Barking Chihuahua is Driving me Crazy! (Greensboro: lease, house, tenants)

[tastychat]

Dog is tied up to the side of the house 24/7. It barks, howls, whines, and cries at all times of the day and night. The dog was indoors during the winter but after the last cold front, it has been evicted from the house. The owner's and their children don't play or give the dog any attention. They seem to have the attitude that eventually it will stop barking. The obvious consequence that a constantly noisy dog might be bothering others has not been evident on this family. Most of the homes in the area have dogs. None of the dogs in the area behave as this Chihuahua. There has been at least one visit by the Greensboro Police regarding the dog but nothing has changed. According to Animal Control, only the local police handle questions/complaints of Public Nuisance by animals. They did come out to check the living conditions of the dog but were unwilling to explain their own regulations regarding barking and nuisances to the owner's. What do I do next? As I am writing you this thread, the noise from the barking dog continues on to the night.

Should I start video recording the dog and then eventually call the police?
Should I confront the owner's, offer a copy of the Guilford County Animal Control Regulations, and threaten them with further action?
Who has the authority to determine what constitutes a nuisance and what action should be taken?
Should I just call the police now and hope they can convince these people to:

1) Move the dog to the back of the house.
2) Kill the dog.
3) Deport the dog.
4) Seek doggie therapy for an inferiority complex
5) Teach the dog to bark/***** in English instead of Spanish.
6) Let the dog be/live in the house at night and while nobody is home.
7) Have the dog apply for a job at Taco Bell.

I am open to any suggestions in either English or Spanish!

According to (Animal Control Regulations) Section 5-10:

a) The actions of an animal constitute a public nuisance when an animal disturbs the rights of, threatens the safety of, or damages a member of the general public, or interferes with the ordinary use and enjoyment of another's property.

b) It shall be unlawful for any person to own, keep, posses or maintain an animal in such a manner as to constitute a public nuisance. By way of example, and not of limitation, the following acts or actions by an owner or possessor of an animal are hereby declared to be a public nuisance and therefore unlawful:

(1) Having an animal that disturbs the rights of, threatens the safety of, or damages a
member of the general public, or interferes with the ordinary use and enjoyment of
one's property.


(5) Allowing or permitting an animal to bark, whine, howl, crow or cackle in a long
-continued or frequent fashion so as to interfere with the reasonable use and
enjoyment of neighboring premises.

[goodgal]

If the dog is being neglected then report the owners. It is hot outside and shouldn't be tied outside anyway! Please don't kill the dog! The owners are to blame not an innocent animal who depends on its human owners to take care of him!

[skinsguy37]

Originally Posted by goodgal

If the dog is being neglected then report the owners. It is hot outside and shouldn't be tied outside anyway! Please don't kill the dog! The owners are to blame not an innocent animal who depends on its human owners to take care of him!

I think the OP was asking what he/she could convince the owners to do, but I agree, killing dog is never an option in my book!

I can't understand some pet owners. Especially those who will have a dog tied up in their backyard, and won't at least give them enough slack to run and play. I used to live beside a neighbor who would have two dogs tied up on six foot chains - not enough slack to do anything. At least he'd have a dog house for them, but I hated the way those dogs had to live their lives.

[roanoker 4]

I have had the same experience with a barking dog. You must contact animal control to document the barking. If the owners don't respond or get the message the matter MUST go to court. I think many people fear the court process but in my recent experience it is usually the only way to resolve the problem. The law is pretty clear cut and it is there to warn offenders and usually a fine at first but then if it continues the offender must give up the dog. The process resolved my problem.

[tastychat]

Thanks for your response. Please forgive the satire. I was just trying to add some twisted humor to my rant. I don't blame the dog nor do I wish it any harm. Animal Control will not handle complaints regarding barking dogs. They called me the morning after I wrote them an email. They checked on the condition of the animal as far as food/water/leash/housing/health. An hour after I spoke on the phone to their office, an officer arrived at the home of the dog to check on the animal's condition. Despite being tied up all day and night, no clear violations were noted. So why does it bark all the time and what can be done about it?

