Wahnfried der Feststehend: barking dogs

Thursday, December 3, 2015

The Price of Indoor Plumbing

People often ask, "What do you do out there?" I have a number of glib responses but my main one is about enjoying the quiet.

There's a lot between the lines in what follows. If you peruse this year's posts you'll see I took several "breaks." And although I need to be here through the grieving, now that Susan has walked on I can look forward to returning to the nomadic lifestyle...where barking dogs aren't usually an issue; and if they are it's a simple matter to move.

Thursday, December 3, 2015 (emailed at 6:29 p.m.)

Dear Councilors:

On January 17, annoyed by the barking of a neighbor's dog, I emailed each of you regarding the history of the city noise ordnance. I had been the target of vindictive behavior for previous complaints and anticipating having to file another was interested in learning the history of why the law provided for the disclosure of the complainer's name and address to the person complained about.

I am retired and travel much of the time. I did my best to ignore the dog when I was in town. However, in January my mother-in-law's health began seriously deteriorating and I needed to stay in Albuquerque to supervise her care.

After hearing the dog all summer, I finally filed a complaint on November 2nd. As per procedure, the City sent a letter alerting the dog's owners. It was quiet for a few days but soon the dog was again barking all day.

My mother-in-law died on November 12. Since then her 59 year-old daughter, 60 year old son and I (age 63) have been dealing with tremendous grief and the myriad responsibilities associated with settling her estate. Through it all the dog has barked nearly all day long each and every day.

THEN

I filed a second complaint on November 25. This evening I called and spoke with Carlotta at Animal Control about what was happening with the case. She is doing all she can to help but the spectre of retribution, along with everything else we are dealing with, looms large.

I'm writing to let you know how this is evolving. It's my experience that people who allow their dogs to bark incessantly do not care about their neighbors. Animal Control's protocol requires complainers to agree to mediation. It seems disingenuous to suggest that someone like my neighbor is going to be interested in discussing the problem with me. And quite frankly, given their demonstration of disregard, I have little optimism for a positive outcome via mediation.

All the above is simply FYI. I hope that as you give thought to improving the ambiance of Albuquerque you'll continue to look for solutions to this problem that many of us face.

Sincerely,

MFH

NOW

Tuesday, January 27, 2015

Sounds of the City - ABQ

Ah, there's nothing like a barking dawg tuh send yuh scrambling tuh Pandora. One of my favorite stayshunz is: Barkin' Mad Radio.

Seven days a week the dog at 10005 Los Arboles Ave NE barks from 8:15 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. Albuquerque's noise ordnance requires complainants to identify themselves. The info is available to the dogs' owners who, although they couldn't have cared LESS about their neighbors BEFORE, are amazingly swift at post-complaint "discovery."

Their vengeance is swift too. Over-the-years I've admired their stealth: flattened tires, keying (an awl-time fav) and dents that mysteriously appear in otherwise vacant parking lots. And over-the-years I've grown increasingly curious about who decided the City & State should aid-and-abet dog owners' criminal actions.

On January 17, 2015 I wrote all the city councilors asking why city policy requires disclosure. Now, after more than a week only one, Trudy Jones, has responded.

Below is my email to the Councilors:

From: mfh
Sent: Saturday, January 17, 2015 12:28 PM
To: Sanchez, Ken; Benton, Isaac; Pena, Klarissa J.; Winter, Brad D.; Lewis, Dan P.; Garduno, Rey; Gibson, Diane G.; Jones, Trudy; Harris, Don

Subject: Barking Dogs

Dear Councilors:

I'm writing to ask about the history of the noise ordnance pertaining to barking dogs. Can you tell me how it evolved, especially the requirement that complainants identify themselves?

In an earlier effort toward enlightenment, I spoke to an Enforcement Officer. He said disclosure was required in case the complaint went to court. I can understand that at some time disclosure might be necessary, but his answer does not satisfy the question of why it is required to file a complaint. Nor does it address the begged question of why the complainant's name is available to the dog owner.

I look forward to a better understanding.

Sincerely,

MFH

Here is the one reply (with my name misspelled)....

To: mfh - Jan 21 at 1:11 PM
CC : Jones, Trudy

Hello Mr. Hermann, please see the email below from the Animal Welfare Department. Thank you.

Sincerely,

Aziza Chavez
Policy Analyst-Councilor Trudy Jones
Albuquerque City Council District 8
Phone: (505)768-3106
Email: azizachavez@cabq.gov
www.cabq.gov/council/councilors/district-8

From: Ludwick, James W.
Sent: Wednesday, January 21, 2015 12:05 PM
To: Chavez, Aziza
Cc: Bruin, Barbara
Subject: Barking Dogs

We encourage mediation as a first step toward dealing with a barking dog problem. Obviously, mediation is out of the question if the person making the complaint is unwilling to come forward.

Barking dog cases can be difficult to prosecute. It is not unusual for a case to be dropped because an officer has not personally heard the dog barking. We need cooperation in these cases right from the beginning, and normally we do not check on anonymous complaints about barking dogs.

As I said yesterday when we discussed this by telephone, nearly all of our records are open to public inspection and we are not allowed to withhold them from people who want to see them. This is a matter of state law. Our department receives many requests from dog owners who want to review complaints about their barking dogs. We provide copies of those records in accordance with New Mexico law and city government policies. END OF MSG

I know I'm not alone in this. In fact, I've heard complaints from people throughout the West. After all the years of barking you'd think our politicians would've come up with a better response than the bureaucratic one above. I mean, we do Rocket Science in this town...it's not as if there's a lack of brains.

Perhaps they, like the dog owners, just don't hear it.

You can find out who your District Rep is here. Or you could, like me, figure it's something they ALL should be interested in and email your suggestions to each of them. Their emails're below.

Ken Sanchez - District 1 - kensanchez@cabq.gov