But Barking is Natural

Barking dogs are the focus of a new Albemarle County ordinance supervisors passed Wednesday evening.

The new rule states that if a person's dog barks longer than 30 minutes, a neighbor could take that resident to court. If a dog owner is found guilty once, they could face a maximum fine of $500. Guilt on three occasions could result in saying goodbye to Fido forever.

"Due to the neighbors constantly barking dogs, I can honestly say that legislation to control excessive dog barking is sorely needed," said Kathleen Dubovsky, who favors the ordinance.

Others say the new rules are a little over the top. "Does a dog barking at ten decibels count as excessive when my neighbors TV is drowning out the noise of that dog," asked resident James Barrett.

It's still not clear how the county would enforce the ordinance. Supervisors did remove part of the policy that would allow a dog to be killed if it were taken away. County officials will review the results of this ordinance in one year.

[Source: NBC 29]