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I may just be jumping the gun here... animal control opens in 1/2 an hour and they may actually help, but according to their guidelines on their website, I doubt it.
The dogs that live catty corner to us have been on/off barking for over 30 hours. It may have been longer, but that's when my son pointed it out - about 3am, two nights ago. I went to their front door and saw a threatening letter taped to it about the barking. I rang the bell, but got no answer.
We got through the night, but it continued throughout the day. I stopped by twice and got no answer. At 3am this morning, it woke me up again. I went back over there (if I can't sleep, why sit here getting mad?) The letter was still on the door. I decided to call the police, non emergency and report it. At this point, I'm not concerned about the barking - just the dogs, and possibly the owners.
It's a patterned bark. It stops when someone approaches the house or fence. Anyway, two officers came out but the front door and back gate were locked. They said there was nothing they or I could do, but to try animal control in the morning. (If one had been unlocked, they would've entered and taken the dogs) They also called the phone number registered to the house, but got no answer.
So I went back home, dragged a chair over to the fence and turned my flashlight into the yard. A few moments later, TWO dogs came out of a BIG doggie door. One approached me at the fence, barking, but not madly. I talked to them for awhile. One stood and listened, the other whined/whimpered going back and forth into the house. I noted the yard had a pool, so I know they at least have water. After talking to them for about 15 minutes, I went back inside. (The blonde lab approached, the other one is white - don't know the breed, slightly smaller than the lab) I can see a light on inside the house.
They were quiet for about 3 hours, but woke me with their barking about 7am. I pulled my chair back over. Only the lab came out to greet me. I admonished him for waking me, he wagged his tail. About 10 minutes later, I came back inside to wait for animal control to open up.
The pool is GREEN and the backyard looks like the animals have had control for awhile. There is a dog run, but the fence has been knocked down. There are construction materials lying around.
We have lived here for 4 months and a little bit. I have NEVER heard these dogs bark like this (though when the yappers next door go at it, sometimes they respond) and the neighbors are MOSTLY quiet (the day MJ died I wanted to pull my hair out thanks to the blaring music, but other than that ONE time)
Any suggestions on what to do next? I am concerned that something has happened to these people and their dogs are alone. If animal control won't remove them for more than 10 days (yep, the website says 10 DAYS after the SECOND complaint is filed), where do I go next?
My only thought is to break the lock on their fence, remove the dog's tags, let them loose and THEN call animal control if they don't do something to help these animals this morning. That only helps the dogs though.
What do you think? The whining behavior of the second dog has me convinced that something is wrong inside, but the police can't do anything.
I agree that something may be wrong over there. Are they renters? If so, you could try to call the landlord. Ask the other neighbors if they know anything. What about their cars? See the vehicles? Gather as much info as possible and maybe the police will go inside.
I wouldn't let the dogs out as you will be liable if anything happened to them - and think how bad you would feel! Take them some food if you think they need it.
I would call the police, ask for a supervisor and explain the situation. In cincinnati if a dog barks for more than 4 hours, the owners will be fined. I would express your concern about the owners to the police and the police SHOULD invetigate it. If no one is home and the dogs are not being tended to, the POLICE should then contact animal control.
I would also kindly remind the police that too many bad things have been on the news lately about officials not taking that extra step to investigate something and then only to find terrible things in these homes. If you as a resident are calling about something out of the norm, it is THEIR duty to follow up on it. Keep us posted!!!
A friend suggested that if they do not take action to remove the dogs from the yard, not remove the tags, but call animal control or the shelter. That way, the dogs are safe and the city will take steps to try to find/contact the owners.
Right now, litigous people are tying their hands. The officer said that if they enter without permission or probable cause, then they can be sued. They're right of course. Heck, even one of the threatening letters posted on their front door mentions a lawsuit!
So is the letter from another neighbor or posted by the home owners themselves???
If this behavior is suspicious, than the officers need to offer some sort of answer instead of passing the buck/problem off on animal control. Sorry, I am a HUGE supporter of police in our area but sometimes, you have to remind people not only what their jobs are but what your rights are as well.
It does sound like the dogs are alone. Either the people who own them left town for vacation or abandoned them or something happened to them and they need help.
I think it's great that you have the intuition to figure out that something isn't right rather then just being angry about the constant barking. I hope that things get figured out quickly.
A friend suggested that if they do not take action to remove the dogs from the yard, not remove the tags, but call animal control or the shelter. That way, the dogs are safe and the city will take steps to try to find/contact the owners.
Right now, litigous people are tying their hands. The officer said that if they enter without permission or probable cause, then they can be sued. They're right of course. Heck, even one of the threatening letters posted on their front door mentions a lawsuit!
Couldn't the "threatening letter" be used as a probable cause for entering? The police could claim a welfare check was necessitated by it.
Got the call back from Animal Control. Apparently, this has been going on for more than the 2 days I was aware of. Today is day 4. They have posted their own notices on the front door, but they keep getting removed. As long as the notices are getting removed, then they believe someone is in the home but refusing to answer. I think one of the other neighbors is removing the notices to be a jerk. The good news is that the dogs are not barking now in between my visits. The lab continues to come to the fence, but the white one has not left the house that I have seen yet this morning.
I added the statements about the condition of the backyard and the pool. He said he would check it out. If he can witness one of the dogs drinking from the green & brackish pool as I did, then taking the dogs becomes a health matter. If not, they suggested that if I care I will feed the dogs until they can legally remove them on the 10th day.
That's where we stand now.
The police didn't even remove the threatening letter when they came out last night... it's still taped there. The letter doesn't threaten death to the owners, just the dogs. This is apparently, not illegal here.
My only thought is to break the lock on their fence, remove the dog's tags, let them loose and THEN call animal control if they don't do something to help these animals this morning. That only helps the dogs though.
NO. God forbid but if it turns out you've got less than desirable neighbours this is a great way to start unpleasantness. Plus, and it's a big plus, doing something illegal can scupper legal measures - i.e if animal control could take the dogs due to neglect if they find them in the neglectful situation, because you've - effectively - committed a B&E and the dogs are loose... they can't.
Barking aside - the dogs only true requirement is water & food (although the latter is less important than the former.) If they can come and go via a dog door, they have access to shelter. As frustrating as all this is, the fact of the matter is they are not in immediate danger.
You can of course give them some food and water. Food can be dropped from a height, water's a little more tricky.
You've taken the right course of action and you are doing all that you can - and big pats to you for that. Keep the pressure on authorities and keep us posted.
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