A "Public Nuisance" by an animal can only be enforced by the police. There are very explicit noise ordinances for Guilford County. Barking pets are not included in the city ordinances but are part of Animal Control Regulations. So how does the police determine when and why a dog is barking too much? Are they trained to handle animal issues? What should be the responsibility of the pet owner? What if the pet owner does not comply or is unable to stop the barking? I hate having to call the cops because a dog is barking! Fines for violations range from $100 to $500 but, according to Animal Control Regulations, can only be levied by an Animal Control Supervisor.

I know the dog is is unhappy, lonely, and bored. However, the dog will eventually get tired of barking philosophy cannot be the accepted norm. Unless the people responsible are forced to face legal/financial consequences, this will continue while pets and neighbors suffer.

I was wondering what have other people have done to try to resolve similar problems?

Thank you for any help!

[tastychat]

Originally Posted by roanoker 4

I have had the same experience with a barking dog. You must contact animal control to document the barking. If the owners don't respond or get the message the matter MUST go to court. I think many people fear the court process but in my recent experience it is usually the only way to resolve the problem. The law is pretty clear cut and it is there to warn offenders and usually a fine at first but then if it continues the offender must give up the dog. The process resolved my problem.

Thank for your response. Did you document the barking using a log, video, or some other method. As I had mentioned in my reply, an animal control officer visited their house but only checked on the conditions of the dog, not the barking complaint. Chihuahuas are indoor dogs but are notorious for barking when intimidated, frustrated, bored, or just pissed off. During the winter, the dog lived in the house. Now its tied to a fence and nobody pays it any attention.
The current complaint process seems to be that, at first, the police will handle the initial call. Only they can follow it up with animal control if problem is not resolved.

I appreciate your help!

Regards,

Andrew

[roanoker 4]

Originally Posted by tastychat

Thank for your response. Did you document the barking using a log, video, or some other method. As I had mentioned in my reply, an animal control officer visited their house but only checked on the conditions of the dog, not the barking complaint. Chihuahuas are indoor dogs but are notorious for barking when intimidated, frustrated, bored, or just pissed off. During the winter, the dog lived in the house. Now its tied to a fence and nobody pays it any attention.
The current complaint process seems to be that, at first, the police will handle the initial call. Only they can follow it up with animal control if problem is not resolved.

I appreciate your help!

Regards,

Andrew

My experience with the barking dog took an entire summer. The police told me to record and document the barking of which I did. I continually called Animal Control and eventually they seemed to get tired of dealing with my issue and suggested I go to court to resolve the problem. The police assured me they would testify to the judge of the barking dog. When I finally went to court the documentation of the calls to Animal control was all evidence the judge needed. It is always a good idea of recording and contine to call Animal Control. When you go to court take along a witness if necessary. Luckily the judge was strict on the offending neighbors and the dog removed and offenders fined. I was impresed how barking dogs is taken seriously. I currently live in peace. GOOD LUCK!

[skinsguy37]

Does the dog bark while the neighbors are gone, or is this a constant thing? Some dogs suffer from separation anxiety, and will act out accordingly. Some will bark continuously, some will pee everywhere, others will tear stuff up. Responsible owners work on solving these issues, not just assuming, "Hey, it's a dog, it barks. Deal with it!" That's completely unfair to other neighbors.

I'm very lucky in that my beagle hardly ever "talks". She only howls if she sees a neighbor walking his/her dog - especially if she is "friends" with the dog.

[Jowel]

Have you said anything to your neighbors about this, and if so, what kind of response have you gotten? Sometimes that's a good idea; sometimes not (if the person is clearly a "problem" type neighbor- possibly involved in other shady activities, etc.).

Is the dog owner also the one who owns the property? If you aren't sure, you can look it up here (for Greensboro/Guilford County):

Property Search

If you were to find the dog owner doesn't own the property, you may have better luck contacting the property owner (depending on how responsible a landlord the property owner is). You can explain the situation to them if you're able to find a phone number or you can send them a certified letter explaining that their tenants are continuing to create a nuisance. If it keeps up, keep putting pressure on the property owner as well. I've known of some cases where the property owner specifies that no dogs are permitted on their lease, and once they find out about someone has a dog that's creating a problem, the dog and/or the tenant has to go somewhere else. It's worth a try.

Disregard this if you know the dog owner also owns the property; I just wasn't sure from your post.

I will say that if you end up having to take formal action (calling the police or court), it would definitely help to show you tried to work with the dog/property owner with no luck than if you just jump to that step immediately. It also would help if you know of any other neighbors who are bothered by this.