Groveland Twp.- They may be ‘man’s best friend? yet when they choose to yelp, howl or yip that longtime friendship is tested.
‘When residents open their windows in the summer the complaints about barking dogs start rolling in,? said Jason Hudson, township ordinance enforcer. ‘Typically I would respond to 15 or 20 calls each summer regarding dogs barking all night.?
After years of clamorous K-9’s a new ordinance, approved at the township meeting on June 14 will regulate and control excessive and unreasonable dog barking ‘in addition to providing penalties for violations of the ordinance. Beginning in June, if a resident calls the township regarding a barking dog a complaint must be signed and then issued to the residents with the barking animal.
‘I’ll try to reach a resolution before the violation goes any further or requires litigation,? said Hudson. ‘If we can’t resolve the matter a judge will hear the dispute and make a decision.?
Yet despite the change in the local ordinance Hudson says the issue hinges on defining what constitutes disturbing the peace with regard to barking dogs.
‘Residents even make (cassette) tapes of their neighbor’s dog barking,? said Hudon. ‘It’s simple, dogs bark’but what is too much is an individual matter.?
The new ordinance also requires dog owners to keep their pets on a leash and mandates the removal of feces deposited by the dog on any property not owned by the dog’s owner.