The council gave preliminary approval to an ordinance allowing neighbors of dog owners whose pets bark continuously to seek city action, including possible removal of the dog.

Under the law, if three residents complain about a barking dog, the city’s Code Enforcement Commission will hold a hearing to review the matter. It will then stipulate conditions for the dog owner. If those conditions are not met, city representatives could remove a dog from a household, officials said.

Councilman Paul Little, an advocate of the new law, said barking dogs are among the top complaints he receives from residents. “The problem is not the dogs, but their owners,” he said.