Animal control question (vet, barking, shaking, aggressive)

[loves2read]

we went to movie today and came home to find a notice on our front door that the city dog catcher had left...because of a complaint about our dog's excessive barking and asking whether or not our dog has license and currrent rabies vaccination...

the time was marked 12.30--I called but the animal shelter closed at 2---so don't know if 12;30 was just time of visit--or if that was when the barking was excessive--

She is an inside dog mainly and she was inside almost all day today except when I took her for a walk--even when we were at the movie. so I KNOW she was not barking today unless she was inside and I don't see how someone can complain about that

but there are times when she is outside for short or longer periods and she barks--she is female and territorial--she barks when she hears others dogs barking or sees them through the fence taking a walk--of if she hears kids shouting when they are playing--she can be INSIDE and see a dog walking on the sidewalk, or hear it barking and start barking...
When she is outside, we try not to let her bark--if she won't stop, we bring her back in...but if we are not home, then she might bark quite a bit...
but the neighbors have never said anything to us before and dog is 4 years old...a couple of weeks ago she ate something that gave her loose bowels (inside the house) so we took her to the vet the next day and got her med and we are probably leaving her outside when we are gone a little more than before but I did not think it was that much difference...

--the newest neighbors have been across the street for about a year, the others have been here for years... no one has said anything to us face-to-face...but then again, we are not really friends with any of them--just nod and make casual conversation when we are outside at same time...

I can show proof of the rabies and I will get the license which I did not even know was separate from the rabies vaccine/tag--but I would like to know now how many of the MANY dogs in my neighborhood actually have THEIR city licenses --I bet almost none of them do if they don't get it when they are vaccinated--so should I ask the animal control officer to check all the other dog owners and cat owners..I have a cat that needs a license now as well--

We don't want our dog to be considered a nuisance but we also don't want to be the only people who are singled out--our dog does not bark more than some of the ones around us...and she is NEVER allowed out of the yard unless she is on a leash (unlike the people behind us with dogs that are very aggressive and can charge us when they are loose outside)...
We generally consider outselves good neighbors--no loud pool parties (of course we have no pool but no loud parties), no loud stereos, no unmown lawn, no parking cars on the street instead of the driveway...I found two or three dogs loose in my neighborhood this summer (with their tags/collars) and went out of my way to find their homes/owners instead of calling for animal control to pick them up (or ignore them)...which I thought was the neighborly thing to do...(some people don't seem too ashamed for you to bring their loose dogs home--some people are very glad that you found them--very interesting reactions...)

Anyone else have similar experience or have any suggestions...should we go around to the closest neighbors and appologize for the dog disturbing them? It just makes me angry that IF it was our dog legitimately--that they did not come over and talk to us--we would certainly have reacted more positively than to something like this which I guess we feel is a kind of sneaky attack...hiding behind the "power" of the law...

[dreamhunter65]

I have a neighbor that tried that even though was another neighbors dog barking..She even went to the low point when I went to school to stand on property line when let dogs out at 5 am to get them barking.(neighbor seen her in rain doing this) So I cured her went out and not let dogs out and mooned her. Stopped her complaints. Ask animal control who complained and at what time see what they say. Local police chief told me if had more complaints and was just one neighbor I could turn tables on her for harassment as everytime officer came to check on barking they were not. My neighbor is also known for her problem of having to have to complain about someone all the time and calling in complaints for no reason which last year backfired when she called me in for harassment as she was in wrong and got warned.

As far as trying to get other owners in trouble for no license don't. You do not want to be as low as the one that turned you in.

[chick]

Maybe the barking is really bothersome and the neighbors could sue you for nuisance issues or infringing on their 'right to peace'. Access your own situation, and forget about ratting out neighbors who may in-fact have the legally required license.

Don't all cities/towns or counties require a dog license? If they don't then they are far and few between.

[Mom2Five]

I had a neighbor call AC on me. She complained that my dogs are outside barking at 5 am for excessive periods. My dogs don't wake up till about 6, they go out to do their business and are back in the house in a minute to eat. I don't let them bark continously outside at all, but they do bark back at neighbors dogs, etc. Although the complaint was anonymous, we knew who it was. These new people had moved into the home behind us, and they are one of the few dogless homes near us. Prior to the complaint there had been an "incident". The people who lived in the home prior to the new people had 2 dogs that would come around and visit all the other dogs in the yards. There's an incline behind the houses on my street, so the houses on that street are behind and below us and the dogs would climb up the incline and then walk all along visiting So anyway, my dogs got into the habit of looking for these other dogs and I really think my dog was "calling" them by barking down at the house. The woman came out and started shaking her finger at my dog and yelling at him to shut up. Which just made him bark more, so my husband went out and told her to stop yelling at the dog, she got smart with my husband. Right after that is when we got the complaint. I called AC and explained the situation to them and they noted it as a bogus complaint. I did confront this neighbor ('cause you don't mess with my doggies). It was not pretty (not recommending that you do this). That was about 2 years ago, and nothing else has happened except that a few weeks ago I received an "anonymous" photocopy of a clip out from a magazine regarding nuisance barking I asked my other dog owning neighbors if they received the same and they have not, so obviously my dogs are being singled out even though I have a neighbor that lets their dogs bark at will day and night.

