Tazewell hopes to muzzle dog noise

By CHARLES OWENS
Bluefield Daily Telegraph

March 21, 2008 10:32 pm

— TAZEWELL, Va. — Town officials are hoping to quiet barking dogs in Tazewell through a nuisance ordinance.
Although the town council is currently working to draft a barking dog ordinance, current complaints about barking dogs will be enforced through the town’s existing nuisance ordinance, Town Manager Jerry Wood said.
“We had a delegation to come to the previous council meeting that was filing a complaint about barking dogs, and it was excessive (barking),” Wood said. “So the town council instructed myself and the town attorney to research and come up with an ordinance that would basically prohibit barking dogs. The town attorney and I gave them two options, but in giving the two options, there were several considerations and I’m thinking eight or nine things that weren’t clear on an ordinance of such. So they wanted to do some further study. In the meantime, they declared we do have a nuisance ordinance. So until we can get a barking dog ordinance specifically on the books, we are trying to enforce the nuisance ordinance. If a person allows their dogs to become a nuisance, we would take the proper steps to enforce.”
Wood said the problem of barking dogs has been widespread across the town in the past. However, the most recent complaints brought before council came from a specific area, according to Wood.
Wood said those found in violation of the existing nuisance ordinance would receive a letter from the Tazewell Police Department giving the property owner 10 days to address the nuisance. Wood said the property owner can appeal the complaint to town council.
If an identified nuisance is ignored, the town manager can direct the chief of police to remedy the nuisance at the expense of the property owner. Wood said a lean can ultimately be placed on a property that is in violation of the nuisance ordinance.
Wood said council hopes to have an actual barking dog ordinance ready within three or four months. In the meantime, Wood said the town will use the existing nuisance ordinance as a way to deal with barking dog complaints.
“I think we are being very prudent in making sure we get the ordinance correct the first time,” Wood said of the proposed barking dog ordinance. z
— Contact Charles Owens at cowens@bdtonline.com