By Hannah Grover
When Edgewood Animal Control Officer James Salyers cited an individual for a barking dog, a judge informed him that the town’s ordinance was inadequate to address such situations.
The Town Commission approved changes to the ordinance on a unanimous vote this week to make it easier for Salyers and police officers to cite dog owners for excessive noise.
The changed ordinance states that a dog barking, yelping or howling is deemed excessive if it continues unprovoked for 30 minutes within a one-hour time frame.
The ordinance would have initially included cats, fowl, and other animals in addition to dogs. It would also have defined excessive noise as 15 minutes within a one-hour period.
Commissioner Patrick Milligan moved to change the draft ordinance after several commissioners expressed sentiments that it should only apply to dogs and that 15 minutes was too short.
Salyers said he tends to get many complaints about dogs, but he has only once issued a citation for barking. In that incident, Salyers said the dog would run to a corner of the yard and start barking.
“I recorded 20 minutes of barking in two different areas,” he said.
Salyers said he has different hypotheses about why the dog was barking, including possibly missing its owners.
“The neighbors constantly listen to that dog bark,” he said.
Salyers said that when he receives barking dog complaints, he issues warnings to the dog owners before citing them.
Salyers acknowledged that “animals make noise,” but he said when dogs bark, yelp or howl excessively, it can become a nuisance.
The commissioners’ decision to increase the time frame from 15 minutes to 30 minutes came after several Edgewood residents said they felt 15 minutes was too short. The residents who spoke during public comment also disagreed with including roosters in the ordinance.
Salyers said having a time limit allows him to better explain to people what constitutes excessive barking.
“This is a touchy subject, especially when you live in the country,” Mayor Ken Brennen said.