So the conclusion to my long story, definitely contact AC and explain to them the situation with your dog as you explained it above. They have to issue the notice because of the complaint but you certainly have the right to refute it.

[loves2read]

we want to be fair--if our dog is barking "excessively" which is kind of difficult to quantify--we don't want to cause problems for the neighbors--and I expect AC to call me back today since I left message with them Saturday...
but I guess I am more upset that the people did not just leave a note or talk to us if her barking was bad one day--don' t think it is bad EVERY day...but mistakes can happen--

[Jasmin71]

1 : What kind of Dog do you have?

2: Yes even an indoor barking Dog can be a Pain

3: What do you mean you didnt know you didnt have a License?


The *power of the law* is nice when you dont know youre Neighbors and dont want to risk a Confrontation.
You already said you dont really know anyone.. so maybe this would be a good time to try to get to know youre Neighbors, so next time when there is a Problem they feel more at easy talking with you about the Problem.
If youre looking for *revenge* ....would that really help youre situation? Would youre neighbors come over the next time? So be prepared to be turned in a lot...

[loves2read]

I thought that when I had the dog vaccinated and paid the fee for the rabies tag that was the same thing as a city license--the vet never said anything about having to have a city license--and we have had 3 different dogs at the same vet's over the past 20+ years---so I thought that was sufficient...

We "know" our neighbors--we speak to them when we see them outside or sometimes take deliveries for them if they are not home--but we aren't "friends" with them---
I just want to know if it really WAS our dog or perhaps one of the ones behind us doing the barking--the info on the slip left on the door really provides no specific info except that there was a complaint...

[Keeper]

Depending on the state you live in some require a separate license. If it is a requirement then you would have purchased it with the rabies vac. Probably what they were asking is if the shot is up to date.
Check your city/county online. Most have ordinances posted on their website. After reading ordinance, call AC and talk to the person that left notice for more info. Ask for the time of the complaint to verify it was your dog and not someone else's while you were at the movie.
I had a similar problem and I asked all my neighbors for their imput. No one had a problem except this one person. I was also told by police I could file harrassment charges against my neighbor, which I didn't do. I made sure I stand outside when they go out to keep them from barking excessively.

[loves2read]

I have been to the city web site and there is a form to complete for registering a dog or cat in the city--which I did not know was a separate action--so I can do that...
and I am waiting for the AC person to call back today since I left message Saturday but it is 945 am and nothing yet--if it is like most things that happen with my city--we will have to be the ones to call back...not a lot of follow-up from what I have experienced...
Depending on what the AC person says, I guess we reassess our situation...

[Scholar]

Our vet sells our city tag with the rabies vac. Our city just changed from one combo tag (of course with 2 fees) to 2 tags. It sounds like your city does things differently, but I can understand how someone could be confused. Seems like your vet would have reminded you to register your animals.

I don't think that legally you could be given a ticket for the barking since the Animal Control people didn't witness it. It is like someone calling the police and saying they witnessed a person speeding. Nothing can really be done unless the official person witnesses it. Be sure and ask what the AC's policy is, so you can be sure to comply with barking laws.

I think it could be a very nice gesture to speak (in a concerned and apologetic way) to see if anyone has been bothered or has heard of someone being bothered. Perhaps you could ask if the neighbors have heard anything in the neighborhood about your dog's barking. Someone who may not want to admit to being the upset neighbor may feel more comfortable telling you what they think someone in the neighborhood is feeling. Maybe this kind and concerned gesture on your part will stop the calls to the AC.

My parents got an anonymous note from their neighbor. Their dogs were barking. They were barking at the squirrels (that are a protected species), so my parents couldn't bother the squirrels or stop them from bothering the dogs. The note was no less hurtful than a call to the AC would have been. My dad just asked around, figured out who was upset and explained the situation. No complaints or notes followed. Hopefully, your situation can be resolved as successfully.