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NO SLEEP-NO PEACE?
Barking Dogs

ANY dog that disturbs someone with "frequent or prolonged noises" is a public nuisance. Philadelphia County investigates complaints. Keeping a dog who’s barking is a nuisance is a minor criminal offense. For example, a woman was convicted of violating a local law that prohibited keeping a dog that was an "annoyance to any sick person residing in the immediate vicinity." The neighbor who complained suffered from migraine headaches. The penalty for a first offense was a fine of up to $100, up to 30 days in jail or both. Philadelphia law forbids loud noise after 10 p.m., and prohibits any "unreasonable" noise. Someone who allows a dog to bark, after numerous warnings, may be arrested for disturbing the peace. A judge imposed a fine of $6,200 on a man whose dogs - disturbed his neighbors. The steep fine came after the dog owner said, in court, that he didn't care what the neighbors said. Enough already!

If this is the case, call the animal control department:

• Philadelphia Animal Care and Control Association (PACCA)
(267) 385-3800
• File a report online: www.phillypaws.org
• For animal bites call: 215.685.6748
• Give The following information:
o Property Owner
o Property address
• If you don’t know the address or the owners name you can always look it up at www.brtweb.phila.gov
• Constantly call the SPCA: (215) 426-6300
When you call, don't just make your complaint and hang up. Since this is really a persistent problem, you need to be persistent, too (if you want to get a good nights rest). Follow up and get results.
What to do and questions to ask the person you talk to:
1. Write down his/her name, so you won't have to explain your problem every time you call about the department's procedures.
2. Find out what the department will do, and when. Since the problem is barking dogs, the department may need to receive a certain number of complaints within a certain period of time before it will act.
3. If that's the case, you may want to discuss the problem with neighbors; if they feel as you do, enlist their help. This gives a specific city official or department - usually the health, police, or public safety department - responsibility for the problem.
Your dog complaint program also lets everyone - dog owner and neighbors - know what they can expect. A system of warnings and sanctions tells dog owners what's expected of them and lets neighbors know what it will take to solve a problem before it drives everyone in the neighborhood batty. Of course, it doesn't do much good unless these rules are published and readily available (which, unfortunately, is rare); however, feel free to print this article and pass it out to your neighbors.
I also have migraine head-aches and there other sickly people in the neighborhood that are being affected by the fact that there is NO PEACE. The law allows neighbors to make a formal complaint to city council about a dog that is a nuisance because of "excessive barking." The board holds a hearing and makes whatever order is necessary to stop the nuisance - including, ordering the owner to get rid of the dog.
Let’s not run door to door to get petition signatures only to make an exceptional trip to city hall about this disturbing matter. You have to be persistent and follow through with calling to complain.