Richmond dog owners face fines for barking dogs
RICHMOND, Ind. (WISH) — Dog owners in Richmond, are being warned that they could face a fine if their dog barks for too long.
It’s part of a city ordinance the council passed this week.
The common council amended it’s city code telling dog owners how long their animal could bark before they’re fined.
Fines start at $50 for the first offense, and go up to $500 for the fourth and subsequent offenses.
“It’s a good idea, if you live in a neighborhood that that problem does occur,” said Craig Spada while playing with his dogs at Hill’s Bark Park. “Some people have dogs and they just bark and bark and bark. It’s an ordinance that I think is a long time coming.
The Richmond council debated the ordinance since January. It passed this week 7 to 2.
“I don’t believe that this is a citywide problem,” said Clay Miller, one of two council members to vote against the ordinance.
He says it doesn’t address the major problems.
“There’s some issues in town with animals being neglected, dogs being tied up outside for a long periods of time, inadequate food, inadequate water. I think if we addressed that issue a lot of the barking issues are going to go away,” said Miller.
According to the ordinance if dogs are outside and bark for longer than 30 minutes during the day or 20 minutes at night, unprovoked, their owners could face a fine.
A warning could also be issued or police or animal control could take the animal away.
Councilman Jamie Lopeman who also voted against it said in an email: “It is a resource drain on our Law Enforcement Officers to respond to quietude calls.”
He also wrote the city already had a similar ordinance that wasn’t enforced.
The ordinance says night time is between 11 p.m. and 7 a.m.
A spokesman for Mayor David Snow says the mayor will sign the ordinance. When he does, it goes into effect immediately, but fines may take some time to be put in place.